SOUILLARD CORNAS SAINT-PIERRE 2018

South-facing granite slopes in Cornas, planted in the early 1970s and supplemented in the 2000s, give Saint-Pierre its backbone — poor, rocky, gravelly-sandy soils over granite bedrock that stress the vines and concentrate the Syrah. High elevation pushes harvest later than most sites in the appellation. Jean-Baptiste Souillard ferments with indigenous yeasts, employs pump-overs, and ages for 20 months in older oak barrels; lutte raisonnée guides the farming. Expect dark fruit, savory meat, cracked pepper, and firm but integrating tannins on a long, mineral finish.