Wine Advisor
Auguste Clape, Cornas 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The full-bodied, concentrated 2006 Cornas offers up scents of hot bricks, blackberries, cherries, acacia flowers, meat, and pepper. It is a classic Cornas that appears to be more accessible and forward than the 2005. Given the world-wide reputation of Clape, it is sometimes hard to realize that father Auguste and son Pierre-Marie only farm about 11 acres of Cornas. However, their biggest holding is in ancient vines from one of the appellation’s tenderloin parcels, the lieu-dit called Reynards. A traditionally made wine, Clape’s Cornas is harvested when very ripe, sees no destemming, and spends 18-24 months in old wood casks. The Renaissance is fashioned from the younger vines. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Clape's 2006 Cornas continues to drink well, like so many 2006s. This bottle, ordered off the wine list at La Ruche in Saint-Péray, was a recent release from the winery. It boasts a wonderful array of roasted meat, black olive and cassis flavors. Full-bodied, with a fabulously silky and rich texture, it finishes savory and long. Just a lovely bottle of mature Cornas.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
The 2006 Cornas from Clape is still youthful and lively, and shows classic notes of dark fruits (blackberries, currants), spiced meats and cedary herbs in a beautifully concentrated, medium to full-bodied, ripe and textured package that plays perfectly into the style of the vintage. You can still feel the tannin, yet they're ripe and sweet, and there's ample fruit, texture and length. This beauty is a classic Cornas that will drink well for another 10-15 years or more.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Clape’s 2006 Cornas reveals notions of scorched earth, smoked meats, blackberries, camphor, figs, cassis, and licorice. It is full-bodied with macho power as well as serious depth. This concentrated yet surprisingly velvety-textured wine should be cellared for 1-2 years, and consumed over the following two decades. It appears that Pierre-Marie Clape is getting more tannic sweetness than his father did. The master of Cornas, this estate continues to fashion a beautiful array of wines. With his son, Pierre-Marie, in charge, Auguste Clape enjoys a well-deserved retirement. In addition to outstanding Cornas, Clape also produces a very good Cotes du Rhone and Vin de Pays, both made from fruit grown just outside the Cornas appellation. 2007 is a slightly lighter vintage in Cornas than 2006, but the sweetness of the tannins, and the precociousness of the wines make the 2007 Cornas much more approachable than usual. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
About the Producer
Domaine Auguste Clape is located in the Rhone Valley region of France. The estate was founded by the Clape Family and is now run by Pierre-Marie Clape and Oliver Clape. Château Auguste Clapa now has 8 hectares of vineyards, all on terraces within the Colnas appellation. Due to the steep terrain of the vineyards, plantation management is carried out by hand. There are no formal rules for the vineyard, but rather the most traditional planting patterns, based on intuition, experience and common sense. The vineyard soil is mainly granite and clay, and the main grape varieties are Syrah and Marsanne, with an average vine age of 40 years. The grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected before being used in the production of the wines. The must for the Domaine Auguste Clape Saint-Peray Blanc is fermented in concrete tanks and, after fermentation, the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks for 8 months. The must for the red wines is fermented in large wooden vats and the length of fermentation is usually 12 days. Of these, the Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas and the Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance are matured for 22 months in 600 litre or 1,200 litre vats. The Domaine Auguste Clape Cote du Rhone and the Domaine Auguste Clape Le Vin des Aims are matured for 6 months in concrete tanks and large wooden barrels respectively.
