Wine Advisor
Auguste Clape, Cornas Renaissance 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Dark violet. Offers dark berry preserves, fruitcake, smoky minerals, olive and pungent flower notes on the highly perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sappy black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors; black pepper and mineral accents add lift and back-end cut. Quite deep but energetic as well, finishing on a building tannic note and with impressive, dark fruit-dominated persistence.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
I tasted two components that will make up the bulk of the 2020 Cornas Renaissance, both still in foudre. From Patou and 15- to 20-year-old vines, a medium to full-bodied sample featuring mentholated red plum notes, chewy tannins and mouthwatering acids (90 - 92). From Reynard and 30-year-old vines, a medium to full-bodied sample that showed more cassis fruit, silky tannins and great freshness (93 - 95). They should make a lovely Cornas for drinking over the next 10-15 years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A delicate nose of forest berries, dark cherries, blackcurrants, undergrowth, stones and baking spices. Medium body yet so ample and intense. Great concentration at the center, expanding all along. It’s well-balanced and harmonious with finely grained tannins, a pure and juicy core of berries, and crisp acidity. Expansive and long finish. Best after 2025.
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.
