From: Rhone, France
Varietal: Syrah
Taste & Critical Acclaim:
Winemaker Notes. Winemaker Notes. Monsieur Clape's Cornas is systematically considered the best in the appellation, constantly attaining the most amazing levels of excellence. There is always an extremely deep purple, almost black color that exudes a never-ending array of rich complex aromas of dried fruits, licorice, spice and pepper. The sheer power and concentration of the wine on the palate is overwhelming. The attack is sensational, followed with an incredible volume of extract that saturates the palate in rich, concentrated fruity tannins that last through a magnificently long, stunning finish.
"A chiseled, textured, ample and very precise Cornas red. The nose reveals notes of dark cherries, plums, currants, wild herbs, crushed stones, undergrowth and baking spices. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is such impressive concentration and intensity. Bright and succulent at the core, with purple fruit, white pepper and even violets. It has drive and verve, with bright acidity cutting through the solid and harmonious frame of tannins. Layered and succulent, with a long, peppery finish and hints of violets. Try after 2026." –James Suckling, 98 points (5/2024)
"The 2021 Cornas is a solid red that’s concentrated and elegant, offering crushed violet, red plum, red cherry and iodine layers paired with stemmy gradations. The medium-bodied 2021 concludes with wonderful freshness on the savory finish. It shouldn’t take long to come around, something that cannot be said for the surrounding vintages.(NG)" –Vinous, 95-97 points (3/2024)
"A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits indicates that this will be a fresh, well-balanced style of Cornas. The acidity is high this year, and the tannins are classically Cornas in their granitic grain and intensity. A highly structured year, this will always be a vintage for dedicated Cornas-lovers, there's no great wealth of rich fruit behind like in some recent vintages, but nonetheless this should age well. Very much a classic year, rather than the powerfully ripe and rich vintages we've seen since 2017. Whole-bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres.(MW)" –Decanter, 96 points (9/2023)
"The 2021 Cornas is a small step up over the Renaissance, with a touch more density and depth, although both play in the more medium-bodied, moderately concentrated style of the vintage. Classy blue fruits, plums, violets, and sappy, peppery notes all define the aromatics, and it's nicely balanced, with fine tannins, and outstanding length. It too will benefit from a few years and drink nicely over the following decade. I was thrilled to be able to retaste the 2020s during my visit with Pierre-Marie Clape, and it’s safe to say I underrated these last year. They’ve have morphed into heavenly wines that are unquestionably in the same league as the estate 2010s, 2018s, and 2019s. The 2021s here have pure, classic, old school-like profiles with more moderate concentration and depth, but good balance as well as length. Harkening back to wines from the 1980s, they’re already approachable yet should have 10-15 years of interesting drinking." –Jeb Dunnuck, 92 points (3/2024)
Pairing: Take inspiration from the region and pair this with lamb dishes that incorporate Mediterranean herbs. Some of our favorite lamb dishes include lamb chops au poivre, lamb and eggplant pide, slow-cooked lamb shoulder with green beans, roast leg of lamb with anchovy, garlic, and rosemary (check it out below), simple lamb curry (go light on the spice, please), grilled lamb chops, and lamb burgers! Basically, lean into dishes that include spices like clove, allspice, and mint to bring out the layers of aroma and flavor Northern Rhone Syrah is famous for. Are you crunched for time? Go the gyro route and pick up some awesome gyros, shawarma, or grilled eggplant from your favorite take-out joint.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Anchovy, Garlic, and Rosemary
By Aleksandra Crapanzano
About Domaine Clape. Many thanks to our friends at Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants for the following.
In the world of wine, there are many good winegrowers. However, there are only a very select few who are truly great, and Auguste Clape will go down in history as one of the greats. A proud and uncompromising pioneer of fine winemaking in the northern Rhône, his Syrahs from the cru of Cornas have earned their place among the most celebrated wines of France.
The Clapes have been vignerons for many generations, but the infamous grower strikes of 1906 and 1907 forced Auguste’s grandfather out of the Languedoc and into the northern Rhône to start anew from practically nothing. The Clapes rebuilt their fortunes, terrace by terrace, along the steep, western slopes of the Rhône River. For many years, the majority of growers in Cornas sold their fruit to négociants. Auguste was the first to bottle his own wine, which eventually paved the way for such contemporary superstars as Thierry Allemand.
Without pretense or fanfare, Auguste, the former mayor of Cornas, was a stately picture of grace and magnanimity—a no-nonsense wise man who never rested on his laurels and sought to better himself and his wines each year until his passing in 2018 at the age of 93. Today, his son, Pierre-Marie, and grandson, Olivier, carry on his legacy with honor and integrity.
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.
