Wine Advisor
Auguste Clape, Cornas 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Dark, youthful purple. Powerful, smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice, olive and a hint of incense on the deeply perfumed nose. Juicy and sharply delineated in the mouth, offering concentrated, spice-laced blackberry, bitter cherry and fruitcake flavors that take on a smoky aspect as the wine opens up. In an ample but lively style, finishing juicy and extremely long, with building tannins adding framework and youthful grip.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Saturated ruby color. Displays heady aromas of ripe blackberry, cherry liqueur, candied licorice and olive, plus a spicy nuance that builds as the wine opens up. At once weighty and energetic in style, offering densely packed black/blue fruit preserve flavors and hints of violet candy, allspice and smoky minerals. Finishes juicy and very long, with repeating spice, floral notes and steadily building tannins.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Presented in three components: #1) La Côte: intense spice- and mineral-tinged black currant and bitter cherry scents and a sexy floral topnote. Sweet and focused in the mouth, displaying sappy black and blue fruit flavors and a strong jolt of peppery spices on the back half. #2) Sabarotte: more densely packed, offering highly perfumed black and blue fruit aromas. Shows impressive depth to the blueberry, cherry liqueur and spicecake flavors, which pick up a smoky nuance on the back half. Plays power off finesse in superb fashion. #3) old vines in Reynard: vibrant, mineral-laced dark fruit liqueur qualities on the nose and in the mouth. Completely stains the palate and displays remarkable persistence on the penetrating finish, which eventually leaves a sweet floral note behind.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Plenty of sexy graphite and dark stony aromas cast across showy dark fruits seen here, all presented in a vibrant and seductive form. Plenty of spices and fragrant lift, too. The palate is astonishingly rich, layered and seamlessly complete. The tannins are dense, compressed and commanding, whereas the tension is entrancing. Flavors run from red to darker fruits. The finish is already long and majestic. Exceptional wine. Barrel sample.
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.
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