The winery
Domaine Auguste Clape
Historic producer from Cornas (Northern Rhône), known for traditional Syrah wines and for deep, long-lived wines such as their Cornas and the cuvée 'Renaissance'.
- Cornas, Vallée du Rhône septentrionale (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) · France
- 1 product
Domaine Auguste Clape
Meet the producer
The story
Family-run for generations, the estate owes its reputation to Auguste Clape, who was among the first to bottle his own wine in Cornas. The family converted and replanted vineyards on the commune’s granite terraces; after Auguste’s generation, the estate was carried on by Pierre-Marie and by the next generation, Olivier.
Production philosophy
Traditional approach: hand harvesting, often whole-bunch fermentations with native yeasts, and extended aging in large, old foudres; limited cellar interventions to showcase the expression of the terroir and vineyard parcels.
Terroir and vineyards
Located in the heart of the Cornas appellation in the Ardèche department, on granitic ridges with terraced vineyards on steep slopes. The estate owns historic Cornas parcels and also holds vineyards destined for Saint-Péray.
Characteristics
- Grape varieties
- Syrah
- Marsanne
- Roussanne
What makes it distinctive
- Historic icon of the Cornas appellation
- Syrah-based wines with strong aging potential
- Traditional winemaking: whole-cluster fermentations and long ageing in foudres
- Family heritage: Auguste → Pierre-Marie → Olivier
- Vineyards on granitic, terraced soils, farmed predominantly by hand.