It would be hard to overstate the importance of Auguste Clape within the appellation of Cornas. He will be eighty two this year but throughout his life he has maintained an openness and willingness to learn, illustrated by his enrolment at the Beaune Wine School in his 50s. Robert Parker says of the domaine, "Auguste Clape and his son, Pierre-Marie, represent the gold standard for classic Cornas."
Auguste has always remained constant in his desire to ensure that his wines represent both the land and the vintage. He has always followed his convictions and didn't jump on the bandwagon when the trend was towards the increased use of new oak, arguing that "the oak cask is a container, not a medicine". As with all great winemakers he has been able to fashion some terrific wines from so called lesser vintages and this is a domaine that one can virtually follow blind year in year out. Jancis Robinson has always maintained that Cornas can only ever reach limited heights in comparison to the likes of Hermitage, but if there is one grower to convince her otherwise then it is Clape.