VINCENT PARIS

Vincent Paris, whose first vintage was 1997, owns eight hectares of vineyards and produces a mere 1,600 cases of Cornas and is considered by many in the upper echelon of growers in France.

Vincent inherited most of his vines from his grandfather, some of which are the oldest in the appellation and over 100 years old. His vineyards are located at different places, primarily along the southeast-facing Cornas slope and a small plot of Saint Joseph. Included in his lot of vineyards is a gorgeous plot of ancient Geynale in the famous Cornas Amphitheatre.

Vincent is convinced that the forests surrounding the appellation must remain wild and uncultivated. He believes in protecting ecosystems to preserve the health balance of all vegetation, not only vines. He is meticulous in the vineyards, and prunes to only four bunches of grapes per vine (the norm is between five and seven), which concentrates the vines’ growing power and cuts down on the need for green harvests. In the cellar, he ferments at relatively low temperatures and matures his wine in old oak barrels for up to 12 months.

Vincent’s focus lies in Cornas producing three distinct wines from the appellation – Granit 30, Granit 60 and La Geynale. The former refers to the gradient slope of the vineyards, and the latter refers to the vineyard itself.

The La Geynale is a blend of 70-80% Geynale planted in 1910, along with 20-30% of the famed, neighbouring Reynard vineyard.

The wines of Vincent Paris attract their fame for both their intensity and freshness, power and light-footedness. The wines are superb.