Domaine Johann Michel, Cornas 'Jana' 2017

Johann Michel is a native to France's Northern Rhone region. He started his Domaine in 1997, in the village of Saint-Péray, after sparking a passion for wine whilst tasting older vintages with his uncle, the esteemed Cornas winemaker Robert Michel. Domaine Johann Michel now boasts a modest 5ha of vines across 15 parcels of some of the best sites in Cornas and represents honest, artisanal Northern Rhone winemaking at its very best. Cornas 'Jana' 2017 is made from 100% Syrah, taken from a blend of grapes from the renowned sites of Bayonnet, Les Côtes, Le Combes, Chaillots, and Saveaux. Whole-cluster fermentation and aged for 18 months in oak prior to release. The nose has flavours of ripe black cherry and plum, perfumed by thrilling hits of chocolate, smoke, black pepper and bramble. Complex and full bodied on the palate, it's irresistible for its inky, concentrated fruitiness and an emphatic, smoky bacon savoury flourish on the incredibly long finish. Drinking well now, but will only get better over the next 15 years.