Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance, Rhone, France 2021
In the world of wine, there are many good winegrowers. However, there are only a very select few who are truly great, and the Clape family will go down in history among the greats. For many years, the majority of growers in Cornas sold their fruit to négociants, but in the mid-1950s Auguste Clape became one of the first to bottle his own wine, which eventually paved the way for the entire appellation. Without pretense or fanfare, Auguste sought to reveal the greatness of a then little-known terroir in which he saw the highest potential. If today, collectors and sommeliers seek the wines of Cornas for their cellars, it’s thanks to Auguste’s vision and Kermit’s keen palate in choosing to import the wines when they were unknown. Auguste’s commitment to bettering his family’s wines endured until his passing in 2018 at the age of 93. Auguste was joined at the domaine by his son, Pierre-Marie, in 1988, and today his grandson, Olivier, carries on the legacy.
The Clapes farm just eight hectares of densely planted terraced vineyards, with a wealth of old vines, on the hillsides of Cornas where treacherous inclines make using any machinery in the vineyards impossible. All work must be done by hand, and the work is arduous.
From their lineup of Syrahs, you’ll taste the vibrant Vin des Amis and stately Côtes du Rhône, both featuring vineyards just outside the Cornas AOC and ready for immediate enjoyment. Conversely, their Cornas bottlings are capable of tremendous longevity in the cellar, although Kermit Lynch also encourages trying them when their youthful vigor is on display, and to get a sense of the evolution to come. For a taste of the old-style Syrah from the rugged, vertical slopes of this tiny northern Rhône appellation, Clape is the best place to start. Don’t miss this opportunity to taste some of France’s greatest reds!
Made from the domaine’s younger Cornas vines, Renaissance showcases top terroirs across the appellation in a slightly more accessible way than Clape’s flagship bottling. Given the same treatment—vinified naturally with whole clusters and aged in old foudres for nearly two years before being bottled unfiltered—it can be uncorked in its youth, although it certainly has the structure to age for many years. Replete with inky black fruit, black olive, and gamey overtones, this Syrah is the real deal from one of the best in the game.