Over the past decade, Vincent Paris has been one of Cornas’ fastest rising stars. And while he has followed his own path to greatness, deftly marrying both contemporary and Old School ideas, his top cuvée is the thoroughly traditional Cornas La Geynale.
 
The 2015 is surely the greatest La Geynale that Paris has made to date. Josh Raynolds considers it “one of the stars of the vintage” not only for Cornas but “in the northern Rhône.” Meanwhile, John Livingstone-Learmonth writes that it is “not far off six stars,” his highest rating.
 
The keys to the 2015’s transcendent harmony of power, nuance and finesse are ancient native clone petite Syrah vines, and a gentle traditional approach that captures the essence of this great terroir.
 
Paris inherited his tiny La Geynale plot from his uncle, traditional titan Robert Michel, upon Michel’s retirement following the 2006 vintage. This south-facing, very steep and very granitic site is one of the top lieux-dits within the hallowed Reynards, and Paris’ holding was planted by his great-grandfather Paul Michel in 1910.
 
And he works with his La Geynale fruit much as his uncle did. Paris prunes severely for very low yields, vinifies with the native yeasts entirely in whole clusters, and ages for 14 to 18 months in neutral barrels.
 
This is simply great Cornas, the essence of the appellation’s singularly powerful yet graceful character, expressed.