Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2019
(Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 98, #3 Top 100 of '23] [VM 97] [JS 96] [WA 95-97]
Regular price $225.00 Sale price $194.97 Save $30.03
About the Winery:
Domaine Clape’s eight hectares of terraced vineyards lay scattered across the Rhone Valley and are rooted into the region’s signature granitic soils. Their Syrah-based wines are produced in a traditional and classic style, known for their full body, spicy fruit flavors, and powerful structure. Their Cornas shows flavors of red and black fruits, game, leather, purple flowers, and olives. A regional classic!
Clape’s masterpiece is his classic Cornas, precisely blended from five to six cuvées of the oldest vines in the best sites. The backbone comes from Reynard, La Côte and Sabarotte. The old vines here are la Petite Syrah—the old clone considered by many to be the true Syrah—which creates a stunningly deep and complex wine that will develop for decades.
Technical Information
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Vine Age: 40-100 yrs
Soil Type: Granite
Vineyard Area: 4.3 ha
Viticulture & Vinification:
• A selection of the domaine’s oldest vines
• Aged 22 months in 6hL to 12hL foudres
• All wines are harvested by hand, sorted and are not de-stemmed
Ratings & Reviews
98 Points, #3 Top 100 of 2023 - Jeb Dunnuck:
The 2019 Cornas flirts with perfection and isn't far off the heavenly 2015. As with the Renaissance, it has a sunny, perfumed, exotic character as well as an incredible bouquet of black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper, game, and leather. Full-bodied, massive, and concentrated on the palate, it packs substantial tannins, is perfectly balance, and has a great, great finish. Cornas doesn't get much better, ladies and gentlemen. Do your best to give bottles 4-5 years, and it will keep thereafter for two decades.
97 Points - Vinous Media:
Inky ruby. An expansive and highly complex bouquet evokes mineral- and spice-tinged dark berry preserve, potpourri, olive paste and smoky bacon qualities on the deeply perfumed nose. Juicy, expansive and appealingly sweet, offering densely packed blueberry, kirsch, licorice, espresso and candied violet flavors that are supported by a core of juicy acidity. Slowly building tannins add grip to an impressively long, finely detailed finish that strongly echoes the floral and mineral notes.
96 Points - James Suckling:
"I love the enveloping nose of smoke, cocoa powder and damson plum that pulls you deep into this very concentrated Cornas with its rich, velvety tannins and stony minerality that run very smoothly through the long, complete finish. Drink or hold." (Mar 2022)
95-97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Tremendously dense and powerful, the 2019 Cornas is a dazzling, dark-fruited beast that's loaded with mint, cassis and licorice notes. Full-bodied and almost overflowing with intensity, it somehow manages to pull all that impressive richness and extract into a silky, fine-grained finish of amazing length and elegance. Unless you are hell-bent on trying it on release, give it some time in the cellar—it should be peaking around 2035 or so." – Joe Czerwinski (Jan 2022)