2017 Domaine Vincent Paris, Saint-Joseph Rouge “Les Cotes” Northern Rhone, France -photo grapelive

2017 Domaine Vincent Paris, Saint-Joseph Rouge “Les Cotes” Northern Rhone, France.
Vincent Paris, whose first vintage was 1997, is one of the Northern Rhone’s awesome collection of great young winemakers and is co-president of the Cornas appellation, where he is based and his small lot collection of Syrah(s) include Cornas, for which obviously he most famous for and a selection of Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph bottlings like this gorgeous version. Vincent’s uncle is the legendary and now retired Robert Michel, one of Cornas’ finest ever growers mentored him and helped make his first few vintages, before he stepped out on his own and got his own cellars and a vineyard plots, with Vincent’s total rented and owned holdings amounting to a mere 8 hectares. They are located at different places primarily along the southeast facing Cornas slope, a bit in Crozes and a small lot in St. Joseph where he gets the grapes for this one. This is such a satisfying Northern Rhone that is high-toned and pure, it has potential to get even better, making it a great buy for the price, even though it is not as thrilling as the more whole-cluster driven Cornas, but still a wonderful wine.

Farming all organic and tending steep granite soil sites, Paris crafts bold and expressive wines, fermenting in tiny batches and with this Les Cotes Saint-Joseph he uses native yeast and ferments in a combination of steel and wood, at low temps to preserve the beautiful aromatics, with this wine seeing a year in barrel. With the Saint-Joesph he uses less whole cluster to focus on elegance and refinement, which this vintage shows especially, but with the vintage’s depth and concentration this is an awesome mouthful of Syrah. After fabulous stuff in 2015 and 2016, these 2017 had a lot to do to match and excite the Rhone enthusiasts cravings and it does and then some! This 2017 Saint-Joseph is freshly detailed with classic elements, it’s impressive in the glass with a deep garnet/purple color and layers of blackberry, currant, boysenberry and blueberry fruits along with graphite, anise, cedar and pepper, adding density with air and gaining hints of subtle florals including violets. There is a bright almost sharp focus here with some raw tannin and while poise and ripe it gives some muscle to this Syrah, making it best with food, drink over the next 5 to 10 years.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

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