2010 - Cornas La Geynale, Vincent Paris

The massive 2010 Cornas La Geynale exhibits a black/purple color along with a beautiful perfume of bouquet garni, smoked meats, blackberries and creme de cassis liqueur. Some floral notes are also present in this huge, over-sized (or is it super-sized?) offering along with tremendous glycerin and intensity. There is plenty of tannin (as one would expect in a 2010), so forget it for 5-6 years and drink it over the following 25. Vincent Paris is a child of Cornas and his biodynamically run estate now encompasses around 17-18 acres, from which he fashions three remarkable cuvees, the Granite 30, Granite 60 Vieilles Vignes and an offering from the well-known parcel of La Geynale. Paris has enjoyed three consecutive remarkable vintages (as have a number of the finest Cornas producers), 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Granite 30 generally comes from the lower hillside parcels of a lieu-dit called Mazards with soils that are mostly decomposed granite. These are also his youngest vines. You would never know that by tasting what Paris has produced in 2011 and 2010. The Granite 60 comes from three separate parcels of a lieu-dit called Sauman, which is opposite of another famous lieu-dit called Reynard. As Paris says, this is an area that gives more body as well as freshness than other terroirs in Cornas. Vines planted in these three parcels are 20, 60 and 100 years of age. Importer: A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers). Paris fax: 011 33 1 46 45 15 29

Opaque ruby. Smoky, mineral-accented aromas of dark fruit liqueur, incense and floral oils, with an intense spicy topnote. Offers an array of sweet dark berry and floral pastille flavors and becomes sweeter with air. Rich, lively, with superb finishing clarity, supple tannins and lingering floral and spice notes. Very concentrated but lithe, and built to age.

Small proportion of new oak. Very protective fermentation. Very dark purple. Very sumptuous almost brûlée nose. Tea-leaf tincture. Massive tannins. But massive fruit too – in very dry mode. Wait and wait! Not heavy and the alcohol is not at all evident.  All tucked in and clean and minerally. This is a wine to admire rather than drink in the foreseeable future. Very clean. (JR)