Granite! It is a soil rarely found in viticulture. Here on the right bank of the Rhône, north of Valence, it lets the often bush-trained Syrahs grow into long-lived, dense and serious wines, some of which require very long bottle ageing. The wild, headstrong Cornas wines often offer serious competition to the noble Hermitage growing on the opposite bank of the Rhône. On the northern Rhône the question often arises: traditionalist or modernist? It can be asked here as well: Jean-Luc Colombo is regarded as a pioneer of the 1990s, introducing more modern winemaking techniques. Anyone who prefers it classic and earthy will love the wines of Auguste Clape. They are made in a thoroughly traditional way and need a very long bottle age before they truly drink. Since 1938, 125 hectares of vines on the steep, terraced vineyards around the town of 2,100 inhabitants have enjoyed AOC status.