Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas, 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!
Clape’s Cornas is produced from a collection of old-vine parcels from the very best lieux-dits in the appellation including Sabarotte, La Côte, and Reynard. In these strikingly steep sites, gnarled head-trained Syrah vines must send their roots deep into poor granite soils for survival.
The old-vine fruit is vinified without destemming and aged in large, ancient wooden casks in the family cellars. It produces a majestically dark and brooding Cornas, layered with aromas of herbs and mint.