Wine Advisor
Auguste Clape, Cornas 2022
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
Bottled in mid-November, the 2022 Cornas from Clape saw the integration of the crop from the cuvée Renaissance due to a challenging flowering period and dry conditions, resulting in a production volume 45% less than usual. Evoking aromas of acetate, nail polish, violets and spices mingled with carnal/animal-like notes, it's dense and firm, with an important chassis of tannins leading to a firm, smoky, somber, meaty and introverted finish, suggesting the presence of phenols, which explains its rustic structure. "It reminds me of 2017," said Olivier Clape.
Reviewed by: Stuart Pigott
Tasting this very powerful and concentrated Cornas is like listening to a piece of organ music when the bass kicks in. Very meaty. A wealth of blackberry aromas unfurls as it aerates in the glass. More than enough fruit and flesh to wrap around the imposing core of beautifully crafted tannins. The deep bass notes echo on and on in the compelling finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
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.
