2002 Cornas
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Tasting notes
Although past its prime, the 2002 Cornas still holds together well. Coming from the most challenging Rhône vintage of the current millennium, the 2002 wafts from the glass with dried fruits and menthol. Leather, forest floor and shiitake mushroom complement the aromatic profile. Even some dried flowers appear. Lean and refreshing, the 2002 ends with a remarkably elegant finale and calls for a refill.
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Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
While the 2002 vintage was an unmitigated disaster in the southern Rhône, growers in the north fared far better as they avoided most of the torrential rainfall and all of the floods that plagued their Provençal colleagues. The 2002 Clape Cornas is an elegant, seamless, red-fruit- and spice-dominated wine that has fully absorbed its tannins and is ready to drink. An appealing floral note appears on the finish, which shows surprising length and spicy thrust. This is quite a success for a now forgotten year.
Good deep red. Riper aromas of black cherry, minerals, fresh herbs, licorice and pepper. Fuller in the mouth but still on the dry side, with mouthcoating peppery flavor and good body for the year. Considerably more backward than the Renaissance bottling. Finishes with dusty, slightly rustic tannins that call for three or four years of patience. Pierre-Marie says this was 12% potential alcohol, chaptalized to 12. 7%.