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Domaine Clape: Cornas vertical tasting from 2017 – 1987

A fortunate visit to Domaine Clape this month allowed Matt Walls the rare chance to taste 13 Cornas bottlings, from a range of library vintages spanning four decades, including the exceptional years of 2001 and 2010....

By Matt Walls

last updated 27 September 2021

in Tastings

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Pierre Clape, Domaine Clape Cornas — Credit: Matt Walls

(Image credit: Matt Walls)

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As you descend the cramped industrial lift shaft that accesses the dark basement of the Clape’s family domaine in Cornas, the dank smell gets increasingly heavy.

As with many ancient cellars the aroma is unique, and echoed faintly the wines: a deeply savoury, earthy perfume. There are rows of ancient bottles covered in tufts of black and white mould, sleeping like baby badgers.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ Domaine Clape vertical tasting notes and scores

For such an established part of the fine wine universe, it’s easy to forget that the Northern Rhône has only fairly recently been embraced by outsiders – particularly Cornas. Like much of the wider region, these vineyards were largely abandoned after the Second World War in favour of easier work in local factories.

When you survey the slopes you see why: these steep, contorted, granite hillsides are unforgiving. But the Syrah grown in this small southern nook of the Northern Rhône produces an elemental, sometimes savage wine.

Today the appellation is one of the most dynamic in the Northern Rhône, with hurried new plantings taking place. A new generation of producers is now well-established, and there are plenty of thrilling, increasingly elegant wines to choose from.

Like many regions in the Rhône and beyond, Cornas went through a period around the 1990s in which some producers embraced new oak barriques and destemming, but this period is firmly in the past. Today, the trend is towards demi-muids and using at least a proportion of whole bunches.

The wines of Cornas have only been bottled since the 1950s, and Auguste Clape was among the first. The estate has always followed traditional winemaking techniques and continues to do so today. Auguste passed away in 2018, and the estate is now in the steady hands of his son Pierre and grandson Olivier.

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They continue to tend to the vineyards that are spread across the historic hillside plots visible from the village, including parcels of top lieux-dits; Sabarotte, Patou, Tézier, Mazards, La Côte and a patch of old vines on one of the very finest sites, the south-facing Reynards. They have never made single vineyard bottlings, and have no intention of doing so. Here they believe in blending.

The Domaine Clape Cornas (it has no cuvée name, sometimes referred to as the ‘grand vin’) is fermented with the stems in raw concrete tanks. It’s then aged for two years in used 6-8hl wooden foudres.

In 1997, they started making a second wine called ‘Renaissance’, a barrel selection that tends to come from younger vines. The first vintage was ruined by a faulty batch of corks, so really the first vintage is 1998.

They also produce a 100% Syrah Côtes-du-Rhône, a 100% Syrah Vin de France ‘Vin des Amis’ – all from nearby vineyards but not grown within the Cornas appellation – and a very good white from neighbouring appellation Saint-Péray.

I visit them every year to taste from barrel, and in March 2020 they agreed to open a series of older bottles.

It’s relatively uncommon for Northern Rhône producers to hold much library stock, and they happily admit they’ve drunk most of the best old vintages!

It gave us the chance to taste some vintages which weren’t well considered at the time (2002 and 1993 were dire in the Rhône) alongside exceptional years such as 2001 and 2010. It showed that even in lesser vintages this is a wine that never fails to fascinate: an icon in the original sense of the word.

See Matt Walls’ Domaine Clape vertical tasting notes and scores

Cornas, Côte-Rôtie & Hermitage 2010: Panel tasting results Decanter interview: Château de Saint Cosme’s Louis Barruol Best value Northern Rhône 2018 – Top buys Rhône 2018: Top 30 white wines

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Scroll down for Matt Walls’ Domaine Clape vertical tasting notes and scores

See Matt Walls’ Domaine Clape vertical tasting notes and scores

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