Domaine Auguste Clape, Côte du Rhone, red, 2019

"Auguste is credited in 1955 with creating the wine market in Cornas. He gradually abandoned cereals and replanted on slopes. His son Pierre-Marie, after Tempier and Vieux Télégraphe, returned to the estate in the late 80s to initiate a very reasoned viticulture, and his grandson Olivier took over in 2002 after Napa Valley, Australia, and New Zealand."
The work of terraced soils, manual harvesting, whole cluster vinifications, and two years of aging in concrete tanks followed by old casks. The estate today covers 8.5 ha and enjoys international acclaim for its age-worthy syrahs, powerful yet straight and elegant, sourced from the best granitic soils of the appellation on steep slopes like Reynard, Sebarotte, Côte... It produces only two cuvées, Cornas with vines aged 40 to 90 years, and Renaissance with the younger vines. About 35,000 bottles per year, rare gems that are difficult to find.
Frédérique Hermine for Terre de vins

Tasting

Technical specifications

• Estate: Domaine Auguste Clape

• Cuvée: Côtes du Rhône

• Country: France

• Region: Rhône Valley

• Appellation: AOC Côtes du Rhône

• Color: Red

• Type: Dry, still

• Vintage: 2019

• Organic wine 

• Grape varieties:  100 % Syrah.

• Area: 8.8 ha.

• Soils: Shallow sandy soils, acidic with pebbles.

• Viticulture: Traditional farming. Treatments are limited to the use of sulfur and copper.

• Harvesting: Manual

• Vinifications and aging: Average maceration of 10-15 days with daily punch downs and pump overs. Aging in large casks (of 10, 13, and 7hl) for 20 months (blending at 16 months).

• Format: Bottle of 75 CL