It seems like no matter where I turn, someone is name-dropping Vincent Paris or excitedly talking about the last bottle of his that they opened. But even with all the critical acclaim brewing behind this one winemaker, there’s much more to the success story than hype and industry buzz: the wine itself is sensational. Today’s 2018 “Granit 30” is full of chiseled muscularity, energy, and explosively haunting aromatics that are flirting dangerously close to perfection—a feat that can only be achieved in the hillside stretches of Northern Rhône. With the esteemed company of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, Cornas completes Syrah’s sacred triumvirate; these legendary villages are the three most important zip codes for Syrah in the world, period, and Vincent Paris perfectly illustrates why.
This remarkably distinct bottling has all the bases covered: organically farmed real estate; highly praised blockbuster vintage; resolutely traditional cellar work. For $42, where else can you experience a soulful, best-in-class expression from a globally celebrated wine region? Add in its ability to evolve superbly over the next decade-plus and you simply cannot afford to miss out on this blue-chip investment opportunity.
Vincent Paris may be a relative newcomer to Rhône winemaking (his first vintage was 1997), but he was born and raised in Cornas and knows the land intimately. He’s young (for this region’s standards) and brimming with energy, which allowed him to storm onto the scene after inheriting a small stand of ancient Syrah vines from his grandfather. In addition, he rents a few acres from his now-retired uncle, Robert Michel—one of Cornas’ most celebrated names. Vincent also currently serves as co-president of the appellation so he knows the rules and regulations like the back of his hand.
The tiny region of Cornas, with just over 100 planted hectares, is the most southern of Northern Rhône’s famous appellations, naturally making it the warmest. Paris’ “Granit 30” comes from a parcel that is the lowest-lying of his Cornas holdings, with ‘30’ loosely referring to both the gradient and average age of vines (he also bottles a “Granit 60”). These organically farmed vines are lovingly tended by hand throughout the growing season and he heavily prunes them, leaving just four bunches of grapes per vine, whereas the norm is 5-7. The theory here is that more energy and concentration is distributed into the clusters that remain hanging. After hand harvesting, Paris leaves a small portion of the crop on its stems and fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in a combination of neutral French oak and stainless steel. Following, the resulting wine is entirely transferred into barrels where it then matures for 12 months. It is bottled without any fining or filtration.
Unlike Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, which can add small percentages of Viognier or Roussanne/Marsanne to their Syrah, Cornas must be 100% Syrah. Accordingly, one could make the argument that this is Northern Rhône Syrah in its most pure and raw form. I’ve learned through experience that these wines can be absolute beasts in their youth, but can also age with the best reds on earth. That’s why Paris’ $42 gem is so noteworthy: It is an absolute pleasure to drink today, although it’ll keep improving as the years pass by.
If pulling the cork now, I highly recommend keeping your paws off for at least an hour, preferably two, before pouring in Bordeaux stems. In the glass, today’s 2018 “Granit 30” unleashes rich aromatics in the form of ripe blackberry, pulverized black cherry, boysenberry, and Crème de Violette, followed by a primal roar from the depths of earth: star anise, olive tapenade, raw leather, cured meat, crushed granite, scorched clay, purple flowers, wild herbs, and whole clove. The palate is dense, hearty, muscular, and intense, showing that classic hard-bodied Northern Rhône style that has caused sommeliers to swoon for decades. It’s powered by dark, wild forest fruit and a tannic, crushed mineral core that refuses to make concessions. Still, the luxurious fruit from the 2018 vintage keeps this thoroughly enjoyable. While this won’t be reaching its peak for years, it’s beyond impressive right now—just don’t forget to decant!
