Domaine Auguste Clape Côtes du Rhône Red Rhone Blend 2017

Jay Kline

Domaine Clape’s Côtes du Rhône is made from two tiny parcels totaling maybe three acres. One parcel is in Saint-Péray and the second parcel lies just outside of Cornas. Poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2017 Côtes du Rhônes pours, a deep, ruby/purple color with a magenta rim and a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with beautiful notes of ripe and tart fruit: brambles, fig, lavender, bacon fat, black pepper, dried green herbs, and some warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. There is unmissable pedigree here. Certainly not your ordinary Côtes du Rhône. This is in a very lovely spot. Drink now through 2032.

Bob McDonald

Rich Ruby in colour. Muted nose. I made the mistake of not decanting but ended up putting it through one of those funnel type aereators. With swirling this released black pepper, red and black berries with a note of cinnamon. The medium bodied palate was latent, tight and self contained finishing with fine sandy tannins. In hindsight I should have left this for a few years but was guided by JM’s drinking window from Wine Spectator of 2019 to 2021. This is a better class of CdR and priced accordingly. Vine age is 30 to 60 years with a small amount (2%) from young vine Cornas.