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 76 Rhône wines that scored 95 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Colour | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 99 | Very darkly coloured indeed. An extraordinarily deep and Mourvèdre-heavy fug of a scent; deep, but so fresh and searching. It's not overly full-bodied or heavy. Great surging acidity. It's tannic and will take a long time to soften, but promises great freshness and a long life - don't open too young. Around 60% of the blend comes from old-vine Mourvèdre from the Courrieux vineyard. Grapes are destemmed, fermented in tronconic wooden vats using natural yeasts after a brief cold maceration with regular punching down. Drinking window: 2033 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Vaudieu, Les Vieilles Roussanne | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 99 | Richly aromatic, with deep pear and a touch of yellow melon. Lightly honeyed on the nose, then more noticeably so on the palate, with sweet oak spice melding with the sappy acidity. Powerful in flavour, but with great focus, clarity and freshness; this has huge length, without any excessive body. Good now, will be better in time. Grown on limestone soils, aged in barriques, 50% of which are new. Just 2,700 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 99 | Nectarine fruit inlaid with a touch of fresh coconut. Full-bodied, generous and rounded, without any excessive oak - it's matured mostly in foudre and some old barriques. Perfectly judged, perfectly balanced and very long. It has great presence and energy, but no excess. Also contains Clairette Rose, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris. Just 6,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel, Roussanne Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 98 | Great concentration this year, making for a really intense, sappy Roussanne; pear tarte tatin flavours, alongside the intense cigar tobacco, cedar and sandalwood. Dense and concentrated, it's weightier than the 2020 vintage, and riper and denser than most 2021 Châteauneuf blancs. Huge length. The oaking is robust, it shows quite strongly so give this time. All aged in oak, half new, half one-year-old, mostly demi-muids. Drinking window: 2024 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Vaudieu, Clos du Belvédère | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 98 | Bright and zesty in aroma, with no overt oaking to detract from the purity of the fruit. Only medium-bodied, with lovely crisp acidity cutting through. The discrete oak comes through on the finish, adding some cashew nuttiness and salinity to the long finish. Well balanced, pure and precise, this is the pinnacle of pure Grenache Blanc. Grown on galets roulés, matured in used barriques. Just 2,600 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Prestige | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 98 | Full-bodied and just a touch oily. The oak is forthright, and this has great concentration and huge power before a driving, saline finish. Almost too intense to broach now, but is likely to be very long lasting. Grown on sandy soils, matured in barriques (20% new) and concrete. Just 900 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2025 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 98 | Full-bodied, generous and broad, then a powerful beam of surging acidity rides in to refresh and cleanse the palate. The oaking is robust and will take time to harmonise, but this has the underlying power, concentration and extract to take it. Great length; an expansive, rich and regal Châteauneuf blanc. Also contains 10% each of Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose and Piquepoul. Grown organically on sand, matured in new barriques. Just 958 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2045 Click to see full details | |
| 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: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Château La Nerthe, Clos de Beauvenir | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 97 | Super-fresh and so dynamic. A lovely brisk acidity propels the tangy lime fruit long into the finish. The oak is quite present but well judged and should integrate after a year or so in bottle. Impressive length and finesse. Parcel selection of old vines on sandy clay soil. Matured in demi-muid, with 15% new wood. Just 3,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2024 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 97 | Fennel and grapefruit on the nose. Only medium-bodied, with a lovely sense of freshness and tension. Great brightness, acidity and balance. Pure and precise, with great drinkability and length. Should be long-lived. Contains all six permitted Châteauneuf white grapes in equal measure, fermented in stainless steel, with malolactic blocked. Drinking window: 2023 - 2042 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric Le Grand Pin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 97 | Orange tint to the pale red. Extraordinary nose, like walking through a pine forest after the rain. Fine tannins and a gentle plumpness to the palate. Good acidity and a mineral note on the finish. Ethereal stuff, a beautiful Grenache. Grown on sand in Pignan nord, no destemming and a very light extraction, matured in demi-muids for 24 months. 3,200 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2036 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: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Pure Clairette | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 97 | Lovely soft and floral aroma - a slightly nutty kind of honeysuckle scent. Medium- to full-bodied, well balanced, with lovely freshness and pinpoint acidity. The finish rolls on like a luxury duvet. An example of just how fresh and seductive Clairette can be in the right hands. From a parcel in lieu-dit Bois Sénéchaux on north-facing sandy soils. Just 3,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2045 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 | |
| Château de Beaucastel | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Honeycomb oak on the nose, then quite a broad and generous palate. Sappy acidity, although not as high as some white Châteauneufs this year, and a long finish. This has a good sense of lightness, drinkability and balance. The oak is quite forthright for now, so give this some time to come together. 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache and Clairette, plus 10% of Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Part of the blend was matured in two- and three-year-old barriques for a year. Drinking window: 2024 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 96 | A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. Drinking window: 2030 - 2045 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 de la Janasse, Chaupin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 96 | Relatively black-fruited for a pure Grenache, it's generous in fruit but not excessive, the alcohol is high of course (it's pure Grenache), but it feels integrated. Long, pure, velvety - this is really stunning. Lifted plum fruit, dusted with dried oregano. It's young, but already quite accessible. It will age well thanks to its freshness and balance. Parcels of Grenache planted on lieux-dits Chaupin, La Janasse and La Crau, mostly sandy soils, the oldest planted in 1912. Drinking window: 2024 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Solitude, Barberini | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Quite introspective for now, mostly just the nutty oak showing itself on the nose. Distinctly savoury, dry and medium-bodied palate. There's plenty of extract, giving it a saline impression on the very long finish, where flavours of cinnamon spice, apple and quince intermingle. A good sense of finesse, this could be exceptional in time. Grown on sandy soils and aged in new barriques. Drinking window: 2024 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Réservé | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 96 | Relatively darkly fruited. Full-bodied but not as full as some years. Strong acidity, the tannins are present but not excessive. Really quite a tense, strict and austere vintage of this cuvée that will require long ageing - will be excellent when it's ready. Selection from Les Trois Sources, their oldest Grenache. Only produced when the Grenache is good enough. Drinking window: 2033 - 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: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Pure Roussanne | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Relatively brisk and nimble for a pure Roussanne, this isn't as oaked as some, which helps the fruit to shine through more clearly. It's zesty and fresh, with an edging of cinnamon sugar from the oak. Rich and long, but with great freshness and length. Well balanced, this is very good winemaking on show. Grown on galets roulés and sand in the lieux-dits of Bois Sénéchaux and Terres Blanches. 60% is aged in foudres, 40% in new barriques. Just 4,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2040 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: 2023 - 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: 2023 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Isabel Ferrando | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Touch of reductive smoky bacon on the nose. Full-bodied, rich, quite unctuous but dry. The lime peel finish has cut and salinity, making it long and precise. From two parcels of galets roulés in the south of the appellation, fermented in stainless steel, aged in foudre and demi-muid. Drinking window: 2022 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| La Bastide St-Dominique, Chapelle | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Honeysuckle and tarragon notes on the nose, which is quite introverted at the time of tasting. Full-bodied, soft and pillow-like in texture. Lovely sense of freshness and better acidity than most previous vintages of this wine. Long finish. Really lovely, feather-light, but so intense. Surely the finest example of pure Clairette Rose in the world. Fermented and aged for six months in one-year-old barriques. Just 900 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Safres | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 96 | Silky on the palate, with a touch of coconut oak and dried citrus peel. Fresh, balanced, with precise, cleansing acidity and a long finish. Not as deep or powerful as some, but there's great vibrancy, energy and drinkability. Grown on the sandy soils of Les Bédines, fermented then aged for four months in old barriques. 2,600 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 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: 2023 - 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 hoisin sauce and some cassis and blackberry. Fine tannins, but this is not a huge vintage, a more Burgundian expression of Le Pavillon. Not terribly concentrated like some recent vintages, this will drink well young. 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 | A fresh, aerial, violet-scented style, though it’s introverted for now. It has exceptionally fine tannins – very similar to La Viallière in style. It’s well balanced, the acidity is high and the tannins are quite generous. A mineral style. Lieu-dit Neve, south of La Viallière, rocky mica schist soils. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Château de la Gardine, Cuvée des Générations Marie-Léoncie | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | Full-bodied, rich and powerful, but not heavy. Gently oily in texture, cut through by incisive acidity. The oak is dominant for now after a 10-month passage in new oak barriques, which does help to give the finish impressive length. Good sense of freshness, precision and finesse underneath the oak, so give it a couple of years to come together. 6,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2024 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Château La Nerthe | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | Lovely cooling glycerol glides across the palate, cut through with incisive acidity. Zesty lime squeezed over pear tarte tatin. Medium- to full-bodied, really energetic, balanced and finely detailed. Seriously good. Organically grown across three lieux-dits: La Crau, La Nerthe and La Rigole. It's principally aged in a variety of size and age of oak barrels for six months, including 20% new oak. Drinking window: 2022 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Defined raspberry and redcurrant fruits, some woody spices in the background. Quite a rounded, fluid style, the acidity is really quite marked this year. Tannins are gentle, and it finishes on raspberry and redcurrant coulis. There's a silky touch on the palate. It's built around the acidity, the tannins are just gently sandy. Good sense of purity, quite a Burgundian vintage. Less Grenache in the blend this year as it was particularly hit by the frost. Drinking window: 2025 - 2038 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 Benedetti | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | Lovely fresh and spicy nose that follows onto the palate, along with great energy and brightness. Really saline, with brisk acidity giving the wine a great sense of energy and cut. Long and vibrant. Grown on La Crau ouest, the Roussanne is vinified in barrique, one-third new, then matured in stainless steel for five months. Just 800 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Chante Cigale, Extrait | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | Good sense of freshness and acidity, with a point of lemon to the nectarine fruit. The oak is quite forthright, but the freshness and acidity help to bring balance. Remarkable intensity of flavour considering the relatively medium-bodied size. Ends fresh, with juicy, citrusy acidity into the saline, mineral and cleansing finish. Fermented with natural yeasts in demi-muids, then matured in the same barrels for 10 months. Just 850 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric La Guigasse | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Wow!' was my reaction. Simply gorgeous aromatics, pulling in garrigue herbs, blood orange, redcurrant, liquorice and pine resin. Light in tannin, but a lovely sense of freshness, good acidity and a lovely detailed finish. Tannins are fine and slight. A compelling, Burgundian Grenache. This is pure whole-bunch Grenache grown on sand at the lieu-dit La Guigasse, aged for 24 months in demi-muid. 4,800 bottles made. Drinking window: 2023 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Pure, medium-bodied, with a lovely fine texture that's beautifully velvety. Certainly no lack of ripeness in fruit or tannin, which are plentiful but fine, ripe and succulent, and the finish is long. Alcohol is slightly raised but it suits the wine. Good balance, freshness and texture, it's restrained but not ungenerous. Partly destemmed, fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudre and demi-muid. Drinking window: 2028 - 2039 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Gorgeous nose, already showing some spicy, woody complexity. Just as compelling on the palate, the tannins are plentiful and will need time to settle, but the fruit is opulent enough to wait. Very long finish. From mostly galets roulés soils from lieu-dits Bois de la Ville, La Crau and La Nerthe, fermented and aged in 80% stainless steel, 20% old barriques. All destemmed. Drinking window: 2028 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Panisse, Le Mas | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | An extremely spicy expression, remarkably herbal, with notes of cinnamon, rose, cedar and cigar tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, the acidity isn't high but it's well balanced, the tannins are fine, ending on a hint of dried orange rind. Again, quite a Burgundian style of Châteauneuf. The Grenache is grown on sand and galets roulés in lieu-dit La Janasse, planted in 1921. All destemmed, fermented in tronconic tanks, matured in demi-muids with a tiny proportion of new barriques. Now owned by Le Clos du Caillou. 10,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Bosquet des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | A petal-soft, easy-going, floaty style of Châteauneuf blanc with a lovely sense of freshness and florality. Fairly full-bodied but not excessively so, with piercing acidity bringing lift and energy to the palate. Good sense of fluidity and drinkability. Also contains Clairette Rose and Grenache Gris. Grown across the lieux-dits of Les Bosquets, Cabrières, La Gardiole, Les Grandes Serres, Mont Redon and Terres Blanches, principally galets roulés. Fermented and then aged in stainless steel (80%) and demi-muids (20%). 5,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2022 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Geniale Patronne | Cornas | Red | 95 | Sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied with no stalkiness, it’s rounded and smooth. A mineral expression with good intensity, it’s super fresh, with the acidity of the vintage. All whole bunch, two 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. Full-bodied and very powerful indeed. It has huge extract, intense salinity, driving acidity and great opulence, flowing into a long finish. A huge Condrieu. Parcels in Chavanay, Condrieu and Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, at 250m altitude on average, south and southwest facing. Fermented in stainless steel, which finishes in barrique (10% new), where it spends 12 months. No racking, very little lees stirring. Drinking window: 2023 - 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 fruit – very typically Côte Blonde. Smooth tannins are very well worked and fine. It has great aromatics and textural finesse, a standout wine of the vintage. From the sharply sloping lieu-dit Le Combard, where there are blonde soils. Fermented in stainless steel then aged in barriques for 18 months. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gramenon, La Mémé | Côtes du Rhône | Red | 95 | Introverted at the time of tasting. Energy, intensity and textural wealth here, you really feel the unfiltered aspect. Long, lively, and with great acidity. The alcohol is in balance. Really lovely, a Grenache that will age well and give good and fresh drinking. Light peppery edge, the herbs are in the background for now. Great purity and freshness. From 100-year-old Grenache vines. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | A tasting of component barrels for this wine 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 it should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole-bunch fermented, and 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. It shows a floral expression of violets, and in the mouth it’s light-bodied, fresh and with good acidity. The 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. This will drink well young. It saw four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, using limited new oak, natural yeasts, and as many stems as possible. 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: 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. The finish is long and not dried out from the oak, it stays succulent, silky, juicy and mandarin-infused. All parcels fermented separately in new oak, then blended. Drinking window: 2023 - 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 | |
| Famille Isabel Ferrando, Colombis | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Rounded, fairly tannic style, but one with serious class and refinement. This needs time to settle in bottle, but will be lovely when ready - a classic and drinkable style. Largely sandy soils, a small lieu-dit to the west of the village. All fermented and aged in tronconic vats. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, La Réserve | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Dark chocolate and plum, with plentiful cola and clove oak. The tannins are still quite brusque, but this is still ageing. A touch pinched from the oak on the finish. If the tannins are smoothed out, this will make for an elegant wine with spicy complexity when fully mature. Grown on sandy soils of lieux-dits La Guigasse and Pignan sud; matured mostly in demi-muid and some clay amphora. 3,400 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2028 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Quartz | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Red | 95 | Quite a discrete style, there's plenty of fruit but no great body or structure. This isn't a negative comment; the wine has good balance, acidity and freshness, making for a very drinkable style. Appealing length, revealing detailed raspberry, star anise, cinnamon and rose petal. Grown half on large pebbles, half on sand in lieu-dit Les Cassanets. Destemmed, fermented in tronconic concrete vats, then matured in amphora. Just 6,800 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Le Vieux Donjon | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | White | 95 | Lovely sense of freshness, but still quite introverted; promising, however. Full-bodied, with a sense of generosity, not heaviness. Not as weighty or concentrated as some recent vintages, but the acidity feels naturally balanced and the fresh, mineral touch on the finish bodes well for the future. Remarkable drinkability and finesse, and should age well on its freshness and balance, but could be drunk early, too. The Michel family owns just 1ha of white varieties, and its white is regularly one of the best in the appellation. Malolactic is blocked to help retain freshness and acidity. Drinking window: 2022 - 2037 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: 2023 - 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, and a touch of balsamic. Rounded, generous, but not overly ripe or full-bodied. Fine tannins and good acidity make this very well balanced. The oak is well integrated and well applied. There’s great finesse here, it’s one of their best vintages yet. Showing a 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 in style and a touch balsamic. Quite sappy acidity -- really intense in fact. Fairly introverted at the time of tasting, but the tannins are bold and powerful and demand long ageing. Vines are around 50 years old, and the wine is fermented in concrete, then 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 | A smoky, sparky style on the nose of Szechuan pepper, wood smoke and cinnamon oak. Rounded with a good sense of ripeness, teamed with good acidity and sappy fruits on the firm, dry finish. Very well balanced and 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 and resonant. Fairly full-bodied and decidedly round, with mouthcoating clay tannins. The oak is well balanced here, adding weight and spice to the fruit. It’s generous for a 2021, with good acidity. From a south-facing parcel of Côte Rozier, all destemmed, and 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, with a touch of lemon verbena. Full-bodied but not fat, with great energy. The alcohol is low, and there's good acidity, no overt oaking, good line and length. The perfect balance, and very classic, I'd drink this 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: 2023 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Vignoble de Boisseyt, Les Corbonnes | Condrieu | White | 95 | A beautifully floral style of Condrieu, with jasmine and violets. Underneath there's freshly-cut pear. It's full-bodied, rich and opulent on the palate, with tremendous extract and concentration. Driving, intense salty finish. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details |