The score for 2015 Domaine Auguste Clape Renaissance Cornas is 92 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - The 2015 Cornas Renaissance is a blend of two young-vine (under 25 years of age) parcels with a bit of Sabarotte to bind them together. It’s fruit-forward and verging on jammy in this hot vintage, but it has a base of crushed stone and iron to ground it. It should drink well young. A visit to these ancient cellars in the heart of Cornas is a trip back in time, with a ride on the tiny 1950s-era freight elevator almost the only concession to modernity. Most of the magic takes place in the cellar’s ancient foudres, which add their own sense of mystery and history to the wines. Pierre-Auguste Clape took time out from his retirement to taste me through an array of wines, as his son was at another appointment. According to Pierre-August, “It’s too soon to call 2015 the vintage of the century.” That said, the 2015 Cornas is not to be missed. The score for 2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Renaissance Cornas is 91 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - The 2014s are more elegant, silky and streamlined, yet offer classic characters and will evolve gracefully. Readers looking for a smoking good Cornas to drink over the coming 7-8 years need to latch onto bottles of the 2014 Cornas Renaissance, which is the estate’s entry-level cuvée. Classic Clape in every way, with its meaty, bloody, iron, crushed rock and violet-tinged fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and supple, with beautiful fruit. There's plenty of fine tannin here, but it also has a solid density of fruit and a beautiful texture. It's already hard to resist. Some of the most singular wines in the world emerge from the dark, barely-lit cellars of Pierre-Marie Clape and his son, Olivier. This is a bastion of traditional winemaking and these wines are not destemmed, see long fermentations, and are aged in ancient barrels and casks. As Robert Parker wrote at one time, “There is nothing wrong with a case of Clape!” I agree wholeheartedly! The score for 2016 Domaine Auguste Clape Renaissance Cornas is 92 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - A blend of young-vine fruit from Reynard and Patou with old-vine fruit from Sabarotte, the 2016 Cornas Renaissance is impressive for its outstanding texture—tender, silky and almost delicate—allied to dark, earthy notes of black olives and blackberries. It's approachable young yet should drink well for a decade. One of the great historic names in Cornas is getting a new home, with a winery under construction virtually across the street from the existing cellars. As a result, I met owner Pierre-Marie Clape for dinner up the road in Saint-Péray instead of visiting the domaine. While this limited the number of wines we could taste, the restaurant (La Ruche—small but recommended) is a strong supporter of the estate, so we were able to enjoy a bottle of the 2006 off the wine list in addition to the 2016s Pierre-Marie brought from home. We did at least talk about the 2017 and 2018 vintages. In 2017, Clape said the harvest started on September 3, with average sugar levels equivalent to 14.2% or 14.3% alcohol. "The grapes ripened really quickly, because there were so few of them," he said. Harvest in 2018 started on September 5, but sugar levels were approximately a degree lower. As Clape summed up, "The best terroirs can handle anything." The score for 2013 Domaine Auguste Clape Renaissance Cornas is 93 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - As normal, the 2013 Cornas Renaissance is much more open and sexy than the straight Cornas. Its inky color is followed by similar gamey notes of beef blood, pepper herbs, olive tapenade and assorted dark fruits. This gives way to a medium to full-bodied, ripe, layered, and forward Cornas that has more depth of fruit and texture than most in the vintage. I’d drink bottles anytime over the coming decade, but it will for longer if you’re so inclined.