California palate meets

[Rebel Rose]

Oh, dear. A friend brought this wine to a restaurant the other night to share, and I must admit I was less than impressed. It's the first time I've had a Clape, and the first time in a long time that I've tasted a Cornas.

Is it just me? I thought the wine had decent acidity, but it was thin, practically watery, and the fruit was lackluster. Of course, said friend is known to store his fabulous wines in his garage in the summer. And when he arrived we were already well into a 2002 zin/cab/sangio blend called Italian Stallion (Eberle). The Cornas went well with the duck confit enchilada and the serrano ham hand roll appetizers ::shrug::

I ordered gruner veltliner with dinner, and the entire table followed suit, so I don't think it was so much that we were just into hearty reds . . .

When is a Cornas at its peak?

[T.Thomas]

Rose,

I would expect a well stored 86 Clape Cornas to be past its prime, but not dead. In my experience, Cornas from the better producers in better vintages are very enjoyable at 15+ yrs, while Cornas from lesser vintages/producers seem to peak at 8-12 yrs. People who prefer younger flavor profiles, or more fruit driven flavor profiles, tend to have a different view of course.

I'm guessing that the bottle you had was not the best bottle Clape has ever produced, and that the storage conditions were less than optimal. Plus, 18-yr old Cornas older Cornas may just not be your thing.

Tim

[britcook]

When is a Cornas at its peak?

←

A year or two before you decide to drink it.

I had a bottle of the 86 Clape about 5 or 6 years ago and it was disappointing then, in spite of being stored under ideal conditions.

[geo t.]

I'd agree with T. Thomas on all accounts. Personally, I've never had a Clape Cornas I didn't like, but I haven't had the '86, which was not a particularly good vintage in the northern Rhone.