A. Clape Cornas 2020
Regular price $386.00
Unit price per
- TASTING NOTE: "A fragrant nose of blackberries, dark cherries, wild herbs, baking spices, stones and black pepper. Medium body with fine, firm tannins. It has volume and structure, but remains extremely agile. It has bright acidity and a vibrant peppery character, giving vitality and tension on the palate. Well rounded and vivid with a succulent and textured, long developing finish. Best after 2026." 97 Points - JamesSuckling.com
- ABOUT THE WINE: From the estates oldest vineyards (minimum 40 years old) including La Côte, La Sabarotte, and Reynard. Whole grape clusters are fermented with natural yeasts in open air cement tanks with punch-downs or pump-overs twice a day over 12 days. Aged 22 months in 6 to 12HL foudres.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCER: For a taste of the old-style Syrah from the fabulous, sculptured slopes of the Northern Rhône, Auguste Clape’s wines from Cornas are the only place to start. Though the Clapes farm only eight hectares, the challenge presented by the rough, tightly stacked terrace vineyards of Cornas is largely enough to handle by anybody’s standards. The dicey precipices make using any machinery in the vineyards impossible. All work must be done by hand. There are no official rules to their viticultural methodology—they work the old-fashioned way, by instinct, feeling, and common sense. The vineyards sit on granite subsoil, behind the village, with optimal sun exposure. They farm a number of prime parcels, including Reynards, La Côte, Geynale, Tézier, Petite Côte, Les Mazards, Patou, Pied La Vigne, Chaillot, and Sabarotte, the latter purchased from Cornas legend Noël Verset. Their only secrets: starting with old vines, and optimizing the ripeness of the fruit as best they can. They accomplish this by holding out before they harvest—a risky game of ‘chicken’ where the trick is to keep the fruit on the vine as long as possible while still harvesting before the rains. Individual parcels are vinified separately via whole-cluster fermentation. Long élevages of twelve to twenty-two months in old, oval foudres add depth to the natural complexity of the wines. The legendary Auguste Clape passed away in 2018 with his son and grandson now continuing his legacy.
- COUNTRY: France
- REGION: Northern Rhone
- SUB-REGION: Cornas
- VARIETAL: Syrah
- WINE STYLE: Red Wine
- WINEMAKER: Pierre-Marie & Olivier Clape
- CLOSURE: Cork
- ABV%: 13.5%
- SIZE: 750ml
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