2010 Clape Cornas "Renaissance" - WALL OF IRON

I’ve been buying tons of Northern Rhones from the trio of very solid vintages, 2009-11. Realized that I had not even checked in on any of the big boys in the sake of science. So tonight, after chewing on a nasty 2010 Duckhorn Paradox - a late afternoon business drink - I decided I wanted something good, big, and well, my tongue was already coated with tannins, so even young would be okay.

The 2010 Domaine August Clape Cornas Renaissance popped out. It’s been on the front-burner just for trying, with the big boy Clape Cornas tucked away with its '09 counter-part for a long time.

This wine is a wall of iron on the nose and palate. Massive tannins, some steminess.

I have no doubt that this wine will evolve into something spectacular as it exhibits some telltale benchmarks of black olives, florals, rust, iodine, and yes, iron, but the wall of tannins on this wine is over-powering at this juncture. I was a nut to pop this wine right now. Alan Rath warned me, and I forgot about his admonition.

The bottle is sitting outside, wide open, will check back in an hour or so.

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Cool, curious to see what this does with some air time. Like you, I’ve got some of this and the regular in 2010 and try to buy a few of each offering every year.

Man, two babies killed in one day?! Seems excessive. :wink:

LOL, I’m a glutton for punishment. The Duckhorn was at a bar. I’m pissed at letting the bartender steer e away from a 2004 Brunello. The 2010 Clape was a ridiculous choice for an early evening pop and pour.

Don’t go anywhere near the 2010 Clape, not that you’ll be tempted after your Renaissance experience.

No kidding, Zach! Hands down the most unapproachable wine I’ve had in a very long time. These Clapes are going to the back of storage. See you guys in 10 years…

Or 20.

Sitting here watch NE v. Denver, knocking back the remaining 1/3 bottle of the Clape. On third day open, the wine is revealing itself more. This one, boys and girls, is gonna be a beauty with time, lots of time. Old school, rustic syrah.

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Velvet fist in iron glove. Or maybe it’s just Cornas.

All Cornas baby, but no velvet, just leather and whips…

I’m actually glad to hear they’re performing this way. I remember the products of Auguste Clape and how they were always monsters. The 1989 was still young a few years ago when I opened my last. When he died, I was concerned that the style would evolve into more of a new world styling. Glad to hear the legacy lives on. I’ll be spending a couple of weeks in Provence in May and this is a property I need to try to visit.

Saved about 3/4s of a glass, kept bottle corked in regular fridge. So drinking remainder on day 4, out of curiosity. No sign or oxidation at all, if anything, it’s actually damn drinkable! Zach is right, these 2010s could be 20 years wines to hit apogee. I do not recall tasting a young Clape of this density and structure before. My first Clape was a '94.

Have no clue how a critic could score this wine on pop and pour with a small amount and limited time. I’d score this wine very high right now. Not sure how I could score it on day one other than saying it has lots of stuffing and could turn in to something awesome.

Thanks for following this over a few days and taking one for the team! I will bury these deep!

A group of us tasted a number of 2010 Cornas and Cote-Roties recently, the 2010 Clape among them. All wines are packed for the long haul, but the Clape was among the most formidably structured of all of them. I think nearly all 2010 Northern Rhone wines worth a damn will go 20+ years (recall the rule of 15, maybe for 2010 it’s the rule of 20?), but I feel most confident the Clape will.

Actually…Auguste is still alive and well! Here’s a photo I took last year of him, Pierre-Marie, and Olivier.
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Thanks for posting that picture! That’s how I envision Clape’s winery, not newfangled gadgets like Ch. Cos d’Estournel!

Here’s a couple more.
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That’s just perfect, just perfect.

Relates to a couple threads on this front page on modern (as in clean) versus traditional. I’ll take rustic any day of the week over a whistle clean wine.

Robert, when I think of modern/traditional in the Northern Rhone I think more about levels of extraction and alcohol, and less about cleanliness of the cellar. There might be some correlation, but there are lots of traditional wines that don’t show brett.

In the end, of course, you’re just going to have to try Paris and let us know what you think.

Michael

I also warn people not to bet the hard 8, but do they listen? :wink: