2000 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape, Rhône
Critics reviews
100% Syrah, granite soil, 30-38 hl/ha yield, 22 months ageing in oak foudres, bottled without filtration, light fining, 13.25 % alcohol, 2.8 g/l acidity, 3.8 pH.
Dark, healthy crimson. Leather and spice on the nose – convincingly deep. Ripe fruit on the front palate and very winningly open on the mid palate with dusty tannins only on the finish. A very successful expression of Cornas.
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (July 2006)
One of the finest efforts of the vintage, the 2000 Cornas boasts an opaque purple colour as well as a sumptuously sweet, perfumed nose of white flowers, creme de cassis, melted liquorice, and hints of roasted earth and meat. This jammy, medium to full-bodied 2000 is not a blockbuster but is floral, elegant, and supple-textured.
There is nothing wrong with a case of Clape! As I have been writing for several decades, Auguste Clape and his son, Pierre-Marie, represent the gold standard for classic Cornas. Readers lucky enough to have access to his importer’s portfolio (Kermit Lynch) should always check out his inexpensive Cotes du Rhone as well as his vin de pays called Le Vin des Amis. Both are noteworthy introductions to what can be found in his Cornas cuvees.
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (June 2003)
Bright ruby-red. Subdued but complex nose combines blueberry, raspberry, cassis, pepper, licorice, minerals, clove and espresso, along with a slightly rustic resiny note. Supple on entry, then less expressive in the middle despite displaying good breadth and palate presence. Flavors of dark fruits and pepper. Finishes with noble, late-arriving tannins that reach the front teeth. Pierre-Marie says this wine is currently showing a bit of a dip in the middle as a result of the recent bottling, but he feels that the 2001 will ultimately prove to be a fuller Cornas. I would not be surprised if this eventually merited a 90-point rating.
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com (January 2003)
About this WINE
Domaine Clape
Auguste Clape produces unquestionably the finest wines in Cornas from his minute cellars located on the RN98 in the middle of the appellation. He has 11 acres of vineyards, the majority being superbly well sited on the steep hillside surrounding the village. The average vine age is high, with some being over 100 years old.
The wines are vinified traditionally and are then matured in wooden barrels for 18 months. No new oak whatsoever is used. Clape`s wines tend to be opaque in colour, impenetrable on the nose and densely tannic when young. However, with age, the tannins soften and they develop a seductive perfume of creamy, peppery, black fruits, leading on to complex flavours and nuances on the palate. The best examples can last for 20-30 years. Auguste, who is now in his late 60s, is gradually passing over the reins to his son, Pierre-Marie.
Cornas
Cornas is a small appellation, just 150 hectares, located south of St Joseph. It’s on the west side of the river. The name “Cornas” comes from an old Celtic dialect term, meaning “burnt land”, so it’s no surprise that on the steep terraces here, facing south, temperatures are significantly higher than those in Hermitage, which is just 7km away.
The granite soils are home to the Syrah grape, producing reds that sit somewhere between those of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. These are strong and powerful wines, with nervy acidity and a robust, rustic charm to them. Their prominent tannins mean that they often demand time in the cellar to express their underlying elegance and complexity.
Syrah/Shiraz
A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries.
It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness.
South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.
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Description
100% Syrah, granite soil, 30-38 hl/ha yield, 22 months ageing in oak foudres, bottled without filtration, light fining, 13.25 % alcohol, 2.8 g/l acidity, 3.8 pH.
Dark, healthy crimson. Leather and spice on the nose – convincingly deep. Ripe fruit on the front palate and very winningly open on the mid palate with dusty tannins only on the finish. A very successful expression of Cornas.
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (July 2006)
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