Vincent Paris: man of granite

Syrah from the cold margins

He may well be over forty, but I still think of Vincent Paris as a young Turk of granite and Syrah, pretty much born on the steep and rocky terraces and lashed by the mistral. In fact he's a risen star, up with the best of the northern Rhone.

Famously now the owner of his uncle Robert Michel's vineyards he has spent the last couple of decades refining the often rustic wines of this other worldly commune. In some ways his are natural wines, but they are clean and his low-intervention craft skills in the winery allow the true character of cool climate Syrah to be expressed through this harsh, granitic landscape. We've met a good few times now and each time he's busy ploughing back the proceeds of his wine sales into yet another investment in vineyard or cellar. Those terraces don't maintain themselves and the expanded, immaculate and unflashy winery is big enough to enable everything to happen when necessary.

We are proud to present 2013 Vincent Paris wines to you, accompanied by this afternoon's tasting of northern Rhone wines. /CW

Offered subject to remaining unsold for shipment autumn 2015

Cornas Granit 30: 'Looking at the 2013s, these are impressive across the board. The 2013 Cornas Granit 30 is still raw and unformed, with lots of jammy blueberry, black pepper and meatiness, medium to full-bodied richness and high, yet sweet tannin. It has terrific purity of fruit and should drink well on release. 89-92 points.'

'The 2013 Cornas Granit 60 Vielles Vignes is serious stuff. Inky colored and loaded with cassis, black raspberry, violets and licorice, it has beautiful acidity in its full-bodied, ripe, polished style. It has rock-solid mid-palate concentrated, and terrific length, so give it a handful of years in the cellar and drink bottles through 2025. Like all of Paris’s Cornas releases, it sees only older barrels. Drink 2017-2025. 92-94+ points.'

The 2013 Cornas la Geynale is slightly more perfumed and wild than the Granit 60, with terrific black pepper, smoked earth, leather, meat and lots of black currant fruit. While from a cooler vintage, it doesn’t lack for stuffing and has full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe texture and sweet tannin. It’s another rocking wine from this young vigneron who’s at the top of his game. 92-94 points.'

- Jeb Dunnuck, eRobertParker.com , December 2014