Domaine Auguste Clape

Domaine Auguste Clape is a wine estate in the Cornas appellation of the northern Rhône. The domaine is named for its eponymous owner, who is considered among the world's most highly regarded producers, particularly for his wines made from Syrah.

The estate comprises only 8 hectares (20 acres) of old vines on prime parcels of sunny, steeply terraced vineyards on the western banks of the Rhône. The grapes are picked as late as possible for optimum ripeness, which often involves risky gambles with the weather. Individual parcels are fermented in old oval foudres.

The Auguste Clape Cornas is one of the most popular wines from the appellation, and serves as the flagship wine. Alongside this, the Cornas Cornas Cuvée Renaissance provides a slightly more approachable expression, and is made from younger vines. Auguste Clape also makes a Côtes du Rhône and the Vin des Amis Vin de France from 100 percent Syrah, as well as tiny amounts of Saint Péray Blanc, from just 0.2ha (0.5 acres) of Marsanne.

The estate was founded by Clape's grandfather, a grower who moved from Languedoc after the grower strikes of 1906-07 and set up in Cornas.