The dense purple-colored 2005 Cornas Renaissance reveals dry, hard tannins, some meatiness, red and black fruits, a touch of violets, and a broodingly backward personality. Give it 2-4 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 15. Given the world-wide reputation of Clape, it is sometimes hard to realize that father Auguste and son Pierre-Marie only farm about 11 acres of Cornas. However, their biggest holding is in ancient vines from one of the appellation’s tenderloin parcels, the lieu-dit called Reynards. A traditionally made wine, Clape’s Cornas is harvested when very ripe, sees no destemming, and spends 18-24 months in old wood casks. The Renaissance is fashioned from the younger vines.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524