1998 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (4/2/2009)
Served with grilled flank steak. The clear, medium garnet color is deceiving for a Syrah based wine. Unmistakable Northern Rhone aromas of sauvage, animal and grilled meats. Sharply tannic at first, no doubt this needs air. About an hour later, this is starting to sing as the aromas begin to soar with wet leather and a distinct herbal note. The palate begins to flesh out though the grippy tannins continue to cling. The smooth silky texture, the refined fruit speaks to the breed of Clap’s vines. This is still a teenager but maturity is approaching. The tannins need to refine a bit. Another 3-5 yrs should do the trick.
Livin’ large, Gregg…nice wine
Nice wines. How does this compare to the '99 we had at our blind Syrah dinner?
I remember lovin’ the '99 but can’t recall if it saw a decant. In any case, I think the aromatics are similar in terms of expression and quality. The '99 palate may have been more open, surprisingly. Both vintages seem like a success for Clape.
The 1999 received about a 45 minute decant, probably two hours before it was served.
David