Domaine Vincent Paris, Cornas, Granit 60 2012

There’s 5,000 bottles of the sensational 2012 Cornas Granit 60 Vielles Vignes. Completely destemmed and aged 18 months in 2- to 8-year-old barrels, its purple/black color is followed by an incredible nose of black raspberry, kirsch, crushed rock and violets. Possessing more tension and depth than the Granit 30, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly rich and has solid underlying acidity and tannic structure. Give it a couple years and drink bottles through 2025.

Similarly styled, yet slightly richer and more tannic, the 2012 Cornas Granit 60 has incredible notes of black raspberry, powdered rock, graphite, licorice and liquid violets. Also full-bodied, with superb concentration and depth, as well as a firm tannic spine, this gorgeous effort should be given 4-5 years of bottle age and consumed over the following 10-15 years.

An up and coming superstar of Cornas, Vincent Paris manages his roughly 20-acre estate to produce three Cornas; the Granit 30, which comes from younger vines located lower on the slope, in the lieu-dit Mazards; the Granite 60, which includes the older vines of the estate and comes from steeper, higher elevation slopes); and the La Geynale, which comes from a single plot of 100-year-old vines located mostly in the Renard lieu-dit it is also the only wine to not see any destemming). With regards to the Granit 30 and Granit 60, the number refers to the slope of the hill where the vines are planted, not the age of the vines. While 2011 and 2012 produced a bevy of more forward, moderately concentrated wines, both of these 2011s and 2012s buck that trend and offer serious depth and richness. They’re some of the top wines in the appellation and readers need to get on this young vigneron’s bandwagon!

Drink 2017-2032

Saturated ruby. Assertively perfumed aromas of blackberry, licorice and incense, with a suave floral quality building in the glass. Enters the mouth sappy and broad, then turns tighter in the middle, offering vibrant dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors and a touch of mocha. Closes with repeating floral character, building tannins and very good persistence. These vines were planted mostly in the 1930s.