2003 Jean-Luc Colombo Syrah La Violette

Jean-Luc Colombo was a pharmacist until 1987, when he purchased 20 acres in Cornas, in the Northern Rhone Valley. He worked for a while as a wine consultant before producing wine under his own label starting in 1994. As an outspoken advocate of improving the wines of the Cornas appellation by using modern winemaking techniques and organic farming, Colombo has sometimes been a a controversial figure in the region. However his own wines have won acclaim. Known for his Cornas wines, he also makes Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and other wines. He also owns the Provence label Cote Bleue. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Colombo “one of the stars of the Cornas…He is producing some of the finest Cornas produced.”

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.