Tasted with Gilles Paris (and some friends!) in Fleurie, 08 May 2019.
Domaine C G Paris
Cuverie:
44 rue des Sarments
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 87 56 91 48
Gilles Paris, who hails from Quincié-en-Beaujolais, is one of five brothers who all have some connection to grape growing. Gilles runs a 10-hectare domaine with his brother Jerome and was president of the Beaujolais Interprofession before Dominique Piron.
After Gilles married, he moved to Chiroubles where his (ex) wife Christine’s family had vines – he produced his first wines in 2005 – the domaine name was Christine and Gilles Paris – today the labels wear a more discreet C G Paris.
Gilles isn’t certified organic, but he has been using herbicide only for the steepest and most densely planted of his parcels of Chiroubles. These are long-macerated, unfiltered and often unsulfured wines – he didn’t start out making natural wines, but with friends such as Jean-Louis Dutraive he soon developed his natural empathy to this approach. And as you can see from the photo above, if it’s raining, Gilles only needs to pick up the phone and a whole group are happy to visit to help taste! (Left to right: Jean-Gilles Chasselay, Gilles and daughter Amandine, Jean-Louis Dutraive plus an itinerant Rhône vigneron!)
Gilles: “Some of my vines are organic, but it was a big problem to work this way on the slopes in Chiroubles, but I’m now trying a new micro-tractor – so let’s see how that goes. There is no added yeast in my wines and no sulfur is used in their production, but one or two grams are used for stability’s sake when it comes to bottling.”
Gilles has a new place in Fleurie which is attached to a large house whose owner also has some vines – so we will taste those wines along with those of his brother Jerome as both are made by Gilles.
The wines…
I simply love the style of wines that Gilles is making. Textural and concentrated without being too opulent or lacking energy – oh, and absolutely delicious!
We first tasted a few 18s that were sampled directly from tank:
- A Chiroubles which was a blend of parcels in Les Roches, with lots of colour, vibrancy and concentration.
- A Fleurie ‘Champagne’ – all of which was hailed in 16 and 17, and frosted this year! This with a little old wood elevage – enveloping, luxuriously textured, great wine.
- A Morgon ‘Doubie’ with all barrel elevage that was silky, oaked, but with drive and energy. Vibrant finishing – great again, even if I prefer the Fleurie!
All the following wines were already bottled:
First the 2018s:
2018 Jerome Paris, Beaujolais Villages
In Quincie – vines from parents, quite high vines planted in the 1970s.
Wide – a depth of red fruit – a great invitation. Supple, layered – great BJV – simple!
2018 Jerome Paris, Régnié Les Forchets
A narrower but attractively floral nose – completely different. Like the nose the palate has more direction and more drive, it’s more light-footed. Lovely mouth-watering flavour – ooh – delicious!
Last two vintages have seen only a ‘generic’ Fleurie here, due to the hail.
A vibration of aroma – some mineral impression too. Fresh, growing intensity, layers of great flavour. Ooh – I’m in love – bravo!
The vines around the house – a red-wax topped wine. The wine made by Gilles, where his cuverie is.
A very pretty freshness to the nose. More drive, narrower but fresher and a little more structured – the depth of mobile flavour is extra here – despite the extra structure, clearly grand vin. Bravo – so texturally fabulous!
The 2017s:
2017 Jerome Paris, Beaujolais Villages
A fresher nose – very different, less weight of dark fruit but no less attractive, and slowly adding a floral element. Open, more structural wine but open and complex – the 18 is hedonistic this is a little more intellectual – but I’m splitting hairs – delicious.
A nose that shows a little more of the low sulfur broadness – indistinctiveness! Yet it’s an invitation in itself. Big, structural, fresh, suggesting but never really delivering astringence – energetic, high-toned but still attractively cushioned fruit. Simply gorgeous finishing flavour to this wine – bravo!
The assembly of the two parcels – plus grapes bought from friends from the higher slopes of Fleurie
Hmm – that’s a lovely width of aroma. Not massive but beautifully presented, even textured. Wine of freshness and structure again, but an old-vine creaminess runs through the core of this excellent wine – no I find it great – bravo!
2017 C G Paris, Chiroubles Vieilles-Vignes
This wax-topped. Hmm – almost a herby-spice that’s so attractive. Full in the mouth – lots of energy – a flavour and energy en-ensemble. Supple, and gorgeously delicious!
2017 C G Paris, Morgon
Not marked on this label, but from Doubie – only 25 hl/ha – mainly due to hail.
A tighter nose – there’s width but less depth – fine all the same. A touch of gas here but also plenty of volume. Structural – and from the mid-palate onwards like the last, fabulously delicious but the first flavours and nose say wait – but the finish is so good, so long, so good – I wouldn’t wait long!
2017 Catherine & Michel Rebreyend, Chiroubles Les Roches
They have 1 ha Chiroubles and 1 ha the other – in conversion to bio
Certainly not the biggest nose – but it’s an attractively silky width of aroma. A little gas again – mouth-filling volume – energy and fine complexity – more impact than the Morgon and overall, more approachable today – it can’t beat the finish of the Morgon though!
The 2016s:
2016 Jerome Paris, Beaujolais Villages
This has quite a reduced nose – carafe. Some reduction in the flavour too – but lots of fresh, slightly structured volume – more 2017 than 2018 in style. Wide, deliciously fresh red fruit in the middle and finish. Still a young wine with a finishing touch of tannin – yum!
2016 Jerome Paris, Régnié Les Forchets
Here a little lighter in colour. Open, easy, quite a complex nose with a nod towards low sulfur – attractive though. Very open, almost a suggestion of some maturity to a more roast red fruit – open, attractive – I would drink this now – with much enjoyment.
2016 C G Paris, Chiroubles ‘Terroir’
Only a small part of domaine grapes here because of the hail.
Hmm, that’s a nice depth of aroma. The most CO2 of any. Partly because of that, probably, the most energy too. Great fresh energy and flavour. Compared to many a smaller wine – but not in terms of enjoyment and definitely not the great finish – maybe the CO2 attenuated the start a little.
Also in this vintage some bought grapes towards Brouilly.
Ooh – now that’s a nose – complex, changing – engrossing – yes! Really too much CO2 to start – I let the wine sit in my mouth a while. The wine’s texture comes slowly to the fore – velvet, lots of flavour depth, delicious depth of flavour, finishing with a small rasp of tannin. That’s really great. Bravo – carafe this – or, of-course wait for it.