Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2023
(Cornas, Northern Rhone, France) - [JS 96-97] [DM 96] [JD 93] [VM 93]

About the Winery:
In the world of wine, there are many good winegrowers. However, there are only a very select few who are truly great, and Auguste Clape will go down in history as one of the greats. A proud and uncompromising pioneer of fine winemaking in the Northern Rhône, his Syrahs from the cru of Cornas have earned their place among the most celebrated wines of France. 

Domaine Clape is legendary in the Northern Rhône. This world-class estate was the first in Cornas to estate-bottle Syrah and sell it under their own name.

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!

About this Wine:
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 6- to 12-HL foudres

• All wines are harvested by hand, sorted and are not de-stemmed

Ratings & Reviews

96-97 Points - James Suckling:
"Although this wine definitely belongs to the deep end of Cornas with its great density and very compact core, the tannins are wonderfully plush, seeming to melt in the extremely long, crisp and stony finish. Still really young, but who can resist the appeal of the violet aroma?" (Apr 2025)

96 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"A tasting of the constituent parts, so this is a provisional score. The 2023 is less ripe in style than the 2022. It has plentiful herbal notes, encompassing oregano, bay leaf and liquorice, with blueberry fruit. It looks like a more classic vintage than the recent run of hot years; structured, with classically bold and textural Cornas tannins and bright acidity, akin to 2006 or 2007 in style. Should be an athletic, energetic style that will take on impressive complexity in time. (Drink between 2031-2042)" - Matt Walls (Oct 2024)

93 Points – Jeb Dunnuck:
"A clear step up, the old vine cuvée 2023 Cornas has textbook smoky red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with game, peppery herbs, and violets. It's medium-bodied, has solid mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. This classic, impeccably made Clape will need just a few years of bottle age to shine and should evolve beautifully over the following 15+ years.” (Feb 2026)

93 Points – Vinous Media:
"I tasted various separately vinified lieux-dits that will partially compose the 2024 Cornas, a cool-toned rendition in the making. Reynard offered perfumed blackberry and immaculate vivacity, while La Côte and Petit Côte contributed stemmy tones and fleshy nuances. Sabarotte brought even more fleshiness to the mix. Propped up by refined tannins and lifted acidity, the medium to full-bodied 2024 is on track to become a markedly classic Clape-Cornas, one I am already looking forward to tasting from bottle. (Drink between 2029-2041)” – Nicolas Greinacher (Jan 2026)