La Geynale is one of the great vineyards of Cornas.

On paper, its magic isn't that different than other top sites: La Geynale is defined by its power, depth, harmony and fine-ness. When you taste La Geynale, you get a clear picture of just how extraordinary the site is.

For years, it was the old guard producer, Robert Michel, who released a stunning La Geynale. Michel was one of the formative old-school producers of top Cornas. Thiérry Allemand worked with Michel as a young man.

Michel retired in 2006 and left La Geynale to his nephew, Vincent Paris. Paris is one of the most talked about young producers in the Northern Rhône.

Paris' greatest fortune was coming into the Geynale parcel. When you taste through Paris' strong line-up, the Geynale bottling jumps out. It's considerably more nuanced, elegant and full of inky, gamey and floral mystery.

Over the years we've watched Paris' wines get more detailed and elegant. Clearly, meticulous winemaking is at work. When it comes to Geynale, it's obvious that something bigger is going on than just precise winemaking.

With the Geynale bottling, the untamed greatness of the vineyard boldly enters the picture. There's a wild complexity with layers of smoke, dark minerality, a vast array of spice, earth, and meaty notes. For all of its savage notes, the wine has an incredible finesse and balance.

What drew us to the 2014 Geynale was its energy and sparkling clarity. While being structured, the 2014 is already expressive and appealing. The greatness of Geynale is on bold display and it's very much worth checking out.

To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

2014 Vincent Paris Cornas Geynale

Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media: "The most meaty, structured and peppery of the 2014s, the 2014 Cornas la Geynale comes from two superb parcels: La Geynale and Reynard. Fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged the standard 18 months in older barrels (two- to eight-year-old-barrels), it offers lots of savory herbs, pepper, smoked earth and meaty dark fruits to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered, textured and age-worthy feel on the palate. It’s easily the most structured and tannic of the 2014s, will benefit from short term cellaring and keep for 10-15 years."