Auguste Clape, Cornas

Medium-dark red plus color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours. Last had this 2012. Cigar, smoke, deep cassis, a touch of blue fruit, gravel, full-bodied across the nose and palate. Drinking well.

1999 vintage

D5h Consistent

2011 vintage

Owned this since release. Worth the wait. In a perfect place, everything in balance, endless finish with a firm grip. Essence of Syrah. Drank alongside a perfectly cellared 1999 Chevillon Les Cailles, which the Clape crushed in terms of pure pleasure.

1999 vintage

PnP. ABV 13%. Dark ruby in color, still looked really young. Clean and expressive nose with a little funk. Flowers, spices, and dark soils dominated on the nose and palate. Tannins mostly softened, fine tannins with very little dryness or rough edges, type of wines I loved. A touch rustic, very Cornas. Showing great depth and concentration, must be a big wine in its youth. Mouth-watering acidity on side cheeks kept this really lively. Entered prime drinking plateau with a …

1999 vintage

Purchased last year. Bottle in great shape. Double decanted and followed over a few hours. Great clarity and purity of fruit. Whatever structure there was has really softened/integrated and this is drinking wonderfully with good fruit but also the beginning of some secondary notes. Loved this.

1999 vintage

Northern Rhônes at Noreetuh, this time with magnums : I've commented before that Allemand feels like Cornas for Burgundy heads, and Clape is Cornas for Bordeaux heads. And this just reinforces that (especially coming after the remarkably accessible and silky Allemand Chaillot). It has all the firm tannic structure and reticence of old school Bordeaux, even a few hours after decanting. But the flavour profile here is so compelling - there's remarkable clarity to the red and dark fruit here, …

1999 vintage

SF Wine Meet-Up: "20 for 20" (San Francisco) : Part of our "20 for 20" Reddit SF Wine Meet-Up. This was an enjoyable wine, still drinking young. Mellow tannins and balanced acidity. Still some fruit, but almost was more dominated by savory notes. My notes said "bruschetta" with olive, tomato, basil, and lemon. 92 points.

2004 vintage

Reddit-CT SF Group, Take 2 (Saison SF) : Rhone #2 following on the Jamet, this presented a much more relaxed palate in terms of tannins and acidity with a bit more readily apparent fruit, led by dark berries. Pleasing but not overwhelming earthy funkiness here. Thinking this would wonderfully complement spicy/savory/salty foods. Contrary to others, I’m calling this late drinking window, although not a drink tonight wine at this point. Narrowly preferred over the Jamet. 94+

2004 vintage

Drastically under rated. In a good place to drink now. Olives, meat, hint of pepper. Well balanced and long finish

2011 vintage

Stumbled onto this bottle in Telluride. $150 retail seemed reasonable considering the location. Consumed over two days. Distinctly Clape with regards to profile but this vintage offered a bit more sour. This will continue to age well but no harm in opening now. 1999 & 2010 continue to be benchmark Clape for me. 93

2011 vintage

This is sensational French wine with pure class and elegance. Love these cool vintage big wines that have straps on the ripeness level, yet maintain all the other classy things inside. Here the wine has a medium body with a fresh earthy and barnyard scented bouquet that translates into the palate. As it warms tobacco, green bell pepper notes appear and the length of the finish gets going. Classy and elegant, this is for the aged wine drinkers and as …

2004 vintage

Fruits noirs, un peu de violettes et d’olives à l’aération. Bouche est tellement bien équilibrée, belle fraîcheur, de la chair, assez droit quand même, bonne longueur, un réel plaisir, magnifique vin.

2011 vintage

Lunch GVDMS : Décanté double decanting à 9:00 Nez de cuir et de fruits noirs. Bouche longue et droite, avec une bonne élégance (François était à Côte Rôtie), une droiture qui m'évoque Hermitage ou Cornas. J’ai évidemment pensé alors à Pierre Clape. Équilibre et longueur admirables. C’est un vin profond, authentique, un vin de terroir fascinant. Merci Michel pour l'hommage et merci Pierre, r.i.p. 93-94 pts

2011 vintage

Fantastic nature Cornas with still ripe and full fruit Just give it air

1999 vintage

This has a really nice floral nose redolent of violet and dark berries. The tannins here seem mostly resolved, though there is a tiny bit of lingering grip that can easily be tamed with a bit of protein. Savory palate of dark fruit, brine, and olives. Acidity is quite mouthwatering. Very classic, very Cornas.

1999 vintage

Private cellar purchase through Woodland Hills. Wine bottle was in absolute perfect condition and so was the cork. Winter lunch BBQ along side Bruce & Heather Phillips of Vine Hill Ranch. Savory with fruit still present. A wonderful expression of Clape Cornas. I'm looking forward to pulling it's twin one day. 96+

1999 vintage

Retains good colour; ferrous & yet fragrant; sinewy, fresh, has thrust; some grunt on the finish. Very long.

2004 vintage

Dried cherries, smoky, wet leaves on the nose. Dark fruit, meatiness, herbal notes, and spice on the palate. Beautiful complexity, mostly resolved silky tannins, long spicy finish

1999 vintage

For those of you that love Clape, the answer is YES! It’s got everything, I won’t belabor what that is…the notes below will give you a feeling if you don’t know. Didn’t decant and the best taste was the last bit, taken in the next day, the product left recorked in the fridge overnight. So drink now but decant or savor. Or hold. Oodles of life. May the master RIP.

2011 vintage

Deep, dark reddish-purple color with no signs of aging. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, strawberries & mulberries with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, gamey notes, pepper, anise, olives, herbs, spices, minerals & a slight hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, with ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with herbs, pepper, spices, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla. Long …

2011 vintage

Had at Thanksgiving 2024. It was a great evening with Reily and Graves. Much fun was had. They are adults now. Life will never be the same.

2011 vintage

4th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, another super bottle in line with March and pushing an upgrade, upside, 15+ years. F+ (18)......and better and more interesting all round than Colombier Hermitage 2000 on same night.

2004 vintage

PnP Medium dark red, red rim, 5.5 Oozing of north Rhône Syrah with some evolvement although considering the age it seems younger. Harmonious palate, h-T, m+A, m+B, dry, very elegant and well balanced, long spicy/fruity finish. Drink now-2035 Really well done in a lesser year.

2011 vintage

Decanted two hours prior to tasting. Overripe strawberries, tart cherries, bitter grapefruit, salty licorice, tarragon, leather, wood. Ridiculous amount of stone, in particular on the palate. Lots of animal and gamey notes but nothing unclean at all. Fruit is a bit shy initially, requires some more air to come around. Tannins has softened a bit but acidity still firmly in place. Very savory-driven profile, would be slightly concerned regarding the amount of fruit for long-term cellaring.

2011 vintage

Excellent Cornas. Very approachable, even supple. A good one to open while waiting for others to mature.

2011 vintage

Really enjoyable. Great Syrah. Tannins are present but well integrated. Can drink now or wait a few years.

2011 vintage

Wines like this are how I fell in love with the northern rhone, at 25 years old this showed incredibly well, nose had a nice mix of drying red berries, olives, a subtle smoked game and captivating dark minerals on the nose, really silky palate with ripe grainy tannins showing structure but not impairing the experience, long finish.

1999 vintage

I liked this, but comparing it in my head to other greats from the Rhone, I found it a tad boring. Earthy, some liquorice, a tad of olive (but not much!), black fruit, quite round and rich in texture. It has everything you can want and is a very good wine, but just misses that little something to be great.

2011 vintage

Pronounced aromas of raspberry, red plum, redcurrant, black cherry, smoked meat, thyme, cedar, barnyard, and wet leaves. It evolved in the glass, turning floral and then savory with notes of soy sauce. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ ripe and integrated tannins. Long, earthy, and herbaceous finish. There are only great bottles at this age, and this was unquestionably one of them.

1999 vintage

All the ingredients of a fine mature Cornas were there but also, unfortunately, a faint aroma of cardboard indicating mild TCA contamination. Still drinkable but not what it should be.

1999 vintage

Dirty Dozen at H & H Beverly Center - "Bring Out Your Reds" : Brett was so abundant that the nose was off-putting. Obviously some pretty fruit under there but too hard to discernt under all that funk. Sadly, among 11 other wines , there was no time for it to blow off.

1999 vintage

Rich, soft, plummy, berries, picked up a little barn yard, light tobacco earthiness. Thought this was right bank Bordeaux, then Rhone with the brett. Nice, but didn't show exceptionally well IMO. 2nd to last place.TOC DD Yarom group at H&H Brazilian Steak Beverly Hills.

1999 vintage

3rd of 12, opened an hour then decanted 30 minutes, perfect cork and level, in line with previous bottles, remarkably youthful, underlying tannins well covered by fruit, layered and civilised for Cornas, upside, 15+ years. F+ (18).

2004 vintage

A souffert de la comparaison avec un Grande des Pères 2013 (95) mais ce Cornas reste un très bon vin, prêt à boire.

2011 vintage

Northern Rhone night : Much better than my last bottle a year ago which was too sweet and lacked structure. Showed more similarly to the excellent ‘95 that I had a couple of years ago. Blackberries, some cassis and a wine that unfurled and became more inviting in the glass. So northern Rhone, so Cornas if you know what I mean. In a perfect drinking window.

2004 vintage

This is really elegant and approachable now, scents of sandalwood and cherry, tannins are structured but inviting, complex flavors of blackberry, peppercorn, iron and tobacco, very seamless, the palate feels smooth, drinking well now, perfect with a beef soup

2004 vintage

Medium light red. Intense floral and red fruit mixed with hints of forest floor and pepper. Dry precise red berry and peppery strawberry flavours and a dry textured elegant finish.

2004 vintage

Absolutely singing, but it took four hours in the decanter to open up. Tannins struck me as strangely Bordelais, but overall package is unmistakably of its place. Beautiful restraint with all that power. Had with Rich.

1999 vintage

Houston Northern Rhone Blowout : This wine showed the coolness of the vintage and in my opinion was several big steps above the 2007. Not the most powerful Clape at this point, but it has a long life ahead of it. Meaty and masculine, and similar to the 05 Chave but with less weight.

2004 vintage

Dégustation verticale du Cornas du domaine Clape (Restaurant Les Mômes) : Nez de tapenade et fruit noir. Belle fraîcheur, c’est encore jeune et puissant mais l’équilibre est très bon. À l'aveugle, je lui aurait donné dix ans de moins! La bouche évoque l’encre et les mûres, la tapenade. Il est excellent, mais ses tanins sont moins fins que ceux des plus jeunes. 93 pts initialement, puis 95 pts lorsque pris avec la côte de bœuf qu’il accompagnait à merveille, la …

1999 vintage

A bit too sweet for me. A Cornas, really? Seems too smooth and civilized!

2004 vintage

C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine) : Blind. Lots of capsicum, jammy, kirsch, touch of olive, dry tannins. Surprise this was a Clap given how the 2007 was stunning last year.

2004 vintage

Birthday celebration for C/Y : My contribution. Ripe and slightly sweet for the vintage. Some plum, olives and black pepper-dominant spice and smoky notes. Surprisingly for a Clape this was missing a little structure - the fruit was still very youthful but the tannins seemed rather resolved.

2004 vintage

Shared cooking duties with 5 close buddies each doing a course at our place. Thankfully, Nita helped keep me on track. CV,DM,LI,KB,LS & BB. Super relaxing fun night! Leo wine tonight and very classic Cornas and satisfying.

2011 vintage

Chef's Night (Craig & Nita's Place) : Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus. Loved this; high toned and funky, damp and dank earthy notes slowly emerge, there's almost some putrification notes (in a good way), dark cherry, fresh herbs, naugahyde. The palate really shows the fruit, cherry and currants, gravel, wood tones, lacquer, medium full body. Drinking well.

2011 vintage

Tasted blind. Ready to drink but needs a bit of air to open up. Floral, hint of black peppper and pancetta, red and purple fruit. Elegant.

2004 vintage

2nd of 12, opened 90 minutes, decanted 30, perfect cork and level, no change from bottle last July, superior stuff with upside, 15+ years. F+ (18).

2004 vintage

Dujac and Moreau come to town (Chicago, IL) : Outstanding bottle. Very stylistically different from Allemand, but very much classic old-school, rustic syrah. Not too dirty though; the rusticity comes more from the structure than anything. Lots of fruit -- a mix of red and black -- and plenty of the requisite olive and meat notes. Comes off a bit brooding; this has a lot of gas left in the tank.

1999 vintage

An absolute highlight of the night. Black cherry throughout with roasted meat and an elegant structural throughline. While classically Cornas in flavors, this was also wonderfully polished and nearly elegant.

1999 vintage

The 1999 Clape Cornas is again excellent tonight, age having tamed but not erased its savage, savory nature. Blackberry, menthol, and bloody game preludes a softening palate with surprising lightness carrying full-bodied dark fruit flavors. Very good.

1999 vintage

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Auguste Clape, Cornas

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