August 17, 2024

Vincent Paris Cornas 2020: A Thunderous Delight

We're lucky enough to be able to offer a small allocation on Vincent Paris' amazing 2020 Cornas which year on year are the best in the appellation.

Cornas stands as a bit of a hidden gem for fine wine lovers being of pure Syrah from Northern Rhone but at a fraction of the price of Cote-Rotie and Hermitage.

"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." - Matt Walls, Decanter (on the Geynale 2020)

Cornas is a classic Northern Rhone appellation that has undergone a transformation led by some top names including Jaboulet, Thierry Allemand, Alain Voge, and Vincent Paris to name a few. Cornas produces rich, powerful, long-lived and often supple ripe tannings from 100% Syrah. The best wines of the region come from higher up the hill behind the city of Cornas where steep granite clay terraces help create the trademark style.

Vincent Paris is one of our favourites from the region who in the last decade has created a name for himself producing some of the finest in the appellation. Jeb Dunnuck has described Vincent Paris as a “superstar of Cornas” and the scores for his wines certainly deliver year on year. The great thing about wines from Cornas is that their price tags are relatively modest when compared to wines from Hermitage or Cote-Rotie. Vincent Paris produces three cuvees, which are Granite 30, Granite 60 and the La Geynale. Today we’re focusing on these top two cuvees:

Granit 60:

The Granite 60 cuvee comes from old vines with an average age of 50-60 years from three lieux-dits at 60 degrees which are called Patou, Les Mazards and Sauman. 2020 saw the cuvee having “Great vitality and salinity, this is well-balanced, fresh and classically Cornas” (Decanter). The wine has great energy, intensity and power but a beautiful finesse to it. With a score of 95-Points at €32.50 IB per bottle, it offers great value and pleasure.

La Geynale:

Vincent Paris's crowning achievement is the La Geynale which is produced from vines planted over 100-years ago in 1910 from the granite soils of the La Geynale lieux-dit. Year on year it’s one of the best in the appellation and the 2020 vintage is no exception with the wine scoring a massive 98-Points from Decanter not just cementing it amongst the best in the appellation, but also in Northern Rhone. It’s a “wine that fizzes and sparks with crackling berry fruits and dried herbs” as well as possessing “soaring power and energy” (Decanter). We have a handful of cases at €43.33 IB per bottle which is an absolute steal for this quality.

Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale 2020 (6x75cl)

98 Points | Decanter
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. Drinking Window 2028 - 2040

Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60 2020 (6x75cl)

95 Points | Decanter
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. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035