2013 - Cornas, Auguste Clape

Glass-staining ruby. Spicy, highly perfumed cassis, boysenberry, incense, smoky bacon and mineral scents show excellent clarity. Densely packed, fresh and energetic on the palate, offering concentrated flavors of fresh black and blue fruits and floral pastilles. Shows an alluring sweetness on the extremely persistent finish, which features harmonious tannins and a strong echo of smoky minerality.

Probably the wine of the vintage is Clape’s 2013 Cornas. Coming from some of the prime terroirs in this incredible appellation, it’s always 100% Syrah (Cornas is always 100% Syrah) that saw no destemming and spent 22 months in mostly ancient foudre. This wine offers up classic Clape notes of beef blood, cold steel, liquid rock, pepper and saddle leather (there’s fruit in there as well) to go with a medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, rich, textured 2013 that has an awesome mid-palate, ripe tannin and clean, lengthy finish. It won’t be as long lived as some of the more blockbuster-styled years, but it will dish out incredible pleasure over the coming 10-15 years.

Rich and bloody nose, graphite, iron and fresh red meat. Really tight palate and some subtle smoke in the background, blockbuster fine tannins – such density and depth here. Tight, intricate and layered. Deep intensity of fruit – surprisingly tight still and introverted. (AC)