The inky/blue/purple-tinged 2003 Cornas has shut down since bottling, revealing tightly wound blueberry, blackberry, scorched earth, and smoky notes, stunning density, atypically crisp acidity, and a huge, full-bodied, powerful finish. This should be a fabulous Cornas, but it is not as showy and flamboyant in its youth as I expected. Give it 3-5 years of bottle age; it should keep for 15 years. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524

Rich, creamy and lush, this is like no other Clape Cornas before or since. Jammy raspberry fruit coats the palate, yet without seeming simple or heavy because there’s also a remarkable sense of minerality and balance. Long on the finish, buffered by soft tannins. As this ages, expect to see some of the jamminess recede and more of the minerality emerge. Drink 2010–2025, possibly longer.——J.C.(9/1/2007)—— 94