2006 Auguste Clape, Cornas

Clape's 2006 Cornas continues to drink well, like so many 2006s. This bottle, ordered off the wine list at La Ruche in Saint-Péray, was a recent release from the winery. It boasts a wonderful array of roasted meat, black olive and cassis flavors. Full-bodied, with a fabulously silky and rich texture, it finishes savory and long. Just a lovely bottle of mature Cornas.

The 2006 Cornas from Clape is still youthful and lively, and shows classic notes of dark fruits (blackberries, currants), spiced meats and cedary herbs in a beautifully concentrated, medium to full-bodied, ripe and textured package that plays perfectly into the style of the vintage. You can still feel the tannin, yet they're ripe and sweet, and there's ample fruit, texture and length. This beauty is a classic Cornas that will drink well for another 10-15 years or more.

Lot #1, about 80% Sabarotte: Energetic red and dark berries on the nose and palate. Finishes with silky tannins and outstanding persistence. Lot #2, all Sabarotte: More fragrant aromas of fresh rose and violet plus ripe red berries. Deeper and sweeter than the first sample, with excellent spicy thrust. Lot #3, from La Cote: Very fruity scents of raspberry and kirsch Luscious, red berry preserve flavors show no edges or obvious tannins. All fruit today. Lot #4, all Reynard: Rich cherry and plum on the nose, with bitter cherry and dark berry flavors in the mouth. Finishes with chewy tannins and serious grip and length. The final blend should be stunning.

The full-bodied, concentrated 2006 Cornas offers up scents of hot bricks, blackberries, cherries, acacia flowers, meat, and pepper. It is a classic Cornas that appears to be more accessible and forward than the 2005. Given the world-wide reputation of Clape, it is sometimes hard to realize that father Auguste and son Pierre-Marie only farm about 11 acres of Cornas. However, their biggest holding is in ancient vines from one of the appellation’s tenderloin parcels, the lieu-dit called Reynards. A traditionally made wine, Clape’s Cornas is harvested when very ripe, sees no destemming, and spends 18-24 months in old wood casks. The Renaissance is fashioned from the younger vines. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Raspberry, spice, meat, chocolate. So much less gruff than the Cornas cliché of old. Finely trimmed, proportionate and elegant. Superbly youthful still, and long-lived in prospect – but pretty irresistible now. (RH)