So dirty it gives you the Clape: A story of a night of old cornas and one Juge youngin

[Larry_Stein]

@Alan Rath

@John Morris

@Larry Stein

Was the '88 Clape a Kermit Lynch import? In only that vintage and '83, the KL barrels were 100% Reynard. I had both at a dinner at Acquerello many years ago (10? 12?) and they were stunning. Each one was brought by a different person, a total coincidence as it wasn’t prearranged in advance.

That’s a good point. Back in the early 90s I attended a blind tasting with pairs of Chave Hermitage – one each of the Kermit Lynch import and the East Coast importers. The wines were all good, but the Kermit bottles were more concentrated and profound. I’d be pretty sure that Clape bottled barrel by barrel in those days, with no attempt at blending for uniformity.

I remember the Clapes telling us they had bottled some pure Reynard for KL one year, might have been 1990.

That info came from Claude Kolm. He never mentioned '90.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@J. Galang

Anyone here knows why Juge only has one more vintage to go?

Because he is as old as Methuselah

[P_ONeill]

Charlie, I had the 14 Juge last night and completely agree with you. Spectacular young wine and as you said, no hard edges.

[patrick_c_albright]

At a tasting earlier this year, Jean Gonon stressed how Kermit had a knack for consistently selecting the best barrels in his producer’s cellars. Jean said that they were pretty much the outlier in that they did not allow Kermit to cherry pick specific barrels.

[Blake_Brown]

Charlie, Im with you on the ageing issues with Clapes Cornas. It seems that your 96` CdG was showing that state of being corked where the power and fruit is compromised, but has not yet reached the stage of wet cardboard notes.

[Charles_Zedlewski]

I’ve had similarly mixed experiences with back vintages of Clape. But don’t you figure the more recent vintages will be better? The 2009, 2010 and 2012s I’ve had seem a lot more polished & higher quality.

[CFu]

@Charles Zedlewski

I’ve had similarly mixed experiences with back vintages of Clape. But don’t you figure the more recent vintages will be better? The 2009, 2010 and 2012s I’ve had seem a lot more polished & higher quality.

agreed. As I mentioned to Alan above, the 95 I had recently was of much higher quality it not as great of a year as 90. I think that’ll age well and won’t be fading in 5 years

[jbray23]

@J. Galang

Anyone here knows why Juge only has one more vintage to go?

Have it on good authority (texier) that he is in failing health and he didn’t think that he would even be able to bottle another vintage, looks like he will go out swinging with the 15’…

[J_Galang]

@jbray23

@J. Galang

Anyone here knows why Juge only has one more vintage to go?

Have it on good authority (texier) that he is in failing health and he didn’t think that he would even be able to bottle another vintage, looks like he will go out swinging with the 15’…

Thanks.

[Michae1_P0wers]

Points for “youthful outrage,” a descriptor I can get behind.

[CFu]

@Michae1 P0wers

Points for “youthful outrage,” a descriptor I can get behind.

Thanks first time using.