Domaine Auguste Clape Saint-Péray Blanc 2021

In the world of wine, there are many good winegrowers. However, there are only a very select few who are truly great, and Auguste Clape will go down in history as one of the greats. A proud and uncompromising pioneer of fine winemaking in the Northern Rhone, his Syrahs from the cru of Cornas have earned their place among the most celebrated wines of France. The Clapes have been vignerons for many generations, but the infamous grower strikes of 1906 and 1907 forced Auguste's grandfather out of the Languedoc and into the Northern Rhone to start anew from practically nothing. The Clapes rebuilt their fortunes, terrace by terrace, along the steep, western slopes of the Rhone River. Without pretense or fanfare, Auguste, the former mayor of Cornas, was a stately picture of grace and magnanimitya no-nonsense wise man who never rested on his laurels and sought to better himself and his wines each year until his passing in 2018 at the age of 93. Today, his son, Pierre-Marie, and grandson, Olivier, carry on his legacy with honor and integrity. Saint-Peray is an appellation just south of Cornas known for its steep granitic hillsides planted to the Marsanne grape. With a nose of gunflint and suave Marsanne fruit (honeycomb?), it has length and finesse.