Final of 6 bottles, last tasted 10 months ago. This was showing fantastically tonite...dark fruits, perfectly ripened, perhaps slowly baked into a savory pie, with some cooking spice, moist soil, a hint of anise, alongside perfectly moderated acidity and finely grained tannins. This is not your typical CdR, nor would you expect Clape to bottle a pedestrian wine. I think it is drinking at or near it's apogee now, enjoy.
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This is drinking very well right now; the fruit is less primary than it was several years ago on my first bottle with more savory and mineral notes coming to the fore now, but there are still lovely dark brambly fruits alongside those notes. The palate is still packed with energy and power and definitely needs food. Still has several years of good drinking ahead.
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In a very good spot and still have more years to go. Dark fruits, mineral. Classic syrah but without any smokiness. It is powerful but very balanced. A real pleasure to drink.
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5th of 6 bottles. Black fruited on the nose, with tar and some faint prune juice. A bit rustic on the palate, showing almost-ripened black cherry, anise, plum, and wet soil. Tannins are slightly gritty, acidity is pretty fresh, and the finish is snappy and satisfyingly delicious. Drink now through 2021...at peak, so now is better.
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PnP in BDX glasses. After quick taste & sniff and finding this open and enjoyable, decided to further slow ox for an hour prior to dinner. I bought 2 of these locally in May of 2012 and drank one then. Still surprisingly, semi opaque & youthfully purple with no bricking. In spite of its youthful color marker this is drinking very nicely with mature aromas of smoky spice, berries and light funk. The palate is weightlessly fresh & elegantly resolved with spicy red fruit, mineral, dark chocolate, olive tapenade and cedar. Fair amount of sediment in the bottom of my last glass. While this is drinking great now, I bet it could easily age another 5-10 years. Terrific balance and purity likely a tribute to the vintage and vineyard sourcing. The NR is syrah nirvana. 13.5% Paid $35. Looks like newer vintages can still be had for $50 -$60. Paired perfectly with sort of a Rhone like stew Nita dreamed up. Its getting dark and chilly in MN and this is an appealing fit for the season.
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Consumed this 4th of 6 bottles with grilled gourmet burgers and sides. This is the best "basic CdR" wine I have ever consumed! So soil driven, with primary black fruit, wet rocks, espresso grounds, with a meaty and refreshing finish. Delicious, will drink my remaining bottles now through 2022+.
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Friday Tasting Group; Unthemed (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Syrah from 30-50 yr old vines planted in granite soils. "Grapes are sourced from a small parcel of Syrah from Saint Péray & a parcel of Côtes du Rhône near the village of Cornas. ~2% of the blend is free run juice from young vine Cornas. Whole grape clusters are fermented with natural yeasts in open air cement cuves with punch-downs or pump-overs 2x/day over 12 days. Aged for 6 mos in cement cuves & 6 mos in foudres;"
N: CLOSED, but SEEMS ripe; Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which pretty much resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. Might still improve for several yrs, then easily making its 15th? Impressive! 13.5% ABV; My EXC. 89 pts RJonWine & 4/5* drinkrhone.com
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So these 2010's do hold up then. There was some mold on the top of the cork and it did give it a musky smell. In a great drinking window though, smooth, balanced and well integrated. Some fruit still there with medium tannins. Day 2, raisins dominate. Good but not great. somewhat one dimensional.
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This is a deep and rustic CdR wine, from a classic/traditional producer. The wine shows full body, 13.5% abv, but the structure was supported by ample acidity and leathery tannins. The wine has black cherry fruit, burnt embers, pepper and spice, leather, an earthy soil signature, and was slightly musky. There is a long finish which repeats the flavors from the palate. This wine is nearing maturity, and should continue to drink well through 2020+. Very nice food wine.
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This is an absolutely stellar wine. A steal for the price. The nose is classic Clape with dark, brambly fruit, pen ink, mineral and crushed stone, and just a hint of some ferric and savory notes. The palate is dense, rich, and just filled with power, yet somehow feels perfectly balanced with juicy acidity, the tannins are present, but are fully ripe and well integrated. This is as good or maybe better than some of the Clape Renaissance I've had from lesser years. At the price I wish I had bought 2 cases.... Great wine
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A tad leaner (but great) next to an '09 of the same. More menthol/lavender/cassis notes vs the more unctuous purely chocolate cherry '09. Great balance and great food wine.
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PnP out of the cellar. Clear, with a deep purple core, fading to an med iridescent purple rim. Tears stain the sides of the glass purple. Nose is in good condition, showing developing notes of med intensity charcoal, black cherry and blackberry fruit, a nice mineral edge, and a hint of greenness in the upper register. The palate shows off a dry, med+ bodied wine with med alcohol (13.5% abv listed). The black and blue fruits come through initially, with med+ intensity black cherry and plum, maybe blueberries, then some vanilla and licorice notes pave the way to the med length finish with notes of blueberry syrup, rocks, and mild peppery spice. The tannins are med intensity and still quite firm and persistent, with ample med acidity to support further development. This is a very good quality wine, just now entering into its drinking window, but will further improve with another 3 years of bottle age, and drink beautifully through 2022 IMHO. A nice, quintessential CdR, although pricey, but worth it.
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Definitely not a typical jammy, cloying Cdr. Nose offers up intense raspberry, graphite and tar notes, but the palate is surprisingly (in a great way), acidic and precise. Great with pizza, I think the best match would be roast chicken. Delicious and refined.
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PnP this wine yesterday, only had a glass or two, recorked and stored in cellar, TN is from today. This wine is clear, and deep purple in color, with med-slow dropping legs. The nose is in good condition, showing off developing notes of med intensity tar, black pepper, black cherry, and espresso. The palate reveals a dry wine that has med body and med(+) alcohol (shows a bit of heat today), with med(+) intensity flavors of black cherry, blueberry compote, a firm black peppery spice, and olives. The flavors are supported by med(+) firm and persistent tannins, with crisp med(+) acidity, leading into a med/med(+) length finish that includes olives and minerals and spiciness. This wine is of very good quality for a CdR, very well balanced, coming off a bit rustic. It comes with a $30 pricetag, so it needs to outperform others in this class. It does. This wine really could use another year before opening, and will improve over the next 7 or so years. Very nice food wine.
As a side note, got busy and left this wine recorked at cellar temperature for several days. After 5 days open, had the last glass. This wine was still in great shape, any heat on the palate had blown off, olives and espresso really coming out on the palate, along with black fruits, and the really nice acidity persisted. This seems like a CdR built for the long haul. Impressive.
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Inky, big fruity wine. Straight forward and fine for what it is - an easy drinking wine. We opened this at the end of a meal after drinking a fine old Chateauneuf de Pape (1990 Janasse - a hard act to follow) and it suffered in that context, coming off as a bit hot and uni-dimensional. I might have liked it more but for the comparison.
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5/5/2012 rated 92 points: Classic NR! Thought about a decant but popped and poured as the nose was very open. Peppery nose for ther first 1/2 hour evoled into aromas of fresh berries & minerally mix. Palate is spicy,meaty and red fruited. Focused, pure with a silky mouthfeel. Some tanin on the finish. Great stuff. Might grab another btl or 2 to age. (55 views)
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Deep, dark purple in color. The nose is mainly sour cherries. On the palate, more sour cherries, plenty of tannins. This is so primary and closed right now I'm not even going to give it a rating. Don't even think about touching this wine for 5 years.
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Dark and brooding, reserved black/boysenberry fruit, with hints of lavendar, iodine, olive tapenade, fine chalky tannins. If the 09 was rich and flamboyant, 08 lean and painful, this 10 is just right. Needs some time, and could be an indicator of a great 2010 Cornas on the way.
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Gorgeous brilliant inky dark, huge nose of exotic spices, wild campfire-ish syrah, and dark fruit. A tad leaner on the palate than the '09, esp considering the exotic nose, but a great food wine and will give it some time to develop.
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Zach's note is right on the mark. This is a superb value, offering bright, pure Syrah fruit, savoury earth and anise notes and a faint leatheriness that emerges with air, all on a very elegant, medium weight frame. It doesn't have the rusticity or power of a Cornas, but at this price point it's a hell of a buy that - as pointed out - is on par with a lot of really good St. Joseph.
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Clape's 100% Syrah Côtes du Rhône is one of the best-kept secrets in wine, and this vintage is simply aces. Some of the vines that produce the grapes for this economical wonder date from the 1890s. Dark, damson/blackberry nose with a vivid fennel streak, new leather, sous bois notes, a huge graphite and granite minerality and an almost barrel-sample like youth and freshness, while on the palate it's all that and more, with tremendous depth and ample but feathery tannins that turn grainy on the finish. Comparisons to a top Saint-Joseph pretty well hit the mark, and the pricing is justly comparable. I bet this hits its stride in 5-7 years.
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1/4/2021 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
Final of 6 bottles, last tasted 10 months ago.
This was showing fantastically tonite...dark fruits, perfectly ripened, perhaps slowly baked into a savory pie, with some cooking spice, moist soil, a hint of anise, alongside perfectly moderated acidity and finely grained tannins. This is not your typical CdR, nor would you expect Clape to bottle a pedestrian wine. I think it is drinking at or near it's apogee now, enjoy.
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10/20/2020 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is drinking very well right now; the fruit is less primary than it was several years ago on my first bottle with more savory and mineral notes coming to the fore now, but there are still lovely dark brambly fruits alongside those notes. The palate is still packed with energy and power and definitely needs food. Still has several years of good drinking ahead.
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8/30/2020 - french16 wrote:
In a very good spot and still have more years to go.
Dark fruits, mineral. Classic syrah but without any smokiness. It is powerful but very balanced. A real pleasure to drink.
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3/1/2020 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
5th of 6 bottles.
Black fruited on the nose, with tar and some faint prune juice.
A bit rustic on the palate, showing almost-ripened black cherry, anise, plum, and wet soil.
Tannins are slightly gritty, acidity is pretty fresh, and the finish is snappy and satisfyingly delicious.
Drink now through 2021...at peak, so now is better.
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10/24/2019 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
PnP in BDX glasses. After quick taste & sniff and finding this open and enjoyable, decided to further slow ox for an hour prior to dinner. I bought 2 of these locally in May of 2012 and drank one then. Still surprisingly, semi opaque & youthfully purple with no bricking. In spite of its youthful color marker this is drinking very nicely with mature aromas of smoky spice, berries and light funk. The palate is weightlessly fresh & elegantly resolved with spicy red fruit, mineral, dark chocolate, olive tapenade and cedar. Fair amount of sediment in the bottom of my last glass. While this is drinking great now, I bet it could easily age another 5-10 years. Terrific balance and purity likely a tribute to the vintage and vineyard sourcing. The NR is syrah nirvana. 13.5% Paid $35. Looks like newer vintages can still be had for $50 -$60. Paired perfectly with sort of a Rhone like stew Nita dreamed up. Its getting dark and chilly in MN and this is an appealing fit for the season.
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7/26/2019 - Ianjaig wrote: 89 Points
Same notes as previous. In a great drinking window. Luscious and velvety.
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6/14/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
Consumed this 4th of 6 bottles with grilled gourmet burgers and sides. This is the best "basic CdR" wine I have ever consumed!
So soil driven, with primary black fruit, wet rocks, espresso grounds, with a meaty and refreshing finish.
Delicious, will drink my remaining bottles now through 2022+.
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3/8/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group; Unthemed (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Syrah from 30-50 yr old vines planted in granite soils. "Grapes are sourced from a small parcel of Syrah from Saint Péray & a parcel of Côtes du Rhône near the village of Cornas. ~2% of the blend is free run juice from young vine Cornas. Whole grape clusters are fermented with natural yeasts in open air cement cuves with punch-downs or pump-overs 2x/day over 12 days. Aged for 6 mos in cement cuves & 6 mos in foudres;"
N: CLOSED, but SEEMS ripe; Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which pretty much resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. Might still improve for several yrs, then easily making its 15th? Impressive! 13.5% ABV; My EXC. 89 pts RJonWine & 4/5* drinkrhone.com
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3/1/2019 - Ianjaig wrote: 88 Points
So these 2010's do hold up then. There was some mold on the top of the cork and it did give it a musky smell. In a great drinking window though, smooth, balanced and well integrated. Some fruit still there with medium tannins. Day 2, raisins dominate. Good but not great. somewhat one dimensional.
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1/4/2019 - danstrings Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really showing great, wish I had more... Wonderful dark fruit meets rustic Rhone earth and herbs. Silky and balanced. Nice.
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9/5/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
This is a deep and rustic CdR wine, from a classic/traditional producer. The wine shows full body, 13.5% abv, but the structure was supported by ample acidity and leathery tannins. The wine has black cherry fruit, burnt embers, pepper and spice, leather, an earthy soil signature, and was slightly musky. There is a long finish which repeats the flavors from the palate. This wine is nearing maturity, and should continue to drink well through 2020+. Very nice food wine.
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4/18/2016 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is an absolutely stellar wine. A steal for the price. The nose is classic Clape with dark, brambly fruit, pen ink, mineral and crushed stone, and just a hint of some ferric and savory notes. The palate is dense, rich, and just filled with power, yet somehow feels perfectly balanced with juicy acidity, the tannins are present, but are fully ripe and well integrated. This is as good or maybe better than some of the Clape Renaissance I've had from lesser years. At the price I wish I had bought 2 cases.... Great wine
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7/20/2014 - danstrings Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing more balanced and harmonious with loads of nice inmy brambly fruit. Yum!
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6/22/2013 - danstrings Likes this wine: 91 Points
A tad leaner (but great) next to an '09 of the same. More menthol/lavender/cassis notes vs the more unctuous purely chocolate cherry '09. Great balance and great food wine.
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5/24/2013 - drrobvino Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP out of the cellar.
Clear, with a deep purple core, fading to an med iridescent purple rim. Tears stain the sides of the glass purple.
Nose is in good condition, showing developing notes of med intensity charcoal, black cherry and blackberry fruit, a nice mineral edge, and a hint of greenness in the upper register.
The palate shows off a dry, med+ bodied wine with med alcohol (13.5% abv listed). The black and blue fruits come through initially, with med+ intensity black cherry and plum, maybe blueberries, then some vanilla and licorice notes pave the way to the med length finish with notes of blueberry syrup, rocks, and mild peppery spice. The tannins are med intensity and still quite firm and persistent, with ample med acidity to support further development.
This is a very good quality wine, just now entering into its drinking window, but will further improve with another 3 years of bottle age, and drink beautifully through 2022 IMHO. A nice, quintessential CdR, although pricey, but worth it.
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4/17/2013 - danstrings Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing great, juicy inky dark beauty, great balance, great with food.
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4/15/2013 - danstrings wrote: 87 Points
Hmmm, some corkiness, just a tad, but subdued the lovely tarry cherry fruit just enough fro me to be neutral on it.
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12/14/2012 - spacewrangler wrote:
Definitely not a typical jammy, cloying Cdr. Nose offers up intense raspberry, graphite and tar notes, but the palate is surprisingly (in a great way), acidic and precise. Great with pizza, I think the best match would be roast chicken. Delicious and refined.
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12/5/2012 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
PnP this wine yesterday, only had a glass or two, recorked and stored in cellar, TN is from today.
This wine is clear, and deep purple in color, with med-slow dropping legs.
The nose is in good condition, showing off developing notes of med intensity tar, black pepper, black cherry, and espresso.
The palate reveals a dry wine that has med body and med(+) alcohol (shows a bit of heat today), with med(+) intensity flavors of black cherry, blueberry compote, a firm black peppery spice, and olives. The flavors are supported by med(+) firm and persistent tannins, with crisp med(+) acidity, leading into a med/med(+) length finish that includes olives and minerals and spiciness. This wine is of very good quality for a CdR, very well balanced, coming off a bit rustic. It comes with a $30 pricetag, so it needs to outperform others in this class. It does. This wine really could use another year before opening, and will improve over the next 7 or so years. Very nice food wine.
As a side note, got busy and left this wine recorked at cellar temperature for several days. After 5 days open, had the last glass. This wine was still in great shape, any heat on the palate had blown off, olives and espresso really coming out on the palate, along with black fruits, and the really nice acidity persisted. This seems like a CdR built for the long haul. Impressive.
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8/24/2012 - vindictive wrote:
Inky, big fruity wine. Straight forward and fine for what it is - an easy drinking wine. We opened this at the end of a meal after drinking a fine old Chateauneuf de Pape (1990 Janasse - a hard act to follow) and it suffered in that context, coming off as a bit hot and uni-dimensional. I might have liked it more but for the comparison.
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5/5/2012 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
5/5/2012 rated 92 points: Classic NR! Thought about a decant but popped and poured as the nose was very open. Peppery nose for ther first 1/2 hour evoled into aromas of fresh berries & minerally mix. Palate is spicy,meaty and red fruited. Focused, pure with a silky mouthfeel. Some tanin on the finish. Great stuff. Might grab another btl or 2 to age. (55 views)
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4/24/2012 - DStyner wrote:
Deep, dark purple in color. The nose is mainly sour cherries. On the palate, more sour cherries, plenty of tannins. This is so primary and closed right now I'm not even going to give it a rating. Don't even think about touching this wine for 5 years.
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4/11/2012 - alanr wrote: 88 Points
Dark and brooding, reserved black/boysenberry fruit, with hints of lavendar, iodine, olive tapenade, fine chalky tannins. If the 09 was rich and flamboyant, 08 lean and painful, this 10 is just right. Needs some time, and could be an indicator of a great 2010 Cornas on the way.
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4/6/2012 - danstrings wrote: 89 Points
Gorgeous brilliant inky dark, huge nose of exotic spices, wild campfire-ish syrah, and dark fruit. A tad leaner on the palate than the '09, esp considering the exotic nose, but a great food wine and will give it some time to develop.
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3/22/2012 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Zach's note is right on the mark. This is a superb value, offering bright, pure Syrah fruit, savoury earth and anise notes and a faint leatheriness that emerges with air, all on a very elegant, medium weight frame. It doesn't have the rusticity or power of a Cornas, but at this price point it's a hell of a buy that - as pointed out - is on par with a lot of really good St. Joseph.
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12/18/2011 - Chomsky wrote:
Clape's 100% Syrah Côtes du Rhône is one of the best-kept secrets in wine, and this vintage is simply aces. Some of the vines that produce the grapes for this economical wonder date from the 1890s. Dark, damson/blackberry nose with a vivid fennel streak, new leather, sous bois notes, a huge graphite and granite minerality and an almost barrel-sample like youth and freshness, while on the palate it's all that and more, with tremendous depth and ample but feathery tannins that turn grainy on the finish. Comparisons to a top Saint-Joseph pretty well hit the mark, and the pricing is justly comparable. I bet this hits its stride in 5-7 years.
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