The soft, easygoing, dense saturated ruby/purple-colored 2000 Cornas Renaissance (produced from younger vines) offers attractive licorice-infused black currant fruit, medium body, and a sexy, forward personality. Enjoy it during its first 8-9 years of life. It does not possess the painful astringency often found in highly-extracted, monster examples of Cornas. There is nothing wrong with a case of Clape! As I have been writing for several decades, Auguste Clape and his son, Pierre-Marie, represent the gold standard for classic Cornas. Readers lucky enough to have access to his importer’s portfolio (Kermit Lynch) should always check out his inexpensive Cotes du Rhone as well as his vin de pays called Le Vin des Amis. Both are noteworthy introductions to what can be found in his Cornas cuvees. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524