Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2020
Domaine Auguste Clape
Clape is Cornas in its purest expression — 100% Syrah from old vines on steep granite slopes, made with minimal intervention by the family that put this appellation on the map. The 2020 vintage delivered warmth and generosity, but the wine's granitic spine keeps everything taut. Cellar-worthy, but already singing.
Nose
Concentrated blackcurrant and violet lead, with graphite-like minerality and a thread of smoked meat. Cedar and dark cherry surface with air.
Palate
Powerfully structured yet precise. Black fruit and cedar form the core, framed by fine-grained tannins that speak of granitic terroir. A mid-palate note of mint and woody spice adds complexity, while the fruit retains a ripe, focused intensity.
Finish
Very long and mineral-driven, with blackcurrant, violet, and a savory toasted quality persisting through the fade.
- Varietal
- Syrah
- Blend
- 100% Syrah
- Vineyards
- Various parcels across Cornas, including old vines on granite
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Grilled lamb shoulder with herbes de Provence
Auguste Clape began bottling Cornas under his own label in the 1950s when almost no one did, and three generations later his family remains the benchmark for this steep, sun-scorched Northern Rhône appellation.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Ferrer Bobet Priorat Vinyes Velles 2018
Ferrer Bobet
Ferrer Bobet's old-vine Priorat bottling captures the essence of warmth radiating from ancient llicorella slate — a wine that speaks before you find the words. This 2018 has reached a gorgeous drinking window where concentration meets elegance, offering serious depth at a price that undercuts many of its Priorat peers. A bottle built for contemplation beside a low fire.
Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille's Bourgogne Rouge is a masterclass in what restraint can achieve at the regional level — no excess, no artifice, just transparent Pinot Noir from one of Burgundy's most principled estates. It embodies the theme of clarity through constraint: a wine that finds its beauty in what it withholds rather than what it offers. An essential benchmark for understanding why less, in Burgundy, is always more.
Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie
Calabretta
Calabretta's old-vine Nerello Mascalese is a masterclass in how air and altitude sculpt a wine—vineyards perched high on Etna's slopes channel wind and volcanic breath into the glass. This is traditional Etna winemaking at its most soulful: no shortcuts, no polish, just pure terroir captured by a family that has farmed the same contrada for generations. A hauntingly beautiful wine that rewards patience and contemplation.
Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve Rouge 2022
Perrin
The Perrin family's Réserve Rouge remains one of the Rhône's most reliable everyday reds, delivering genuine terroir character at a fraction of the cost of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape holdings. It captures the warmth of a late November harvest—generous, grounding, and quietly soulful. A wine that pairs as well with weeknight suppers as it does with the season's final fireside gatherings.