Domaine Auguste Clape - Cornas 2021
James Suckling: 98 Points
A chiseled, textured, ample and very precise Cornas red. The nose reveals notes of dark cherries, plums, currants, wild herbs, crushed stones, undergrowth and baking spices. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is such impressive concentration and intensity. Bright and succulent at the core, with purple fruit, white pepper and even violets. It has drive and verve, with bright acidity cutting through the solid and harmonious frame of tannins. Layered and succulent, with a long, peppery finish and hints of violets. Try after 2026.
Decanter Magazine: 96 Points
A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits indicates that this will be a fresh, well-balanced style of Cornas. The acidity is high this year, and the tannins are classically Cornas in their granitic grain and intensity. A highly structured year, this will always be a vintage for dedicated Cornas-lovers, there's no great wealth of rich fruit behind like in some recent vintages, but nonetheless this should age well. Very much a classic year, rather than the powerfully ripe and rich vintages we've seen since 2017. Whole-bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres.
Jeb Dunnuck: 92 Points
The 2021 Cornas is a small step up over the Renaissance, with a touch more density and depth, although both play in the more medium-bodied, moderately concentrated style of the vintage. Classy blue fruits, plums, violets, and sappy, peppery notes all define the aromatics, and it's nicely balanced, with fine tannins, and outstanding length. It too will benefit from a few years and drink nicely over the following decade. I was thrilled to be able to retaste the 2020s during my visit with Pierre-Marie Clape, and it’s safe to say I underrated these last year. They’ve have morphed into heavenly wines that are unquestionably in the same league as the estate 2010s, 2018s, and 2019s. The 2021s here have pure, classic, old school-like profiles with more moderate concentration and depth, but good balance as well as length. Harkening back to wines from the 1980s, they’re already approachable yet should have 10-15 years of interesting drinking.
Vinous: 95-97 Points
The 2021 Cornas is a solid red that’s concentrated and elegant, offering crushed violet, red plum, red cherry and iodine layers paired with stemmy gradations. The medium-bodied 2021 concludes with wonderful freshness on the savory finish. It shouldn’t take long to come around, something that cannot be said for the surrounding vintages.
