2000 Domaine Auguste & Pierre-Marie Clape Cornas

Bright ruby-red. Subdued but complex nose combines blueberry, raspberry, cassis, pepper, licorice, minerals, clove and espresso, along with a slightly rustic resiny note. Supple on entry, then less expressive in the middle despite displaying good breadth and palate presence. Flavors of dark fruits and pepper. Finishes with noble, late-arriving tannins that reach the front teeth. Pierre-Marie says this wine is currently showing a bit of a dip in the middle as a result of the recent bottling, but he feels that the 2001 will ultimately prove to be a fuller Cornas. I would not be surprised if this eventually merited a 90-point rating.