2020 Vincent Paris Cornas la Geynale
$69.89/bottle (Pre-Arrival) Buy Now
Best Price Online - 18% Below Market
98 DE / 96-98 WA / 96-98 JD / 96 VM
A wine that fizzes and sparks with crackling berry fruits and dried herbs. Full-bodied but not massive in the mouth, this has soaring power and energy. Perfectly balanced, with searing, mouth-coating, super-fine tannin. A wine like a thunder crack that takes you by surprise, it shocks the palate. Long finish. This is an exceptional vintage for Vincent Paris. 100-year-old vines. No destemming. Five-day cold maceration, then fermented with wild yeasts. Twice daily remontage, no punching down, then aged for 16 months in two to eight-year-old barriques. Grown on the granite slopes of lieu-dit La Geynale, one of the finest of the appellation. -Matt Walls, Decanter
Ancient vines, a near-perfect southern exposition and Paris's genius touch combine in his 2020 Cornas la Geynale, which merits serious consideration as wine of the vintage within the tiny Cornas appellation. Spectacular aromas of blueberries and cassis lead the way, garnished by hints of sage, bay leaf, licorice and crushed stone. Full-bodied and ripe, it's nevertheless neither overly heavy nor rich, with an intriguing sense of weightlessness that easily carries that swirl of flavors through the long, silky finish.—Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
Lastly, the 2020 Cornas La Geynale comes from a single lieu-dit and is not destemmed. It's closer in style to the Granit 60 and has young and unformed aromas and flavors of blue fruits, crushed stone, pepper, and liquid violets. Straight-up heavenly on the palate, it's full-bodied and has a seamless, pure, elegant texture, ample tannins, and a great finish.—Jeb Dunnuck
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2020 Vincent Paris Granit 60 Vieilles Vignes
$54.89/bottle (Pre-Arrival) Buy Now
Best Price Online - 25% Below Market
95-97 JD / 95 VM / 95 DE
From vines slightly higher in elevation, the 2020 Cornas Granit 60 is similarly purple-hued and has more primordial aromas and flavors of blueberries, cassis, pepper, and scorched earth. It's more structured, mineral-laced, and austere, and is going to require patience.—Jeb Dunnuck
Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed cherry and blackberry aromas are complemented by suggestions of licorice, candied flowers, olive paste and black pepper. Appealingly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering pliant cherry, dark berry preserve, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors that show impressive depth; a smoky mineral flourish gains strength on the back half. Shows superb energy and mineral thrust on the clinging finish, which is framed by velvety, slowly building tannins-Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
There are herbal depths here, but they're currently filled by the intense, powerful berry fruits. Medium- to full-bodied, this has good concentration and intensity of fruit, coupled with powerful but very ripe tannin. There's good energy here, the wine is upright and not as soft and easy-going as some other Cornas this year. Great vitality and salinity, this is well-balanced, fresh and classically Cornas. A satisfying and energising wine with a long finish. 50-year-old vines on very steep slopes, 70% destemmed. No pigeage, natural yeasts, then spending 16 months in two to eight-year-old barrels.--Matt Walls, Decanter
2020 Vincent Paris Granit 30
$29.89/bottle (Pre-Arrival) Buy Now
Best Price Online - 34% Below Market
93-95 JD / 93 VM / 93 DE
Starting with what could be considered the entry level cuvée, the 2020 Cornas Granit 30 comes from further down the slope, from vines closer to the village. That's obviously not a bad thing, since this plump, full-bodied, beautifully textured Cornas has remarkable purity and elegance as well as richness. Blackberries, blueberries, subtle smoke, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it has a seamless, incredibly elegant texture.—Jeb Dunnuck
Dark violet color. Dark berry preserve, licorice, olive and exotic spice aromas, with a hint of espresso in the background. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering spice-tinged cherry-cola, blueberry and candied violet flavors with a spicy snap of black pepper. The floral note carries through a very long, dark fruitdriven finish, where gently chewy tannins add shape and closing grip. -- Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
Very herbal, with leafy herbs like tarragon alongside woody herbs such as rosemary. Blueberry and liquorice too. Middleweight style, good concentration of fresh, juicy berry fruit and good persistence. Fresh, intense, gently saline and well-balanced. A good value pick this year. From 10-year-old vines, all destemmed. -Matt Walls, Decanter