| Region of production: | Cornas, Saint-Péray, Saint-Joseph |
| Winery Location: | Cornas |
| Year Established: | 1958 |
Vineyard Holdings
Cornas: 6.6 ha; soil is predominantly gore
- Les Côtes:planted in 1925
- La Fontaine:planted in 1925
- Combe:planted in 1925
- Mazard: planted in 1970s
- Chaillot:planted in 1970s, 1980s
- Reynards: planted in 1983
Saint-Péray: 3.8 ha; 95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne; soil is decomposed granite and limestone
- La Côte: planted in 1930s
- Hongrie: planted in 1930s and 1975
- Les Plantiers:planted in 1960s
Saint-Joseph: 1.5 ha Syrah at Mauves (a rented parcel since 2005)
Top Wines Produced
- Cornas “Chailles”: produced primarily from 1985 plantings on Chaillot and Reynards
- Cornas Vieilles Vignes: produced from vines in the 25-80 year range
- Cornas “Les Vieilles Fontaines”: produced from 1925 plantings on La Fontaine and Les Côtes
- Saint-Péray “Harmonie”: 92% Marsanne, 8% Roussanne from the low section of Hongrie
- Saint-Péray “Terres Boisées”: 100% Marsanne from 1975 planting on Hongrie
- Saint-Péray “Fleur de Crussol”: 100% Marsanne from 1930s plantings on La Côte and Hongrie
Inaugural Vintages
- Saint-Péray “Fleur de Crussol” in 1997; Cornas „Les Vieilles Fontaines“ in 1989
Average Total Production
- 42,000 bottles
Summary
In 1958, at age 19, Alain Voge joined his father and the family business, making the then-radical decision to move away from mixed agriculture and toward a focus on wine. Eventually, the Voges began bottling and commercializing their own wine, and soon Alain expanded the family holdings in Cornas through purchases of historic and abandoned vineyard sites. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, he redeveloped these sites, eventually also moving into Saint-Péray and Saint-Joseph. Today Alain releases many different cuvées, which are typically based on vine age and oak treatment. In 2004, Albéric Mazoyer, a viticultural and winemaking advisor to Chapoutier since 1995, joined Alain in partnership.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Voge red wines are solid modern expressions of Cornas terroir. The grapes are partially de-stemmed (100% in some vintages), stomped by foot and punched down twice daily by hand; the Cornas “Chailles” and Vieilles Vignes bottlings are aged in older barriques, while “Les Vieilles Fontaines” sees about 25% new barrique. The aging period ranges from 12 months for the entry level “Chailles” to 24 months for “Les Vieilles Fontaines.” The wines are filtered and occasionally fined. “Les Vieilles Fontaines” is a top-tier Cornas that can show considerable power and longevity in the best vintages. Of the Saint-Péray cuvées, “Harmonie” is entirely tank-fermented, while both “Terres Boisées” and “Fleur de Crussol” are barrel-fermented in one-third new oak.
Producer Website: Alain Voge