After tasting more than 1,200 Rhône 2021 en primeur samples, Matt Walls has given his full verdict on the new vintage.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the 92 northern Rhône wines that scored 93 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Colour | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Chapoutier, L'Ermite | Hermitage | White | 98 | Piercing intensity on the nose, there's mango, candied citrus peels and salt. Only medium-bodied, but it's an athletic, precise and hugely energetic Ermite, with really driving, focused acidity and immense salty minerality. Straight, long, and intense. Rather than the extract and concentration of some recent warmer vintages, this has immense drive. Drinking window: 2025 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, L'Ermite | Hermitage | Red | 98 | A fresh, piercing cassis style, that’s very fine and compact on the palate. Powerfully mineral, the wine really dives deep. The tannins are juicy but also energetic and strict. A wine with huge intensity and great driving energy. Not as much flesh as some recent vintages, but this is very classically Ermite with its immense tension and peppery, smoky freshness underneath. No lack, or excess, of ripeness. This is bracing. Vines are south-facing, just behind the Chapelle St Christophe. Drinking window: 2034 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay | Condrieu | White | 98 | It's full-bodied, rich, and opulent on the palate, teamed with great salinity and length. Serious acidity for a Condrieu, real tension and energy - this has the life force to age well and a long finish. A great Condrieu in the making. All fruit from Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf lieu-dit La Combe. Aged in demi-muids and small foudres. Drinking window: 2025 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| André Perret, Chéry | Condrieu | White | 97 | Perfumed and pure, this has the classic generosity of Condrieu fruit, but it's neat and defined. Spherical on the palate, with well-balanced acidity and no excess oak, well judged. A little peppery, spicy nip on the finish. Good sense of energy and freshness. Perfect balance. 20% new oak. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Chérytage | Condrieu | White | 97 | More nectarine than peach, this has real presence on the palate, and great freshness. Concentrated and intense, this has great salinity and impact and huge length, with a refreshing mineral edge. This is not a new cuvée, but rather an evolution of their cuvée Héritage. After a closer inspection of their plot boundaries, it transpired that their Chéry plot is actually partly in Vernon, partly in Chéry. So now they are bottling the Vernon part separately, and the remaining part of Chéry now goes into their cuvée Héritage from the 2021 vintage - hence the new name, Chérytage. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Méal | Hermitage | White | 97 | Fresh pear and a touch of honey add to what is already a full-bodied, powerful expression on the palate, really intense and driving with plenty of extract. There’s a great sense of freshness and power, but no great fatness on the palate – it’s relatively lean in fact, and should live for a long time. Pure Marsanne over 50 years old, whole-bunch pressed and half fermented in demi-muids, half in vats. The vineyards are on pebbles, clay and some loess, facing south. Drinking window: 2023 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Clape | Cornas | Red | 96 | A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits indicates that this will be a fresh, well-balanced style of Cornas. The acidity is high this year, and the tannins are classically Cornas in their granitic grain and intensity. A highly structured year, this will always be a vintage for dedicated Cornas-lovers, there's no great wealth of rich fruit behind like in some recent vintages, but nonetheless this should age well. Very much a classic year, rather than the powerfully ripe and rich vintages we've seen since 2017. Whole-bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres. Drinking window: 2032 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Introverted on the nose, then very powerful and concentrated on the palate. The muscular, rounded tannins are a Brune-side calling card, which are further buttressed by plentiful firm, dry oak tannins. It’s long and powerful but fresh, with enough piercing acidity to propel this long into the future. A mineral edge brings further freshness and texture. Grown on lieu-dit Montlys, aged for 18 months in four- to nine-year-old barriques and demi-muids. 4,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | Hermitage | White | 96 | A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending shows a white Hermitage that is about tension, freshness and minerality. It's zesty and crisp, with good acidity and will drink well from the outset. This isn't as concentrated as some recent vintages, but it's still a highly impressive wine that will age with interest. Picked on 23 August. Drinking window: 2033 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | Hermitage | Red | 96 | A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending was as instructive as ever. Péléat was smooth, silky and red-fruited with good acidity; Beaumes slightly meatier, a little less concentrated than a typical year, but with good tannic drive; L'Ermite was serious, dry and mineral; Bessards very strict, with tight, rigid tannins. The final blend is likely to produce a structural rather than generous style of Hermitage, with tannins that will need a long time in bottle to settle. This will be ascetic in youth, then complex and textural with age. Drinking window: 2023 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Johann Michel | Cornas | Red | 96 | Bright and intense both in colour and in aroma. Hyper-fresh, searching berry fruits, this is electric. Rounded, with plump berry fruits that are concentrated and fresh. The tannins are intense too, grippy and strict on the long finish. This is almost painful to taste at this stage, but should be excellent in time. Vines with an average of 35 years of age, from lieux-dits Saveaux, Patou and Les Côtes, all destemmed and then aged in two- to five-year-old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2030 - 2045 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet, Côte Brune | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | A gorgeous nose, that’s so floral, like a rose. It’s silky and approachable already. A drier impression than a typical year but it shows great freshness and energy. Well balanced acidity, no greenness here, but it's just-ripe. Not as long as some years, but it’s precise and more friendly than most 2021s. It’s very much about the florals. One of the oldest parcels, and they found no rot here, unlike most others. It’s constant in quality, impressive even in complicated years. Whole-bunch fermented, matured in old demi-muid. No La Landonne will be made in 2021. Drinking window: 2026 - 2042 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal | Hermitage | Red | 96 | A particularly fruity Gréal, much more open than usual at this stage. It has weight and presence and a seriously mineral edge. Less concentration and structure than a typical year, but it should last well thanks to its energy, tension and strict tannins, and end up very Pinotesque in style with age. It’s pure and elegant and with good ripeness of fruit and tannin. Impressive, but don't expect a huge wine. Very true to Bessards, like sucking pencil lead. Vines partly grown on Le Méal, partly on Les Greffieux, and 10% whole bunch used. Drinking window: 2029 - 2046 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel, Les Rocoules | Hermitage | White | 96 | Deep honey, mango, honeysuckle indicate great presence on the nose, if not strongly aromatic at this stage. But it’s full-bodied and rich, tempered by good acidity and a deeply mineral element. It really has great presence and it dives deep into your palate, giving a long, rich, but cleansing finish. From lieu-dit Les Rocoules, where vines are nearly 100 years old. No new oak used. Drinking window: 2025 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Coeur de Roncharde | Condrieu | White | 96 | Lovely fragrant peach aromatics, great purity, so clean, with jasmine over the top. Medium- to full-bodied, this has great focus and direction, lovely bright acidity, no excess alcohol or dominating oak, and a long finish. Beautifully balanced, this is a must-buy for Condrieu lovers. A new cuvée for Niero since the 2018 vintage, from the granitic lieu-dit Roncharde, just above the Côte Chatillon. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale | Cornas | Red | 96 | A gorgeous nose, fresh, precise and surprisingly aromatic for a Cornas. The smoky oak and peppery Syrah spice combine well. Not massive, this is actually quite lean and precise, but there’s a great sense of energy and focus. The tannins are intense, quite sharp and bony, but should round out in time. The acidity is really quite intense, this will always be a brisk, athletic Cornas, but should make some complex old bones. Fairly long finish. Whole-bunch fermented from 100-year-old vines grown in Reynard. Aged in used barrels, no new oak. 5,000 bottles made. Drinking window: 2030 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Xavier Gérard, Arbuel | Condrieu | White | 96 | A full-bodied, generous style of Condrieu, with characteristic fat and breadth on the palate. The alcohol is present but not excessive, it contributes further textural wealth and richness to the long finish. This is really excellent. Very pure, harmonious and classic. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Xavier Gérard, Côte Chatillon | Condrieu | White | 96 | Medium-bodied, not massive, with a good sense of freshness and well-balanced acidity. A creamy texture, with lovely purity of sweet apricot fruit. Balanced alcohol, with plenty of energy, and surprisingly long. Very good indeed. From the Côte Chatillon, towards the northern end of the appellation. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Lionel Faury, Le Mornieux | Condrieu | White | 96 | Intense violets on the nose, this is hypnotically aromatic. Very full-bodied and generous, with delicious peach fruit. Has a sense of sweet ripeness on the palate that's balanced by acidity and salty extract. This has real depth and will satisfy Condrieu lovers. La Berne was not bottled separately this year due to frost. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Coteau de Chéry | Condrieu | White | 96 | Intense struck-match reduction at this stage, the florals and mandarin aromas sit underneath. Full-bodied but not massive, this has great freshness, with the characteristic Condrieu generosity. You really feel the intense salty, assertive Chéry terroir underneath. Will be excellent - a very powerful style. Aged in two- and three-year-old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon | Hermitage | Red | 96 | Very classically Pavillon in its aromatic display, with hoi sin sauce and some cassis and blackberry. Very fine tannins, not a huge vintage, a more Burgundian expression of Le Pavillon. Not terribly concentrated like some recent vintages, this will drink well young. Very fresh, with strong acidity and an underlying smoky note. A lovely wine, but an atypically fine and compact Pavillon. From lieu-dit Les Bessards. Drinking window: 2025 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Neve | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Fresh, aerial style, violet scented. Introverted for now, but exceptionally fine tannins - very similar to La Viallière in style. Very well balanced, the acidity is high, the tannins are quite generous. Very mineral style. Lieu-dit Neve, south of La Viallière, rocky micaschist soils. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine A&E Verset, Signature Verset | Cornas | Red | 95 | With its clove oak characters, this is a rich and opulent wine for the vintage, ripe and full-bodied. The tannins are driving and intense, with a rapier-like acidity that cuts through the centre. Classically shaped and textured, with the fruit and generosity to last. Whole-bunch fermented, matured in barriques and demi-muids of between three and eight previous uses. This cuvée is a selection of their best barrels. Drinking window: 2027 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Geniale Patronne | Cornas | Red | 95 | Sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied with no stalkiness, very rounded and smooth. Good intensity, very mineral expression, super fresh, with the acidity of the vintage. All whole bunch, 2 years ageing in diamond-shaped cement tanks. Full grapes to begin with, then crushed. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Tunnel | Cornas | Red | 95 | Ripe blackberry and black cherry yoghurt on the nose, flowing onto a palate characterised by ripe tannins and good acidity. It's concentrated but not massive, with a good sense of impact and focus and a long finish. The acidity really drives it forward. Alcohol is well balanced, and it's not overly oaked. There are some strict, chiselled Cornas tannins. Very classic. Lieux-dits Sauman, Combes, Les Côtes, Mazards, Cayret, Patou, Les Eygats, Champelrose. Aged for 14 months in four-year-old barrels. Drinking window: 2028 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin, Jeanraude | Condrieu | White | 95 | This has some strength of aroma and power on the palate, with pêche de vigne running throughout. Very good length, the alcohol is just a touch noticeable. Full-bodied, with a gently oily texture. One of the more powerful Condrieu this year, with a saline, cleansing finish. From an east-facing vineyard that buts up against Château-Grillet. Spends a year in barriques and 500-litre demi-muids, from new to three-year-old oak. 800 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon, La Vieille Maison | Condrieu | White | 95 | Like ripe peaches poached in a spiced liquor. Very full-bodied, very powerful indeed. It has huge extract, intense salinity, driving acidity and great opulence. Very long finish. A huge Condrieu. Parcels in Chavanay, Condrieu et Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, 250m altitude on average, south and south-west facing. Fermented in stainless steel, which finishes in barrique (10% new), where it spends 12 months. No racking, very little lees stirring. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon, Le Combard | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Much more interesting than most 2021s on the nose, there's an oregano note behind the rose and tobacco scented fruits - very typically Côte Blonde. Smooth tannins, very well worked and fine. Great aromatics and textural finesse, a standout wine of the vintage. From the lieu-dit Le Combard, blonde soils, sharply sloping. Fermented in stainless steel then aged in barriques for 18 months. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | A tasting of component barrels made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid, austere tannins that are quite common in 2021. Few barrels had great concentration or generosity of fruit, this is a vintage about structure and minerality rather than concentration or fruit sweetness. I would be inclined to leave this for a substantial amount of time before broaching, around 2031, by which time is should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole bunch fermented, matured mostly in old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2031 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, Côte Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Relatively pale this year. Very floral expression - violets. Light-bodied, fresh, with good acidity. Tannins are much friendlier than La Landonne, it's quite a light and gentle Côte Blonde this year, but the balance is good even if the concentration is fairly light. Will drink well young. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, limited new oak, natural yeasts, and as many stems as possible. Only single vineyards bottlings in 2021 will be La Landonne and Côte Blonde - and that's if they are not eventually blended in to Ampodium. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Doriane | Condrieu | White | 95 | Appears remarkably balanced on the nose in terms of oak - it doesn't dominate. Full-bodied, rich, opulent, but with a good sense of aromatic freshness. Powerful on the palate, with balanced alcohol and a gentle saline hint. Long finish, not dried out from the oak, it stays succulent. Silky, juicy, mandarin finish. All parcels fermented separately in new oak, then blended. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Turque | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | This is very much on the perfumed, rose-like side of La Turque, along with characteristic star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon spice, partly from the oak. It’s relatively light in body and concentration this year, but does have a good sense of freshness. More char and spice on the finish, along with vanilla pod. This year it’s actually quite light in tannins, and they are very fine. No hints of greenness, it’s fine and neat. It will be ready relatively early, and is not a vintage for long ageing. Low alcohol. At the beginning of its long maturation in 100% new oak barriques. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, De l'Orée | Hermitage | White | 95 | Mango and rhubarb notes hint at a rich and full-bodied wine, which is quite a classic De l'Orée style, though not quite as rich and opulent as recent years. With lovely acidity, it has more freshness than the past few vintages, though not quite the same opulence. From 60-year-old vines from lieu-dit Les Murets at the top of the hill. Drinking window: 2023 - 2023 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Haut Chamblard | St-Péray | White | 95 | Really powerful and intense for what's just a medium-bodied wine. Great acidity, focus and drive, this is exceptional. So fresh, saline and focused. Exceptional now, with great tension. The first commercial vintage was 2020, and the vineyard was planted to start with in 2014 on granite soils, with continued planting thereafter. Aged 100% in demi-muids, some made of oak (15% new), some made of stainless steel. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, La Mordorée | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Very classically Côte-Rôtie in aroma, there's juniper and forest berries, a touch balsamic. Rounded, generous, but not overly ripe of full-bodied. Very fine tannins, good acidity, very well balanced. The oak is well integrated, well applied. Great finesse here, one of their best vintages yet. Mineral, graphite finish. Blend of lieu-dit Côte-Blonde and lieu-dit Côte Brune. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Méal | Hermitage | Red | 95 | Very immediate and fruity style and a touch balsamic. Quite sappy acidity - really intense in fact. Quite introverted at the time of tasting. Bold and powerful tannins that demand long ageing. Vines are around 50-years-old, fermented in concrete, aged in recently used oak barrels for around 14 months. Drinking window: 2031 - 2044 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Les Granits | St-Joseph | White | 95 | A touch of rubbery reduction on the nose for now. It's full-bodied, fairly concentrated, and generous. There’s wonderful freshness, a particularly strong mineral expression. Finishes on a touch of toasty oak. A great vintage of Les Granits. A very granitic expression from an east-facing plot in lieu-dit St-Joseph, near Mauves. Drinking window: 2023 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Pierre Gaillard, Esprit de Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Smoky, sparky style on the nose, Szechuan pepper, wood smoke and cinnamon oak. Very rounded, good sense of ripeness, teamed with good acidity. Sappy fruits on the finish, with a firm, dry finish. Very well balanced, very fresh. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Pierre Gaillard, Rose Pourpre | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Lovely Brune-style aromatics here, dark, deep, resonant. Fairly full, decidedly round, mouthcoating clay tannins. The oak is well balanced here, adding weight and spice to the fruit. Generous for a 2021, with good acidity. South-facing parcel of Côte Rozier, all destemmed, malolactic takes place in new barriques, where it spends 18 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, La Combe de Malleval | Condrieu | White | 95 | Gorgeously fresh peach and blanched almond on the nose and palate; touch of lemon verbena. Full-bodied but not fat, with great energy. Low alcohol, good acidity, no overt oaking, good line and length. Perfect balance, very classic, drink young. All in Stockinger demi-muids, 50% new; you don't notice the new oak it works extremely well. Just 12.5% ABV. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Vignoble de Boisseyt, Les Corbonnes | Condrieu | White | 95 | Beautifully floral style of Condrieu, with jasmine and violets. Underneath there's freshly-cut pear. Very full-bodied, very rich and opulent on the palate, with tremendous extract and concentration. Driving, intense salty finish. Very long. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Benjamin & David Duclaux, Maison Rouge | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 94 | A riper and oakier expression than La Germine, it's certainly more generous. Good sense of purity. Rounded from the oak but not dried out, with good acidity. Very harmonious. Exceptionally fine tannin, this is a good success this year. No Coteaux de Tupin made this year as the stems weren't ripe enough. 20% whole bunch. All on gneiss, blonde soils. 100% Syrah, 20m in barrel, 40% new oak. Some very old vines, up to 100 years old. Drinking window: 2024 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Clos de la Bonnette, Legende Bonnetta | Condrieu | White | 94 | Quite powerful, very full-bodied, certainly ripe. Mouth-coating oily fruit, plenty of peach and nectarine. No excess alcohol, the oak is well balanced, and it's very broad and opulent on the palate. Saline finish, and good acidity. Has an inner fluidity that makes it deliciously drinkable. One year in 228l ex-Viognier or ex-Chardonnay barrels, at least 2 wines old. No enzymes, a little battonage, malolactic completed, no fining, filtration just to remove the larger particles. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Chante Perdrix | Cornas | Red | 94 | Decidedly oaky style, the oak tannins add to the robust fruit-derived tannins to create something of a beast! Certainly ripe enough, with great driving power and huge acidity. Fermented in concrete, aged in oak barrels for 12 months. Drinking window: 2026 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Domaine des Tourettes | Hermitage | White | 94 | This has quite noticeable oak, and is full-bodied and rich on the palate. It’s really quite oily and mouthcoating, with deep-set but balanced acidity on a long finish. A classic white Hermitage in shape, perhaps not the most concentrated, but well balanced and satisfyingly bold and regal. Fermented and aged in new and recent barriques, partial malolactic. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine A&E Verset | Cornas | Red | 94 | Hot tarmac and bonfire ash aromas - decidedly smoky, with herbal undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, there's no lack of ripeness, it's concentrated too, if not massive in size, so quite a compact style of Cornas. The tannins are vibrant, intense, textural and classic for the appellation - so you'll need to wait for them to settle. Fresh, intense, well balanced and will last. Drinking window: 2027 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Bernard Gripa, Le Berceau | St-Joseph | White | 94 | Medium-bodied, with really quite driving acidity giving a great sense of energy and tension. The oak is well balanced, this has great natural power, but no heaviness or excess weight. Wait a year for further aromatic complexity to emerge. Hand-harvested old-vine Marsanne grown on granite. Fermented in 228-litre oak barriques then left on fine lees until the malolactic is finished. Drinking window: 2023 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Chambeyron, Vernon | Condrieu | White | 94 | Full-bodied, opulent style, very full-bodied in fact. It's counteracted but a firm, fruity acidity like a nectarine. Long finish. Alcohol is well balanced, the oak lends spice without overly dominating the fruit. Fresh finish. Grown on loess soils, fermented and aged 70% in demi-muid (10% new), the rest in stainless steel. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Clape | St-Péray | White | 94 | Bright, freshly cut pear on the nose. Full-bodied with more weight than most 2021 St-Pérays, teamed with vibrant, buzzy acidity that really lasts into the finish. Lovely freshness and length. Different in style to their 2020, but similar in quality, with really noticeable cleansing acidity. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Vivre libre ou mourir | Cornas | Red | 94 | Bright and lifted violet and liquorice aromatics, a touch of veal stock on the palate. Tight, bright and vibrant with trenchant acidity and very chalky tannins. Still quite light-bodied, with no great length. Lovely purity, freshness and energy though. A selection of Billes Noires that's aged in glass with no added sulfites, first vintage was 2020. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | Gorgeously fresh, aerial nose, brimming with violets and pounded blueberries. A touch of nutmeg adds to the scent. Smooth, rounded, and surprisingly sweetly approachable for a 2021 St-Joseph. Well balanced but very young - will need some time to come round. Wonderful energy, vibrancy and balance here, a real winner among 2021 St-Josephs. Drinking window: 2025 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin, Les Terroirs | Condrieu | White | 94 | Utterly classic jasmine, violet and apricot aroma, this could only be Condrieu. Full-bodied, with a touch of fresh yoghurt on the palate. Subtle positive bitter nip on the finish, good persistence, no excess oak or alcohol. Very good, compact and measured. From three parcels: Poncins, Chanson et Roncharde. Spends 12 months in 220 and 500l barrels, recently used but not new. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon | St-Joseph | White | 94 | Deeper in colour than most 2021s. Lovely bright zesty nectarine notes on the nose, that come through on the palate. This is seriously concentrated and powerful, and already drinking well. Zesty, crisp acidity helps to rein in the rich, opulent fruit, giving a long finish. This will work well on the dinner table. Domaine Garon is fast becoming one of the best domaines in the northern part of the northern Rhône. Drinking window: 2022 - 2027 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon, Les Triotes | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 94 | Showing some reduction still on the nose, but not problematically so at this stage. Medium-bodied, mouth-coating fruit is very fresh and well balanced. The tannins are more succulent than most in 2021, and along with the fine, zesty acidity and tempered alcohol, this is very promising, and should be excellent if the reduction is resolved during élevage. The score assumes it will be. From four lieux-dits and 25-year-old vines in the Côte Blonde, aged for 21 months in barrels of various sizes and ages. Drinking window: 2023 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Guy Farge, Harmonie | Cornas | Red | 94 | Lovely herbal display on the nose, with fresh thyme, rosemary and bay. They follow on to the palate, met by juicy, smooth berry fruits. Enjoyably ripe without excessive ripeness, it's on the lean side but it's not scrawny. Tannins are firm but not intense. Good length. Thirty-year-old vines, whole bunches, indigenous yeasts, lieux-dits Sauman et Reynard. Matured in 400l barrels, 1 to 5-years-old, for 12 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières | Hermitage | White | 94 | Subtle almond and honeysuckle aromas lead to a medium- to full-bodied palate. This is not a massive Hermitage by any means, but one with freshness, acidity and focus. Has some natural class and substance, but I would drink this in its youth. The oak is well integrated and not excessive. A 0.18ha plot of 70-year-old Marsanne at the foot of the Hermitage slope. Malolactic is completed. Drinking window: 2023 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel | Hermitage | White | 94 | Classic Hermitage weight, density and richness on the palate, with lovely acidity and a remarkably mineral expression. The long finish is surprisingly potent. Unusually this is ready already, though well concentrated. 18 months in old barriques. 70-year-old vines. Drinking window: 2023 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel | Hermitage | Red | 94 | A fruity, pure, clean and surprisingly ripe expression here. There’s good ripeness on the palate, and it’s surprisingly potent, with intense, driving tannins. Relatively light in concentration for a Hermitage, the tannins are just a touch grainy but it has great freshness. A relatively drinkable, tense style with real vibrancy. Slim and tense but with good energy. 10% from Les Bessards, picked early due to hail, so a bit under mature; then blended with very ripe parcels. All destemmed this year. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Les Ravines | Condrieu | White | 94 | Easy-going style, bright, fresh and well-balanced. Lovely cleansing acidity, no excess body or oak. Very classic expression of Condrieu, for drinking young. Good energy and freshness. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 94 | Graphite, iron and pencil lead come before the blackberry fruit here – a very mineral aromatic expression, almost austere. Medium-bodied but with good presence on the palate and some sweetness to the berry fruits. A compact, dry and mineral expression. La Landonne is always strict, but this really is austere. The whole-bunch element is marked, and the tannins are fine and plentiful but very tense and dry. This needs a long time, don't drink it too young. The only single-vineyard bottlings in 2021 will be La Landonne and Côte Blonde - and that's if they are not eventually blended into Ampodium. Drinking window: 2030 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 94 | Very spicy on the nose, with sparky cinnamon along with the ashy, smoky notes from the whole bunch. Medium-bodied for La Landonne, this isn't a huge wine by any means, but it’s decidedly fresh. The tannins are quite drying for now, but certainly fine. Not as long or concentrated as many recent years, but will emerge a fresh, balanced and complex wine in time. 100% whole bunch used. At the beginning of its long maturation in 100% new oak barriques. Drinking window: 2029 - 2039 Click to see full details | |
| François Villard, Grand Vallon | Condrieu | White | 94 | Mango and apricot, a touch of almond, good concentration. Very rich on the palate, but it's tightened up by discrete supporting oak and a mineral sheen. Acidity is low, but it’s very classic. Long finish. From a parcel in Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf, 20% new oak. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Cave de Tain, Au Coeur des Siècles | Hermitage | White | 93 | Not terribly expressive on the nose at the time of tasting, and broad and fat on the palate. Not the most vibrant, perhaps, but there’s good length and concentration. It needs a year to settle – then might be worthy of a higher score. An 80-year-old parcel of Marsanne grown on loess and alluvial terrasses. Aged on the fine lees in 400-litre barrels, 45% new, 35% second-use, 20% third-use, for eight months with regular bâttonage. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Cave Julien Cécillon, Gemini | St-Péray | White | 93 | Gloriously expressive mango fruit on the nose, this is so fresh. Full-bodied, rich and opulent but not gloopy. It has great concentration and bright acidity, really vibrant, long and flamboyant, but without excess. The oak is well integrated, and overall it's balanced and delicious despite its unusual power. One for the dinner table. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Domaine des Tourettes | Hermitage | Red | 93 | Some weight of fruit here underneath the measured clove oak. Smooth, ripe, with well-balanced acidity, this has a good sense of balance and elegance. Fresh, with plentiful cinnamon spice and forest berry fruit that's just-ripe, neither over nor under. A fairly compact, early-drinking Hermitage, not a powerful one, but one that has some natural class. Drinking window: 2024 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Seigneur de Maugiron | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 93 | Attractive spiced raspberry aromas, with some woodland hints in the background, like pine needles and juniper. Light and easy-going on the palate, more raspberry fruit and raspberry-ish acidity. Compact, fresh and well balanced, no great concentration but a good sense of vibrancy. 70% from the Côte Brune, 30% from the Côte Blonde. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Alain Voge, Les Côtes | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | A beguiling nose of rose, pine resin and incense, very unusual. Crisp and red-fruited on the palate, with surging raspberry acidity. Reminiscent of a blonde-side Côte-Rôtie. Then it's quite light in fruit and tannin on the palate. The oak is quite forthright. An unusual, interesting wine. From a parcel near Mauves, a steep granite slope. No new oak. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Bernard Gripa, Les Figuiers | St-Péray | White | 93 | Full-bodied, with a good sense of weight and concentration, allied to a really bright, zingy citrus freshness. Focused and precise, very young still but this has great length and energy. Made from hand-harvested Marsanne and Roussanne grown on clay limestone soils. Fermented in barrel then left on fine lees until the malolactic is finished, with some stirring of the lees. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Bott | Condrieu | White | 93 | Full-bodied, but with a good sense of freshness and acidity. A classic expression of apricot and peach fruit, finishing dry. Well balanced alcohol, no excessive oak. Fermented then aged for nine months in barriques. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Burgaud | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 93 | Zesty orange, nutmeg and cinnamon characters, the nose has freshness and promising detail. It’s silky on the palate, layered and detailed. Well balanced and harmonious, this is one of the more successful Côte-Rôties in 2021. No great power, but good balance and restraint. Vines grown on lieux-dits Côte Blonde, Les Moutonnes, Fongeant, La Brosse, Le Champin and Leyat. Grapes were destemmed, natural yeasts used, before spending 15 months in oak, 20% new. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Coursodon, Paradis Saint Pierre | St-Joseph | White | 93 | Intense nectarine and pear aromas that follow through to the palate. There's a touch of sweetness on the mid-palate that is quite flattering. Fairly full-bodied in style, it would be quite opulent if it wasn't for the freshness and acidity that helps to rein it in and give it a long finish. From old vines grown on granite, on south-southeast-facing slopes. Malo completed, weekly battonage. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Colombier | Hermitage | White | 93 | A relatively rich white Hermitage that’s full-bodied and weighty, with lemon curd, lemon verbena and lemon zest touches on the nose and palate. Good acidity gives a good sense of freshness. There’s no great length, but it’s very precise. The oak adds richness, but doesn't dominate. From lieux-dits Maison Blanche and Diognières. Aged for 18 months in new and one-year-old barriques. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Billes Noires | Cornas | Red | 93 | More depth to the nose and palate than his Brise Cailloux this year, enjoyably silky, with raspberry and rose. Very aromatic, a harmonious, fresh and zesty vintage - with rapier-like acidity! From lieu-dit Le Bois, south-facing, with 10-20% limestone in the granite soils. Some old vines (1920s), some younger. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Brise Cailloux | Cornas | Red | 93 | Bright and floral, with potpourri, rose and blood orange. Silky on the tongue, then the very high acidity dashes in like a whippet. Plenty of impact, with an explosion of fruit. Tannins are tight and chalky, the fruit on the finish is delicate and raspberryish. Vibrant and electric. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Eric & Joël Durand, Prémices | Cornas | Red | 93 | Naturalistic blackberry fruit, no overt oak on the nose. Medium-bodied, no great concentration but a good sense of freshness and precision. Gently serrated Cornas tannins are present and enjoyably textural. Very well balanced, classic and precise. Twenty percent whole bunch, 20% new oak. Drinking window: 2024 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gonon | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | There’s an appealing touch of oregano to the blackberry fruit. It’s medium-bodied, with good acidity, but not as concentrated as the past few vintages. The tannins are however ripe and fine. Quite a delicate vintage, but good balance and freshness. Harvest started on 24 September, and yields were low this year at 27hl/ha. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gonon, Les Oliviers | St-Joseph | White | 93 | A lovely light and floral style on the nose, and on the palate it’s only medium-bodied this year, not as rich as a typical vintage, and much higher in acidity. Vibrant and zesty. Fermented in fûts and old barriques, this spends a year on the lees. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Grangier | Condrieu | White | 93 | Very full-bodied indeed, really rather oily. It does have driving acidity, which helps to bring balance to this concentrated and intense wine. This is almost like a late harvest style, but it finishes dry, with a firm, cleansing acid line. Alcohol is on the high side, but not overly excessive. An extreme style - and Condrieu is already quite full on! 70% is aged in barriques, 10% new. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Guy Farge, Grain de Silex | St-Péray | White | 93 | Almond and apricot fruit characters, which are soft and juicy on the palate, but all shot through with laser-like acidity that projects the flavours into a long finish. Beautifully fresh and energetic. Malo completed, followed by eight months maturation, 30% in barrique, the rest in stainless steel. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Guy Farge, Vania | St-Joseph | White | 93 | Peach, almond and apricot flesh, this has a really lovely nose, and it follows through to the palate. Beautifully harmonious, nicely ripe but not excessively so. The use of oak is discrete. This is perfectly balanced, a really lovely, classic example of fine white St-Joseph that’s also soft and approachable. From 40-year-old vines grown on granite. Half is aged in recently used but not new oak barrels. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | A tasting of the various constituent lieux-dits revealed that the Bachesson parcel had a peppery side and its characteristic rose scent, and an unmistakably granitic texture. The Chalaix lieu-dit was precise, fine, with no huge concentration but good balance. Lieu-dit Dardouille was looking promising, with good weight and length. The finished blend of the domaine’s St-Joseph is likely to be neat, precise and fresh, with a distinct mineral side, one to drink relatively young. There will be no separate bottling of Clos Florentin this year due to frost. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Montis | St-Péray | White | 93 | Ripe but not overripe, this has zesty nectarine with a subtle nutty note – a beautifully fresh nose. Full-bodied, rounded and plump on the palate, with good concentration, all focused by the time spent in oak. The oak spice makes itself known on the palate. From two plots, one on granite, one on limestone, from 40-year-old vines. Malo completed. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Mucyn, Les Carats | St-Joseph | White | 93 | Honeycomb, meringue and a subtle nuttiness to the nose. It's full-bodied, quite broad and silky. Rich pear and apple compote on the palate, finishing dry and long. A fairly rich style of St-Joseph in what can be a lean vintage. Grown on schist and gneiss soils at 310m altitude. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet | Hermitage | White | 93 | Heather honey and pear on the nose, it's relatively rich and full-bodied, with lower acidity than most this year. Enjoyably luxurious but not overly fat in texture, with good length of fruit. The oak is well integrated. 40-year-old vines grown on loess; 50% new oak. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Mouline | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 93 | Pretty berry fruits on the nose, that are perfumed and delicate. Light-bodied, it has taken its oak remarkably well. Only very delicately tannic. The acidity is low too, this is light in concentration, and drinkable already. A petite vintage of La Mouline, not terribly long. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde. At the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, Le Lieu Dit | St-Joseph | White | 93 | Decidedly oaky on the nose, with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg spice. It’s silky on the palate, not quite as concentrated as some years but very fresh, with well-balanced acidity. It’s full-bodied and really quite toasty and oaky, but it's still a compelling wine. I would drink this younger than usual. Guigal has 5.5ha of this lieu-dit, 2.5ha of which are white varieties, and these are planted at the top of the hill. Aged in oak barriques, 50% new, 50% one-year-old. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| François Villard, Jouvet | Cornas | Red | 93 | Full-bodied, good concentration here. Very good tannic finesse, it's quite intense, with fine, pliable tannins. Very tannic, but ripe tannins, not too serrated, quite buffed. Will be interesting, but wait. South-east facing lieu-dit Jouvet, 400m altitude. Bought grapes. All whole bunch, all fermented in wood, then aged in 5- to 7-year-old barriques. Drinking window: 2027 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Lionel Faury, La Gloriette | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | Really gorgeous nose, with oregano, rosemary and menthol. It has the fresh chewy feel of stemmy tannins on the palate; it will require a couple of years to digest them. Blackberry fruit, great liveliness and energy. One of the best red St-Josephs this year - as it is in most vintages. Drinking window: 2025 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Martine & Christian Rouchier, La Chave | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | Aromas of smoky herbs, blackcurrant bush and just-ripe blackberries. There’s good silky fruit on the palate, with a great sense of freshness and purity, this is very refined and pure. It still has the green streak that you can find in so many 2021 St-Josephs, but it works well here. Whole-bunch fermented, natural yeasts, 16 months élevage in old barrels. Drinking window: 2024 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Martine & Christian Rouchier, Luc | St-Joseph | Red | 93 | A smoky, ashy style, reminiscent of extinguished cigars and bay leaves. Searching tannins, which are quite robust. The whole-bunch element is very pronounced, and it finishes fresh and chewy, with crunchy fresh blackberries. Drinking window: 2025 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Vidal-Fleury, Brune et Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 93 | The blackberry and blueberry fruits are just ripe, it's quite a lean and fresh aromatic expression. Fuller on the palate than expected, it has a roundness that's quite unusual in 2021. Some length too. Good acidity, neat tannins and not overoaked. Drinking window: 2023 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Vignobles Chirat, Chays d'Oeuvre | St-Joseph | White | 93 | There’s a subtle macadamia nut sheen to the citrusy fruit. A silky, rounded, middle-weight style with well-judged oak and flavours of yellow plums and a touch of coconut. Good acidity. 10 months spent in a variety of sizes of oak barrel, none of which are new. Malo completed. Drinking window: 2022 - 2026 Click to see full details |