2008 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas, Rhone, France

Domaine Auguste Clape is one of the reference-point producers of Cornas, crafting its flagship wine from old-vine Syrah grown across several of the appellation’s greatest granite slopes, including Reynards, La Côte, and Sabarotte. The Clapes harvest entirely by hand, ferment each parcel separately with whole clusters and native yeasts, then blend and age the wine for an extended period in old foudres without new oak. The cooler 2008 vintage produced a particularly classic, restrained expression, with red and black currant, green olive, cracked pepper, tobacco, spice, and smoky charcoal carried by lively acidity, fine-grained tannins, and a long, savory mineral finish.

93 points -Wine Spectator