2014 Vincent Paris Cornas offering

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Bonjour d’un jeune homme aussi sincère et authentique comme ses vins,
It is always a pleasure to see my soft spoken friend Vincent Paris in Cornas each year. He is lighthearted yet serious, with a humble and sincere candor about him, no artifice or ego to steer clear of. Not surprisingly, his wines are styled similarly: substantial and pure expressions of Syrah on the Granite slopes of Cornas, made with zero make up. There is zero new wood used, with very very few punchdowns favoring a very gentle extraction. His consistency continues to hit the mark, as I don’t believe he has made a single false step in the past 7 vintages, with both critics and consumers alike taking notice. His winemaking adolescence is over: he knows what he wants, how to get there, and is doing so…
Another wave of Vincent’s critical hit parade was published in the recent issue of Vinous, with Josh Raynolds touting the virtues of the 2013 and 2014 Northern Rhone vintages. Vincent made excellent true-to-vintage wines, Raynolds quoting:
"According to Vincent Paris, the 2014 wines will appeal to wine lovers who “look for dark fruit in Syrah” while 2013 will appeal to those “who like brighter red fruits,” but both vintages are “best for those who like freshness and elegance rather than richness.”
Indeed, I found his 2014s to be a terrific blend of yummy blue fruited depth with a certain delicacy and freshness. They should be pleasing to pretty much anyone, purist and casual wine-drinker alike. As one expects, things get more “serious” in material as you climb the hierarchy, with the Geynale finishing the show with elemental 100+ year old vine fireworks, per usual. There is something for everybody here, so bandwagon and fan club, come on down…

LE MENU:

2015 Viognier Vin du Pays le Granit blanc $ - From a north facing vineyard at the top of the Cornas hill, this is a blend of 65% Viognier and 35% Roussanne. I anticipate that the warmth of the already highly touted 2015 vintage will make for a particularly rich version of this wine, floral and honeyed aromatics galore.

2014 Saint Joseph les Cotes $ 72 bottles - Vincent’s Saint Joseph, from steep terraces in Sarras, is about as good as it gets for an everyday Northern Rhone Syrah. Josh’s note nails it. Value hounds, this is your wheelhouse…
“(sourced from a granitic vineyard in Sarras, which is 18 miles north of Cornas and almost halfway to Condrieu): Bright purple. A mineral-accented bouquet evokes fresh boysenberry, potpourri, olive and allspice. Lively and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and blackberry flavors and a subtly sweet violet pastille nuance. The floral quality builds with air and lingers on the persistent finish, which features supple tannins and a touch of smoky minerals. Quite suave and pretty delicious right now if given a bit of aeration.” 90 points Josh Raynolds

2014 Cornas Granit 30 $ 36 bottles - We change registers to something notably more serious and structured. Again, the value quotient is off the charts…
“Inky ruby. Deep-pitched aromas of cherry compote, cassis, licorice and smoky herbs gain vivacity from a peppery overtone. Sappy and precise, showing strong mineral lift and energy to the sappy dark berry and licorice flavors. Closes smoky and very long, with a whiplash of juicy dark berries and slow-mounting tannins.” 90-92 points Josh Raynolds

2014 Cornas Granit 60 $ 36 bottles - From the steeper 60 degree sloped vineyards, this is a graceful powerhouse of a wine. It is sometimes a toss up between folks who prefer this wine vs those who prefer the Geynale. I would say that this is the more masculine of the two wines.
“Bright violet. Heady, smoke-accented black and blue fruit and floral pastille scents show excellent focus and a peppery spice accent. Sappy, penetrating and gently sweet, offering intense black currant and boysenberry flavors that tighten up and become spicier with air. Densely packed but lithe, finishing with powerful thrust and silky, slow-building tannins. I really like the blend of richness and vivacity here.” 91-93 points Josh Raynolds

2014 Cornas la Geynale $ 48 bottles - This is elemental class in a glass, to me. From one of the most envied parcels in the village, from crazy old vines. It even includes a wee bit of Reynard that neighbors Allemand. Get some and thank me later.
“Dark purple. Powerful, deep-pitched blackberry and cherry liqueur aromas, displaying slow-building spice and floral pastille nuances. Concentrated dark fruit flavors are slow to unfold, eventually offering up suggestions of black cardamom and cola. Shows a bright, spicy quality on the clinging, mineral-driven finish, which is sappy, subtly sweet and sharply focused.” 92-94 points Josh Raynolds

LES VOILA

With his wines under increasingly heavy allocations pressure, I get what I get, and that’s all. So that’s why I am a little understated about this one, folks. The wines are lined up to depart Cornas in early April, with an early May arrival target. In substance and class for your Northern Rhone $, this should be a first stop.
Wines are offered here at the best prices you will ever see stateside during a one-week presell period, after which prices will rise 10-15%. Upon confirmation, payment due in full via check, “friends and family” Paypal, or cc+%.
As always, with any questions of interests: rob@downtoearthwines.net
CHEERS TO VINCENT, DIALED IN, AND DOING IT RIGHT!!