Vincent Paris comes of age

Lucky 13th vintage

Although we - and I - have been buying from him since 2003, I still call Vincent Paris young when I'm talking to people about him and still love his wines, which he continues to improve. Though I opened an amazingly fresh and complete 2009 Granit 60 earlier this week, so he hasn't been a slouch in his quality over the years. However the 2015s we tasted late last year showed the best flight of his wines that I've ever experienced. They are in every respect both classic 2015 vintage, combining freshness with ripeness and expressing the Cornas soul which makes that village the heart of the northern Rhone.

As across France 2015 in the northern Rhone was a hot summer and largely dry save for occasional bursts of not always well timed rain. But it was most unlike 2003 say, in that the nights were cool and so vines did not shut down so much, and much more interesting fruit was harvested. Vincent has taken these sunshine-packed grapes and turned them into the brightest and most vivid wines I've ever tasted from him.

The only problem with Vincent Paris is availability, so the only wines available are listed below, but dig in and enjoy one of the best values in the world of wine - generous Syrah grown at its geographical limit in one of France's most inhospitable but expressive terrains. /CW

Offered subject to confirmation for shipment autumn 2017