Domaine Vincent Paris
 
"Fabulous 2011 Cornas
"
BRITISH COLUMBIA
May 21, 2013

Domaine Vincent Paris 

'Granit 30' Cornas AC 2011

  

brunello
2006 pictured 2011 available.

 

VARIETAL:           100% Syrah

 

REGION:                Cornas, France

 

PRICE:                   $53.00/btl

 

FORMAT:              6 x 750mL

 

AVAILABILITY:    15 six-packs

 

93 - 95 POINTS - Wine Advocate 

"The fabulous 2011 Cornas Granite 30 is one of the great wines of the vintage. Elegant, with a black/blue color, sweet tannin and loads of spring flowers, crushed rocks, smoked game and blackberry fruit, this textured, loaded, supple, accessible 2011 should drink nicely for 15 or more years.   

 

Vincent Paris is a child of Cornas and his biodynamically run estate now encompasses around 17-18 acres, from which he fashions three remarkable cuvees, the Granite 30, Granite 60 Vieilles Vignes and an offering from the well-known parcel of La Geynale. Paris has enjoyed three consecutive remarkable vintages (as have a number of the finest Cornas producers), 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Granite 30 generally comes from the lower hillside parcels of a lieu-dit called Mazards with soils that are mostly decomposed granite. These are also his youngest vines. You would never know that by tasting what Paris has produced in 2011 and 2010. The Granite 60 comes from three separate parcels of a lieu-dit called Sauman, which is opposite of another famous lieu-dit called Reynard. As Paris says, this is an area that gives more body as well as freshness than other terroirs in Cornas. Vines planted in these three parcels are 20, 60 and 100 years of age." 

Robert Parker, Issue 204, December 2012

vineyards
Vincent Paris, Winemaker
THE STORY 

Vincent Paris has rapidly ascended to become one of the stars of the tiny Cornas appellation. Blessed with a collection of small parcel, old vine vineyards (some nearly 100 years of age) which he inherited from his grandfather, Vincent has turned out some of the most exciting wines in the region in the past decade.  The praise for Paris' wines is almost universal, drawing consistently top marks from the Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. His wines are also cited in the Cornas entry in Jancis Robinson encyclopedic tome in The Oxford Companion to Wine as one of a group of producers churning out a "luscious style of Cornas"- an honor reserved for only the absolute benchmark producers in a region. 

 

The 'Granits 30' is named for the fine granitic soils and the 30 degree slope of the vineyard from which the fruit is sourced.  Vincent scrupulously maintains low yields - pruning to allow only 4 bunches per vine in a region where 5 to 7 is the norm.  All of his wines see some stem inclusion (the percentage varies depending on the cuvée and the vintage) during fermentation which is done at low temperatures to preserve freshness and aroma. Maturation is done in a blend of cuve and barrique. The highly touted 20011 vintage is an excellent opportunity to sample Syrah from a terroir that at its best can challenge the wines of Hermitage. 

Also Available 

Vincent Paris St. Joseph 2011                12x 750ml                      $35.00/bottle

(88-90) points Stephen Tanzer 

"Bright purple.  Fresh blackberry and mulberry aromas show impressive clarity and a subtle violet quality.  Energetic cherry and dark berry flavors are complicated by floral pastille and mineral nuances and firmed by silky tannins.  Nicely complex and precise, with strong finishing cut and persistence."

March/April 2013