Recommendation: VERY DELICIOUS, smooth and chewy Syrah.
Winery/Producer: Auguste Clape; Cornas, France
Grape Variety: 100% Syrah
Geographic Region, Appellation: Rhone Valley; Cornas, France.
Vintage: 2014
Price: $37.95
Purchased From: Woodland Hills Wine Company, Woodland Hills, California.
Paired With: Beef stroganoff, egg noodles and roasted asparagus.
Tasting:
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He said: Opened one-hour before drinking. Very dark, purple color with a light reddish garnet rim. VERY funky aromas that included strong blue cheese, dark fruit and more than a hint of very damp basement. Intense layers of dark fruit and smoky flavors in the taste and all this continues through a long slightly bitter finish. This was VERY DELICIOUS, smooth and chewy Syrah, but the powerful and unusual bouquet might not be all positive with some wine drinkers. I thought it was one of the best pairings we have had in a long time. The beef in the Stroganoff had been smoked the day before and then sautéed…the flavors of the rich Syrah and beef were simply “PERFECT” together!!!
As an “Old World” – “New World” tasting we drank this Clape Cotes du Rhone and the similar priced Turtle Rock Vineyards Willow’s Cuvee (California Rhone Blend) side-by-side and blind. They were clearly both GREAT wines and were perfect paired with the beef stroganoff. At the end of the meal we had two tasters that chose the Turtle Rock as their favorite and two that chose the Clape Cotes du Rhome, but we all said it was a fantastic pairing of two EXCELLENT wines.
She said:
Alcohol: 12%
UPC Code: 7 61503 63841 0
Imported by: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant; Berkeley, California.
Photo from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant.