Editing Cornas AOC

{{Short description|French wine geographic appellation}}
{{Infobox wine region
| name = Cornas AOC
| image =Jaboulet Cornas.jpg
| official name = Cornas
| other name =
| type = [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée]]
| year = 
| wine years = 
| country = [[France]]
| part of = [[Rhône wine|Northern Rhone]]
| similar = [[Crozes-Hermitage]], [[Saint-Joseph AOC|Saint-Joseph]], [[Hermitage AOC|Hermitage]], [[Côte-Rôtie]]
| sub regions =
| season = 
| climate region = [[continental climate]]
| heat units =
| precipitation = 
| soil = 
| total size =
| planted = 114 [[hectare]]s
| vineyards =
| grapes = [[Syrah]]
| varietals = 
| wineries =
| wine produced = 4000 hl.
| designation =
| comments = 
}}
'''Cornas''' ({{IPA|fr|kɔʁnas}}) is a [[French wine]] ''[[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]]'' (AOC) in the northern [[Rhône (wine region)|Rhône wine region]] of [[France]] based in [[Cornas]], south of [[Lyon]]. It is one of the smallest appellations in the Rhône valley and produces only red wine, from the [[Syrah]] grape.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 105">[[Niels Lillelund]]: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. {{ISBN|87-567-7140-1}}, p. 105</ref>

==History==
The name Cornas is [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] for "burnt earth", and the first written sources mention wine in the region as early as 885.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 106">Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. {{ISBN|87-567-7140-1}}, p. 106</ref> Both [[Louis XV]] and [[Cardinal Richelieu]] are said to have been admirers of the wine.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 106"/> Cornas became an official appellation in 1938 although it was not until 1950 that the first local producers began bottling the wine themselves.<ref>Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. {{ISBN|87-567-7140-1}}, p. 105-106</ref>

==Climate and geography==
Cornas, along with the rest of the northern Rhône, has a [[continental climate (wine)|continental climate]] rather than the [[Mediterranean climate (wine)|Mediterranean climate]] found in the south. However unlike some of the other northern Rhône appellations, Cornas is mostly shielded from the cold ''[[Mistral (wind)|le mistral]]'' winds that can last into the Spring, and is often the first appellation in the north to begin the harvest.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 105"/> The [[vineyard]]s are just north of [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]], in a fairly small area of steep slopes facing east-southeast, south of [[Tain l'Hermitage]]. The vineyards are situated between {{convert|100|m}} and {{convert|400|m}} above sea level. In the northern part, especially near "''Les Chaillot''", the soil contains chalk but is mostly sandy and rocky, with characteristic reddish-brown dirt.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 108">Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. {{ISBN|87-567-7140-1}}, p. 108</ref> The sunny sector of "''Quartier de Reynard''" which has vines at {{convert|300|m}} has a granite soil. To the south, near "''La Côte''" and "''La Combe''", the soil is mostly clay.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 108"/>  It is a small appellation of only {{convert|90|ha}}, with an average output of {{convert|4,000|hl}}.<ref>Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. {{ISBN|87-567-7140-1}}, p. 112</ref> By way of comparison there are individual châteaux in [[Bordeaux (wine)|Bordeaux]] which produce more wine than the entire Cornas appellation.

==Grapes and wine==
Along with most wines produced in the northern Rhône, Cornas is a red wine made from the Syrah grape. No white wines are produced. Any wines designated Cornas AOC will be made from 100% Syrah by law. Although growers could plant different grape varieties in Cornas, the appellation is planted exclusively with Syrah as any wine made from other grapes would have to be sold under a different label, probably [[Côtes du Rhône AOC]] and as a result would fetch a lower price.

Cornas used to produce wines which required long [[aging wine|ageing]], but a new more fruit forward style has emerged under the impulse of winemaker [[Jean-Luc Colombo]]. Several producers still produce a more traditional style which typically requires 6–7 years in [[Wine barrel|barrel]] and bottle before it is approachable.<ref name="Niels Lillelund 2004. p. 108"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}
* [http://www.vins-rhone.com/en/appellation/cornas Cotes du Rhone Wines Web Site]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornas Aoc}}
[[Category:Rhône wine AOCs]]
[[Category:1930s establishments in France]]