One of the long-standing domaines of renown for lovers of Rhone wine, August Clape was making great wine already when most of the Rhone valley was lost in a time. The domaine is very traditional, fermenting in unlined concrete and aging in smaller barrels, but the results are simply outstanding. Always blends from various plots across the appellation, these are Cornas famed for their richness and personality, and the second and third generation now in control at the estate are making no attempt to change what is a very successful model, even if single vineyard bottlings have become fashionable in the area. Since 1998, a second Cornas, the 'Renaissance', has been produced. Made from around 25-year-old vines from some of Clape's best vineyards, this is an earlier maturing wine, yet still with a likely ageing potential of at least two decades. A medium-bodied wine with silky tannins and texture, and crisp acidity, Renaissance is the more approachable of the two Cornas wines.
