One of the more backwards, tannic and austere vintages from this estate, Clape’s 2005 Cornas sports a still youthful ruby color to go with lots of crushed rock-like minerality, violets, pepper and gamy, meaty nuances on the nose. These flow to a medium-bodied, firm, tight Cornas that has bright acidity, good concentration and plenty of tannin. It’s not much fun to drink today and needs another 2-3 years of bottle age to hopefully open up; the overall tannin balance will need watching here.
(WA 4th Mar 2016)
