2007 Cornas Granit 60

Saturated ruby. Deeper and more pungent than the Granit 30, displaying scents of blackberry, cassis, violet, olive and smoky minerals. Broad, palate-coating dark berry liqueur flavors are complicated by notes of smoky herbs and floral pastilles, with chewy tannins adding grip. A note of candied licorice lingers on the long, sappy, subtly smoky finish. This couldn't be more different from the feminine, pinot-like Granit 30.

More crushed rock, graphite, and scorched earth notes as well as additional structure and tannin are evident in the inky/purple-tinged 2007 Cornas Granite 60 Vieilles Vignes. This dense, full-bodied effort reveals moderately sweet tannin and decent acidity. It should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and keep for 15 years. These impressive, quasi-modern-styled Cornas reveal the influence of barrique aging, but there is no doubting their savage blast of blue and black fruits as well as spring flowers. In 2007, Paris has added a third cuvee from one of the most highly respected vineyard sites high on the steep hills of Cornas, La Geynale. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers) Paris, fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29

Deep ruby. Exotically perfumed, textbook syrah bouquet of dark berry preserves, incense, black tea and violet. Lush and creamy, with deeply concentrated cassis and boysenberry flavors, a seamless texture and fine-grained tannins. An impressively polished, graceful wine that manages to be powerful and delicate at the same time.