Why it matters
The producer
Domaine Clape works across the Cornas and Saint-Péray appellations. Its central wines are a flagship Cornas and Saint-Péray Blanc, a white made from Marsanne and Roussanne. Olivier Clape, Auguste's grandson, now leads the domaine after winemaking experience in Napa Valley, Australia and New Zealand.
The red wines come from steep granite vineyards, while the white wine adds a second appellation and a separate grape composition to the range. The domaine keeps individual parcels distinct in the cellar before combining them where the wine requires it.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Two appellation names divide the range. Cornas is the village and appellation named on the red flagship, while Saint-Péray names the white wine's appellation. An appellation is a regulated geographic designation, so each name places the bottle within a defined growing area and separates the two wine styles on the label.
Saint-Péray Blanc brings Marsanne and Roussanne into the domaine's range. Cornas supplies the principal red wine, linking the producer's Cornas wine to the village that carries its name.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Individual parcels are vinified separately in concrete tanks, with whole clusters used during fermentation. Whole cluster fermentation leaves the stems with the grapes, a technique that can bring perfume, spice and tannin to the wine. Separate lots remain distinct before the flagship Cornas is assembled.
Ageing takes place in old, oval foudres with no new oak. Neutral wood adds little oak flavour, allowing the cellar to soften the wine over time without giving it the flavour of new barrels.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range divides into Cornas red wines and Saint-Péray Blanc. Cornas is the flagship red, with young wines marked by deep colour and powerful tannins. Saint-Péray Blanc is the white wine, made from 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne.
The two bottles therefore differ in both appellation and grape varieties. Cornas is built around the estate's oldest vineyard material, while Saint-Péray Blanc presents the white side of the domaine through a defined Marsanne and Roussanne composition.