One of the great historic names in Cornas.
Joe Czerwinski - The Wine Advocate
2019 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape - £620 per 6 bottles in bond
2018 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape - £540 per 6 bottles in bond
2017 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape - £450 per 6 bottles in bond
2016 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape - £1,400 per 12 bottles in bond
2014 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape - £890 per 12 bottles / 6 magnums in bond
Clape and Cornas are near synonymous. Domaine A. Clape is certainly the estate that would immediately spring to mind when the northern Rhône Appellation of Cornas is mentioned. Auguste Clape was the first grower in Cornas to bottle his own wine and he quietly went about making astonishing Cornas until he passed away in 2018 at the age of 93. His son Pierre-Marie and grandson Olivier have been involved for 35 and 22 years respectively. There is no loss of sense of tradition here.
In the words of Jeb Dunnuck: Some of the most singular wines in the world emerge from the dark, barely-lit cellars of Pierre-Marie Clape and his son, Olivier. This is a bastion of traditional winemaking and these wines are not destemmed, see long fermentations, and are aged in ancient barrels and casks.
While Joe Czerwinski writes: This family estate continues to produce one of the benchmark wines of the appellation. Prices have risen, but the quality is in the bottle.
The domaine has a mere 5.38 hectares in Cornas, planted on vertiginous slopes with all vineyards worked by hand. Winemaking, as Dunnuck highlights above, is avowedly traditional.
These are exceptional wines and we can offer a near vertical of recent fine vintages, all of which are from our private client reserves, stored at LCB Eton Park since original purchase.
2019 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
£620 per 6 bottle case in bond
6 cases available
2018 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
£540 per 6 bottle case in bond
6 cases available
2017 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond
4 cases available
2016 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
£1,400 per 12 bottle case in bond
4 cases available
2014 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
£890 per 12 bottle case in bond
6 cases available
£890 per 6 magnum case in bond
2 cases available
2019 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
97 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, December 2022
Inky ruby. An expansive and highly complex bouquet evokes mineral- and spice-tinged dark berry preserve, potpourri, olive paste and smoky bacon qualities on the deeply perfumed nose. Juicy, expansive and appealingly sweet, offering densely packed blueberry, kirsch, licorice, espresso and candied violet flavors that are supported by a core of juicy acidity. Slowly building tannins add grip to an impressively long, finely detailed finish that strongly echoes the floral and mineral notes. Drink 2027-2037.
2018 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
96 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, December 2022
Saturated ruby. Ripe, spicy blackcurrant, kirsch, olive paste, candied flowers and smoked meat on the expansive nose. Offers deeply pitched black and blue fruit, exotic spice, olive and licorice flavors and a strong mineral underpinning. Steadily building tannins add shape and grip to an impressively long, smoky finish that repeats the floral and mineral notes. Drink 2026-2036.
2017 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
95 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, March 2020
Inky ruby. An expansive and highly complex bouquet evokes mineral- and spice-tinged dark berry preserve, potpourri, olive paste and smoky bacon qualities on the deeply perfumed nose. Juicy, expansive and appealingly sweet, offering densely packed blueberry, kirsch, licorice, espresso and candied violet flavors that are supported by a core of juicy acidity. Slowly building tannins add grip to an impressively long, finely detailed finish that strongly echoes the floral and mineral notes. Drink 2026-2038.
2016 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
95 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, September 2019
Deep brilliant violet. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, incense and potpourri, while olive and exotic spice nuances build in the glass. Palate-staining cassis, bitter cherry, salty olive, spicecake and violet pastille flavors show superb delineation and a bracing spine of juicy acidity. Closes extremely long and smoky, displaying repeating mineral and floral notes and fine-grained tannins that build steadily. Drink 2025-2035.
2014 Cornas, Domaine A. Clape
94 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, July 2017
Bright purple. Powerful, smoke-accented black and blue fruit, candied flowers, licorice, olive and Indian spices on the deeply perfumed nose. Sappy, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering alluringly sweet blackberry, cherry compote, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show excellent clarity and mineral lift. Expressive and surprisingly lithe given its depth, finishing with building tannins and impressive, blue-fruit-dominated persistence. Drink 2022-2030.