Wine Advisor
Vincent Paris, Cornas La Geynale 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stuart Pigott
Smoky and meaty, with intense wild herb character, this is classic Cornas, but with modern purity and precision. Giant concentration and brilliance on the very compact and still tightly wound, medium- to full-bodied palate. Extremely fine tannins. Even at this very early stage in the wine's life, the finish has tremendous spiciness. From a single parcel of 50-year-old vines. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
Reviewed by: Nicolas Greinacher
The seductive, intricate perfume of the 2023 Cornas La Geynale suggests that what comes next will be a total delight. Hauntingly floral, the 2023 showcases prominent rose water, violet and orange blossom mixed with raspberry compote, licorice and a touch of graphite. Full-bodied, powerful and deep, the 2023 simply says, "Watch me." I will!
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
Fermented with whole clusters, the 2023 Cornas La Geynale is another success at this address. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, dark berries, mulberries, spices and lead pencil mingled with licorice, it’s medium- to full-bodied, dense and generous, built around a fleshy, well-balanced core of fruit framed by velvety tannins and a seamless structure, concluding with a long, mineral finish. Purer and without phenolic elements that obscure its telluric identity, this captures the essence of La Geynale.
About the Producer
Domaine Vincent Paris is a relatively new but well-respected wine producer based in Cornas in the Rhône valley region of southeast France. The domaine specialises in Syrah wines from both the Cornas region itself and neighboring appellations. The area is traditionally known for rustic expressions of this grape, but Paris' wines attract acclaim for their combination of intensity and freshness. The first Vincent Paris wine was released in 1997 and he farms around 17 hectares (42 acres) of vineyards at various points along the Cornas slope and into Saint-Joseph. The entry-level wine is the Granit 30, produced from younger vines on gentler granite slopes – though sites on 30-degree inclines are still hard to cultivate. The Granit 60 is sourced from precipitous terraced and inclined (on slopes ranging up to 60-degrees) plots in the Patou, Les Mazards and Saumon sites in Cornas. The vines for the latter cuvée range from 40-100 years old. The range-topping La Geynale cuvée is based a century-old, one-hectare (2.5-acre) lieu-dit of the same name on a south-facing granite-based slope at the foot of the Reynard vineyard. The domaine also produces a white Côtes du Rhône combining Viognier and Roussanne from a small hilltop parcel within the (red wine-only) Cornas boundaries. A Saint-Joseph Syrah is also made from a single plot near Ardoix.
