Domaine du Coulet No Wine`s Land 2023

The 'No Wines Land' opens on a perfumed nose of wild herbs, violets and black cherries. On the palate, vibrant notes of black pepper, bramble and olive are framed by sappy tannins. The finish is refreshing and savoury, with a mineral edge.

This vineyard sits at around 200 metres altitude on the northern edge of Cornas, but its rocky limestone soils fall outside the granite-based criteria for Cornas AOC. Initially considered for Saint-Joseph, the classification was rejected locally, leaving the site designated as Côtes du Rhône—hence the “No Wine’s Land” name. The vines grow on smooth, terraced slopes facing south and south-east, rooted in limestone with small clay veins. Farmed organically and biodynamically, the site is worked entirely by hand, with animal power used for ploughing.

All grapes were destemmed but left uncrushed, with fermentation carried out in small concrete vessels, including egg-shaped vats, requiring no temperature control. Indigenous yeasts handled the ferment with no additives or SO₂ used at this stage. Ageing took place in the same concrete vats for 11 months without racking, preserving purity and texture. The wine received only a light filtration before bottling, with a minimal addition of SO₂ to ensure stability.

A seventh-generation vigneron, Matthieu Barret studied viticulture in Beaune before joining his grandfather in Cornas in 1997. After inheriting a parcel of vines from his grandfather, who used to sell grapes to the local co-operative, Matthieu built up his own domaine and immediately began working the vines organically, producing his first vintage in 2000.