2016 Cornas Granit 60

The 2016 Cornas Granit 60 is more backward and reticent, with smoky dark fruits, earthy minerality, pepper, and bouquet garni aromas and flavors. Deep, pure, and concentrated, it’s a big, rich wine, yet it stays polished and elegant on the palate, with a straight, focused style that builds with time in the glass. Just a brilliant wine, it can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 10-15 years. Bravo! It’s important to understand the three Cornas cuvées from the young Vincent Paris. The Granite 30 is a younger vine cuvée from less steep hillside parcels (roughly 30 degrees), and it’s mostly destemmed and brought up in a mix of mostly used barrels. There are about 1,000 cases produced. The Granite 60 comes from older vines in the Patou, Les Mazards and Sauman lieux-dits, and steep slopes (60 degrees, which is where the cuvée gets its name). This cuvée sees some stem inclusion and a similar time in mostly used barrels. This cuvée is normally a solid step up in depth and quality over the Granite 30. Roughly 400 cases is a normal production level for this release. Lastly, the La Geynale comes from the oldest vines of the estate, which were planted in 1910 and are located in the Geynale and Reynard lieux-dit. This cuvée sees very little destemming and is aged in, again, mostly neutral barrels. This is always the most backward, classically styled release in the lineup and takes a few years to integrate its stems. Nevertheless, it’s an incredible Cornas.