The 2020 Auguste Clape Cotes du Rhone is a red proprietary blend from the renowned Rhone region in France, specifically the Southern Rhone's Cotes du Rhone appellation. This wine, produced by Auguste Clape, has garnered significant praise from several professional reviewers, highlighting its robust character and potential for aging.
Decanter awarded the wine a score of 92, noting its depth and intensity. The review describes it as "deeper, more intense and herbal than its Vin des Amis, weightier and more structured, with lovely pinpoint acidity." The tannins are described as "vibrant, saline, serrated," suggesting that the wine will be "surprisingly ageworthy."
James Suckling also gave the wine a 92, mentioning its "wet-earth character and a touch of graphite on the nose (from slight reduction), but also brimming with ripe blackberry fruit." The review emphasizes the wine's healthy tannins, which provide drive and a straight finish. Suckling highlights that the Syrah vines are grown between the Cornas and St.-Peray appellations and recommends that the wine can be enjoyed now or held for further aging.
Jeb Dunnuck, another reviewer, echoed the 92 score, describing the wine as "darker and richer, with more structure as well as medium to full-bodied richness." Dunnuck notes elements of "pepper, violets, and game," along with ripe, present tannins and a great finish. He points out that it has "classic Clape character" and suggests it will keep for at least 7-8 years. However, Dunnuck also mentions that the price of this wine has increased over the past decade.
Vinous offered the highest score of 94, with a detailed tasting note by Josh Raynolds. The wine is described as having "intense dark fruit and floral scents, along with hints of olive paste, smoked meat, and exotic spices." On the palate, it presents "bitter cherry and cassis flavors underscored by a vein of juicy acidity." Raynolds highlights the wine's richness, energy, and bright clarity, noting a "lingering floral nuance on the long, youthfully tannic finish."
Overall, the 2020 Auguste Clape Cotes du Rhone is a well-regarded wine characterized by its deep, intense flavors, structured tannins, and potential for aging.