Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Cotes du Rhone 2023
Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Cotes du Rhone 2023 – alternate view 2
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Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Cotes du Rhone 2023

Domaine du Coulet
$24.00

Grape: Syrah
Vintage: 2023
Type: Red

This low-intervention red wine is a pure varietal expression of Northern Rhône syrah produced by winemaker Matthieu Barret. Sourced from organically farmed plots, the hand-harvested grapes are vinified using traditional concrete tanks to prioritize fruit-forward aromatics. Spontaneous fermentation relies entirely on native vineyard wild yeasts, completely avoiding modern extraction techniques or wood barrel contact. The wine settles naturally on its fine lees using gravity flow and is bottled entirely unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.

It radiates a bright ruby color, opening with a complex bouquet of dark berries, blackberry, and black pepper. On the palate, the medium-bodied frame is juicy and fresh, balancing concentrated plum fruit with fine, supple tannins. A vertical wave of energetic acidity runs through the center, keeping the fluid mouthfeel thoroughly refreshed. Subtle notes of violet and smoky earth add depth across the core. It finishes clean, dry, and highly drinkable.

Winery

Matthieu Barret has worked at Domaine du Coulet in Cornas since 1998, building his wines around the family’s steep vineyards of weathered granite. Syrah is the central grape, with the estate’s hillside parcels supplying Cornas and Côtes du Rhône bottlings. Organic and biodynamic farming, attention to the land around the vines and small-scale vineyard work form the basis of his approach. The goal is to let the grapes and their sites remain recognizable through wines with little unnecessary cellar intervention.

Barret has increasingly favored concrete and other neutral vessels, reducing oak’s influence and allowing Syrah’s fruit and savory character to take the foreground. Native-yeast fermentation and restrained sulfur use continue the vineyard philosophy in the cellar. Domaine du Coulet bottlings such as Brise Cailloux express the estate itself, while wines under the Matthieu Barret label broaden the range through sourced fruit and collaborations. Petit Ours and Et la Bannière therefore belong to the same winemaking world without representing exactly the same vineyard source as the Cornas wines.