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Cornas, Domaine Auguste Clape 2020

RegionRhône
Subregion France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Cornas
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietySyrah

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Domaine Auguste Clape

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Tasting Notes

The flagship 2020 Cornas is a beauty! Clearly in the same league as recent top vintages, it has a wild bouquet of black and blue fruits, liquid violets, game, and iron, with some incense and spice thrown in for good measure. It's slightly more round and sexy compared to the more powerful 2019, but it’s perfectly balanced, with ripe tannins and a great finish. This heavenly Cornas will be drinkable in just 3-4 years and evolve for two decades. 2026 - 2046

97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, December 2022

I tasted four different components of the 2020 Cornas from foudre. From 40-year-old vines in La Côte, a medium to full-bodied sample with attractive menthol, red plum and violet notes, ample structure but a bit short (92 - 94). From 50- to 60-year-old vines in La Sabarotte, an earthier, more savory example, with a rich, velvety texture and crisp acids (93 - 95). From 60- to 70-year-old vines in La Côte, a wine that seems to have it all: intense cassis, crushed stone, licorice and black olives, plus amazing richness and length (97 - 99). And finally, from old vines in Reynard, a breathtaking, hauntingly floral rendition marked by purple raspberries and fantastic concentration (98 - 100). The blend should be terrific.

95/97+
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, January 2022

A fragrant nose of blackberries, dark cherries, wild herbs, baking spices, stones and black pepper. Medium body with fine, firm tannins. It has volume and structure, but remains extremely agile. It has bright acidity and a vibrant peppery character, giving vitality and tension on the palate. Well-rounded and vivid with a succulent and textured, long developing finish. Best after 2026.

97
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, May 2023

As with the Renaissance, the 2020 Cornas was tasted from a handful of ancient foudres, and this cuvée gets the older vines of the estate as well as a good portion from the Reynard lieu-dit. This always tends to be more structured, concentrated, and tannic, yet all of the 2020s appear to be elegant and more finesse-driven, while certainly not lacking in structure. These are pure, classic, textbook Clape Cornas in the making.

95/97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2022
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.