Wine Advisor
Auguste Clape, Cornas 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Almost as good, yet in a completely different style, the 2009 Cornas is about as sexy and voluptuous as Cornas gets! Loaded with kirsch, licorice, dried flowers and smoked meat-like aromas and flavors, this awesome 2009 has thrilling concentration, full-bodied richness and knockout length. It has the fruit to impress today, but needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will have over two decades of longevity. Always a fun visit, this small vertical took place in Clape’s cellar in Cornas, with Pierre-Marie Clape, who’s now running the estate. We also tasted through multiple barrels of their 2012s and 2013s, but I’ll wait and include that commentary in the northern Rhone report due out in October. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasting the 2009 Cornas reminds me of a lyric from the great Who anthem, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” As close to perfect as a Cornas can be, this is the single greatest Cornas I have ever tasted. Its black/purple color is accompanied by notes of blueberry liqueur, blackberries, charcoal, incense, licorice and a subtle notion of smoke. This seamless, full-bodied, exquisitely pure, complex, savory blockbuster is the most remarkable Cornas I have ever tasted. It will hit full maturity in 5-7 years, and should last for 25-30 years thereafter. This historic reference point for the wines of Cornas is one of the world’s most enviable small estates. Long run by Auguste Clape, who has slowly moved into retirement, turning the reins over to his talented son, Pierre-Marie, the quality of the Clape wines has been brilliant since I began visiting the estate over 30 years ago. I believe the 2009 and 2010 Cornas are the finest wines they have yet produced ... and that’s saying something. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Perhaps the finest Cornas I have ever tasted from Clape, the flagship 2009 Cornas comes from the estate’s oldest vines. My notes begin with the words, “his greatest ever?” Fresh fig, blueberry, charcoal, incense, licorice and burning ember-like aromas are present in this phenomenally concentrated, textured, seamlessly constructed blockbuster. The tannin, acidity and alcohol are all well-integrated in this 2009 that sees no new oak. A legend in the making, it should drink well for 20-25 years. (Not yet released) These are among the finest wines I have tasted from Clape in my 30+ years of visiting and tasting with first Auguste Clape and more recently his son, Pierre-Marie. Long a sleeper selection is Clape’s Cotes du Rhone, a Syrah-based wine made just outside the Cornas appellation (at times, it may include some declassified Cornas material in the blend). Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Opaque violet color. The nose offers a kaleidoscopic bouquet of red and dark berry scents along with incense, candied violet, licorice and smoky minerals. Pretty much a distillation of syrah, showing superb clarity and intensity on the palate, with excellent depth and clarity to the sweet black raspberry and floral pastille flavors. The mineral quality builds with air and adds focus and cut to the long, spicy, strikingly pure finish. This is one of the best wines I tasted from the northern Rhone this vintage and appears to be destined for a very long life.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
From old vines (close to a century in age) in Sabarotte: Pungent aromas of licorice and cassis, with a sexy floral quality and a hint of licorice pastille. Very good clarity on the powerful, clinging finish. From 50-year-old vines in La Cote: Deeply pitched cassis and plum aromas, with pungent floral and herb qualities. Lush and expansive dark fruit compote flavors and intense spiciness. Seriously long and chewy. From 80+ year-old vines in Reynard: Hypnotically perfumed bouquet of red and dark berries, with a sexy floral quality. Very rich but lively as well; shows great depth and richness, with intense raspberry and mulberry character.
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.
