A tale of two Versets

Courtesy Richard Katz, I drank these on Friday in the company of someone who, when it comes to charm, looks and brains, is very much at the front of the queue. 

Noel Verset Cornas 1990 

Translucent garnet; perfumed, sauvage. Mushroom (hint of morello?), decay, cured meats. Smokey overtones, rich, and decadent; secondary opulent raspberry compote and plums; so smooth on the palate; somewhat burgundian, but unique; dignified, cerebral and kaleidoscopic with hints of coffee and menthol; faintly woodsy. A wine which whispers rather than shouts its wares; no wonder it gets lost in a ‘me too’ shouting match; this has poise and gravitas, an intellectual wine. 

Noel Verset Cornas 1995

Deep ruby maroon, more opaque, more woodsy, wispy, smoky ‘n’ gamey than the 1990. Bonfire, brine and seaspray; savoury, with spicey sausage, celery, nettles and raspberry notes with grippy, raspy tannins. Somewhat uncouth relative to the 1990, and that becomes more apparent as the night progresses. Not as smooth, nor as poised as the 1990, with some stalky notes. Nonetheless this is a smashing wine. 

Both decanted we initially mixed them up but it wasn’t difficult to tell which was which. The 1990 would get lost in a larger comparative tasting, but tasted next to its younger sibling it shows it class. Not that the 1995 was disappointing...it was a captivating example of traditional Cornas from this legendary producer...it was just that the 1990 was at another level.