After tasting more than 1,200 Rhône 2020 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 88 Southern Rhône wines that scored 94 points and above.
Wines are listed white then red in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château Rayas | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 99 | This has more length and breadth than most 2020 white Châteauneufs, with spiced citrus notes of satsuma and grapefruit decorated with cinnamon. Broad but not overly full-bodied, with bright acidity, tension and a tight mineral line. Long on the finish, with balanced alcohol, ending on pink grapefruit. A beautifully fine and fresh vintage of Rayas blanc. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 98 | Closed for now, with apricot and a touch of crème anglaise. Full-bodied but not massive, this has plenty of tension that keeps things neat, a shining beam of acidity running through it. Real length and intensity here, it's remarkably saline this year, displaying great power and balance. 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc and Clairette, 10% Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Part of the blend was matured in two and three-year-old barriques for one year. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2036. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel, Roussanne Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 98 | Beautiful clarity and definition of aroma. Certainly rounded but not massive, this has a great mouthfeel; so fresh and full of energy, with perfectly balanced acidity - you don't have to look for it, it comes at you. Lovely tension, intensity and salinity, the oak so well-integrated you barely notice it, and there's no toastiness, just notes of cedar, tobacco and cinnamon and a long finish. Not a hugely rich vintage, but a hugely fresh and energetic one. They've started to pick a little earlier and are now leaving the juice on the skins for three to four hours in the press. The wine spends one year in new barriques and demi-muids. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2036. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Nerthe, Clos de Beauvenir | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 98 | Violets, quince, yellow plums and honeysuckle on the nose. Rounded, seductive, but not overly fat, this is tucked in and restrained on the palate, with perfectly measured acidity and perfectly integrated oak. Great sense of harmony and balance, it shows Burgundian finesse and a long finish. Organically grown on sandy soils in the Clos de Beauvoir near the house, fermented in demi-muid and stainless steel, then aged for seven months in demi-muid, with 15% spending seven months in new barriques. 1,300 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Citrusy and grapefruit-led thanks to the Bourboulenc. Touch of anise, touch of fennel, lovely acidity and freshness, with a gentle saline line. Generous but only just full-bodied, this shows liveliness and more depth than many white Châteauneufs this year. Long finish. No malolactic and no oak use. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with plenty of extract on the palate. Driving acidity and a powerful finish suggest this has a long life ahead of it. It's delicious now, however, in a big and bold - but dry - style with a saline finish. Also contains 10% Grenache Blanc, and 1% each of Clairette Rose, Grenache Gris, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris. Biodynamic, fermented and aged in foudres and old barriques. 6,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2036. Click to see full details | |
| Alain Jaume & Fils, La Fontaine | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Honeycomb, jasmine, cinnamon and rich pear. Intense and tangy, this has driving acidity and powerful spice. Will be a very good wine when it's ready, in a oak-driven style, as it's crisp, clear and defined, with a saline touch to the palate that helps to balance everything. North-facing Roussanne planted on clay limestone. Fermented and matured for 10 months in barriques, 50% new, 50% one-year-old. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Prestige | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Not terribly expressive on the nose, but long and focused. The oak works as a tight corset, shaping the wine and pulling in any excess weight. Remarkably fresh and vibrant, with a tight mineral seam and a little dab of fresh cream on the long finish, alongside fresh pear and nutmeg. Try to keep this for a while before opening, until at least 2025. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| La Bastide St-Dominique, Chapelle | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Always just a little more muskily floral than Clairette Blanche, this 100% Clairette Rose has a beautiful aroma that finds itself on the palate, too, among freshly cut pear and quince, before enjoyable precision and salinity on the finish. Vines planted on sandy soils and galets roulés in lieux-dits Pignan and Saint Georges. Fermented in one-year-old barriques and stainless steel. 800 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2026. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Fonsalette | Côtes du Rhône | 2020 | 95 | Citrus oils and ripe apricot. Lighter and fresher than recent vintages, with good acidity and a bright mineral line. Grapefruit bitters on the finish. A property close to the Massif d'Uchaux, north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, owned by Emmanuel Reynaud of Château Rayas. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2027. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Nalys, Grand Vin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | The oak is present and integrated but not excessive and it doesn't rub out the fine definition and terroir expression. Long and straight, this is bold but drinkable, with a good sense of fluidity and freshness to the wine, but enough salt and extract to age well. The wines from Nalys are improving quickly, which is not surprising given the quality of the terroir: Bois Sénéchaux, la Crau and Grand Pierre. Fermented and aged in a variety of sizes of oak barrel, including 18% new oak. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine André Mathieu, Vin di Felibre | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Pretty and classically floral expression - like daffodils - with fennel fronds adding to the freshness. Full-bodied but nonetheless moves fast in the mouth, with good acidity and a noble, bitter grapefruit finish. Precise, vibrant and enjoyably drinkable. Grown on galets roulés, fermented and aged for 10 months in demi-muids and barriques, 25% new. 900 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2027. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Florent Lançon has started using more solids in the juice for his whites and the results justify this decision. Quite closed and introspective for now, the oak is very tight around the wine, but there's great freshness within. Straight and focused, showing tobacco, pear and cedar, this will take time to come round, but should be good and age well when it's ready. Very impressive for a first vintage. 1,200 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Marcoux | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Eminently classic, full-bodied and rich, with flowing fresh mango and pear fruit. The alcohol is quite high, and contributes to the feeling of opulence. Slow moving in the mouth, there's enough acidity, however, and a good feeling of freshness. Deep, long, voluptuous style. Somehow finishes fresh and neat despite the richness. An embarrassment of richness in this bottle. From lieux-dits Les Bosquets and Les Esqueirons, fermented and matured for nine months in demi-muids and stainless steel. 3,600 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Safres | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Full-bodied and richly opulent on the palate, the acidity is gently vibrant and there's some energy in the wine which helps bring balance. Plentiful pear and quince fruit, with a long finish. Grown on the sandy soils of Pignan and Les Bédines, fermented and matured in old barriques. 2,500 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Montfaucon, Vin de Madame la Comtesse | Lirac | 2020 | 94 | Aromatically restrained, with subtle tobacco and cedar around the central honeysuckle and fennel notes. Medium-bodied, with a lovely soft effect on the tongue and slim ribbons of acidity weaving through the wine which ends long and focused. Great energy, elegance and precision. From a half-hectare parcel of vines planted before 1870, so some of the oldest in the Rhône Valley. Fermented then aged in used barriques. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Vaudieu, Clos du Belvédère | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Fresh and detailed, with subtle red apple notes. Generous but not fat, this has enough chalky minerality to keep the wine neat and focused. Great tension and minerality, then quite pronounced apple skin bitters on the finish. Slightly austere, so give this a year before opening. Made from pure Grenache Blanc grown on galets roulés in lieu-dit Vaudieu, fermented and aged in old barriques. 2,700 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Château des Fines Roches, Cuvée des Fines Roches | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Vibrant nose of fresh floral notes and a touch of yellow plum. Generous in body, but very light in spirit, with long, direct strands of acidity running through it. Great precision and freshness, with fennel on the finish. Fermented in concrete, aged in old barriques. 300 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2025. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Nerthe | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | There are nutmeg and cedar touches to the restrained pear fruit here. Medium-bodied, elegant and refined on the palate, the oak is used with great skill to shape the wine, which is classically styled, precise and highly enjoyable. Organically grown across three lieux-dits: La Crau, La Nerthe and La Rigole. Matured in oak barrels of various sizes and aged for six months, including 20% new oak. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Clos du Mont-Olivet | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | This is beautifully fragrant, combining white flowers, pear and orange flower water. Only medium-bodied, it's is fresh and fluid with good acidity and no heaviness. Precise, focused and long enough in the finish to feel satisfying; it's very impressive. Also contains 10% Grenache Blanc, and 1% each of Clairette Rose, Grenache Gris, Picardan and Picpoul Blanc, all grown on sandy soils. Fermented and aged for seven months mostly in stainless steel, with 11% going into new oak barriques and 4% into clay amphora. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2026. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Alary, L'Estevenas | Cairanne | 2020 | 94 | The best vintage of this wine I've tasted. Full-bodied, very generous but teamed with great energy, vibrancy, fresh pear and fennel. The acidity is low, but the freshness and minerality make up for it, resulting in a highly characterful wine of great balance and Provençal charm, with a long, tingling finish. Aged in stainless steel for only eight months. Should be a very good value white Rhône. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Little touches of lardo on the nose, this is fresh, full-bodied, rich, but not overly concentrated and with a long finish. Classic style, well-judged oak (just 10% new), persistent and very well made. Grown on sand in La Crau and La Janasse. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2027. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Pegau, Cuvée Réservée | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | This is a bit different, with strong yellow and Victoria plum notes. Firm and dry, with plenty of character, low but still fresh acidity, before a beeswax tone on the long, cleansing and sappy finish. Sandy limestone soils in lieu-dit Relagnes, fermented and matured in stainless steel. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2029. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | A much broader, riper aromatic profile than its Clos la Roquète. White flowers, citrus oils, rich and ripe pear. Full-bodied, broad and unctuous, it's precise both aromatically and in texture; a perfectly balanced Vieux Télégraphe blanc for early drinking - longevity is hard to predict at this stage. All from La Crau. Mostly aged in foudres and demi-muids, plus a few barriques, two of which were new this year. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine la Monardière, Galéjade | Vacqueyras | 2020 | 94 | An oaked style that's very rich and silky, however there's enough sweet fruit to balance it, ending with a great burst of pear and apple compote fruit. Full-bodied, opulent, with balanced acidity to freshen up the finish. Long, pure and saline. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2026. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine le Sang des Cailloux, Un Sang Blanc | Vacqueyras | 2020 | 94 | Lemon, lime, satsuma and lemon verbena, this is light-bodied, refreshing and very drinkable. Fine, precise and slightly Burgundian, with touches of cream and honey appearing. A blend of Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Matured in tonneau, foudre and 180-litre terracotta amphora. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Montirius, Minéral | Vacqueyras | 2020 | 94 | Subtle pear, honeysuckle and quince flavours, it's lean and dry on the palate, but finishes with great energy, cut and chalky minerals. Lots of personality and local interest. 30-year-old vines. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Pure Roussanne | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Full-bodied, generous, powerful and concentrated, despite the notable oak regime the fruit is to the fore. There's a touch of dryness on the tip of the tongue from the oak, but this is bombastic and flamboyant, for lovers of a big style of white Châteauneuf. Grown on galets roulés and sand, fermented then aged for eight months in new oak barriques. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Moulin-la-Viguerie, La Combe des Rieu | Tavel | 2020 | 94 | A very dark rosé, like a pale red Burgundy. A curious nose, with deep-set cinnamon spice to the blood orange and watermelon aromas. Full-bodied, tense and intense on the palate, with plenty of sappy acidity and a long, vinous, fresh finish with a touch of super-fine tannin. There's no excess fat, this is a fascinating wine, surely what Tavel should be striving for; owner-winemaker Gaël Petit takes another step forward. Red clay and limestone soils, hand-harvested, whole-bunch fermented. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2027. Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 98 | A very Clos des Papes vintage,' says Vincent Avril, and I know what he means - a vintage that naturally delivers the kind of fresh, elegant wines that this estate is famous for. A tasting of several foudres point to a wine with natural, easy balance. The Mourvèdre is excellent here this year, and adds great depth to the fresh and delightful Grenache that has notes of black tea, black cherry and iron. Elegant and very fine. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Chaupin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 98 | Full-bodied, generous in fruit and glycerol. The tannins and acidity seem to meld together into a single vertebral column. The alcohol is present, lending sweetness rather than heat. Remarkably elegant for a wine of these dimensions, with great, rising, upright flavours and structure. This is a very special wine with a long finish. Parcels of Grenache planted on lieux-dits Chapouin, La Janasse and La Crau, the oldest planted in 1912. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2038. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Closed for now, but very Mourvèdre in style: dense, dark and brooding. Great intensity but not as tannic as some vintages, showing lovely acidity, freshness and purity. This is a classic, compact and fresh style of Hommage, with great energy, plus endless length and depth. Around 60% of the blend comes from old vine Mourvèdre from their Courrieux vineyard. Grapes are destemmed, fermented in tronconic wooden vats using natural yeasts after a brief cold maceration, with regular punching down. Drinking Window: 2029 - 2048. Click to see full details | |
| Château Rayas | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | A tasting of the Coeur, Couchant and Levant parcels reveals a very classic vintage; light and feathery but with clarity and precision. Nonetheless, Emmanuel Reynaud believes it will be a vintage with a long life. It's particularly pale in colour this year, relatively light in body and tannic structure, too. There is a good sense of sucrosité at its heart, balanced with fresh acidity. A vintage of delicacy and charm rather than power. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2044. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Réservé | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Pure, lively black cherry, liquorice and violet; not huge in the mouth, but extraordinary concentration for the vintage. It's dense, with sweet tannins and great surging acidity. Clearly the alcohol is high, but you don't taste it as it's remarkably well-balanced, elegant, fine and incredibly intense: opulent without oak or artifice. Selection from Les Trois Sources, their oldest Grenache, and only produced when the Grenache is good enough. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Marcoux, Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Impressive depth of colour for the vintage, this is extremely round, fresh, clear and well-defined. Tannins are present and fairly strict in style, but they're ripe, and all in all this is exceptionally promising. Not huge in fruit or body, but well-balanced and precise. from 120-year-old vines planted on north-facing clay and sand lieux-dits of Charbonnières and Esquières. Fermented in concrete, aged in foudre. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Saint Préfert, Colombis | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | Interesting and unusual aromatic display, with liquorice, dark chocolate, woody herbs, raspberry and a touch of spice. Generous and flowing on the palate, the acid is piercing, precise and there's plenty of textural interest. Promises to be complex and fascinating in time, and the wait shouldn't be too long. Largely sandy soils, a small lieu-dit to the west of the village. All fermented and aged in tronconic vats. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Rotem & Mounir Saouma, Amphore Bigot | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 97 | An experiment 'to see how people made wine in antiquity,' says Mounier Saouma. From lieu-dit Bois de la Ville, made in unwaxed clay amphora, whole clusters spending 12 months inside, then pressed to stainless steel for four months before bottling. Very cloudy, yet to be settled, it possesses liquorice and cherry, extraordinary tension, intensity, incredible freshness and texture. An early stage to make a judgement on the wine, but this looks very interesting indeed. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Fresh and bright nose, then a palate with exceptionally smooth and fine tannins, lovely acidity and notes of blackberry and raspberry juice. Particularly fine, elegant and balanced this year. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Fonsalette | Côtes du Rhône | 2020 | 96 | Spicy southern Syrah, but one with a distinctly nordiste character this year. Medium-bodied with firm acidity, the tannins are ripe, all well-integrated into the fruit, giving a strong skeleton to the wine. A good vintage for this cuvée. A property close to the Massif d'Uchaux, north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, owned by Emmanuel Reynaud of Château Rayas. No destemming. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Château de St Cosme, Le Claux | Gigondas | 2020 | 96 | Beautifully fragrant nose of star anise, cedar and cigar tobacco. Full-bodied, rounded and seductively plump and juicy, showing clarity, precision and focus on the palate, the fruit melds well with the considerable oak element, and it finishes long, tight and saline. Best Gigondas of the vintage. Very old vines, all whole-cluster fermented in concrete, no destemming, indigenous yeasts, and matured 100% in barriques; one third new, one third second use, and the rest third use. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2038. Click to see full details | |
| Château Rayas, Pignan | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Vibrant strawberry and raspberry expression with a little animal touch underneath. Not the fullest or most concentrated vintage of Pignan, but a juicy, fresh and rounded one, with a little bitter nip on the finish. Grenache grown mostly on galets along with some young vines from Rayas. No destemming, short maceration, aged in old demi-muids. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Full and generous on the palate, no lack of fruit or depth here. Powerful and plentiful fine tannins and a great, rising sense of energy and freshness. Impressive, with real finesse and precision - no excess weight, but great surging intensity and freshness. Contains at least 1% of all the 18 possible varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grapes are grown across a variety of soil types in the lieux-dits Beau Renard, Cabrières and Coteau de l'Ange, vinified mostly in tronconic wooden vats, then aged in oak barrels of various sizes and ages, including 5% new oak. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2037. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Immediately impressive, densely fruited, with dark brooding blackberry and plum which make you sit up and take notice. It follows through onto the palate which is intense, juicy and fresh, this has more concentration than most this year, but without over extraction. Perfectly ripe, chunky and powerful, but not heavy. Fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudre and demi-muid. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2037. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Full, generous and broad. Acids are bright and vibrant, and there's a fine but dense weft of tannins through the wine. Great energy and salinity this year, this is particularly fine and balanced, with plenty of concentration and a long finish. All from La Crau and fermented in tronconic wood barrels. Élevage in foudre. Oldest Grenache bunches aren't destemmed. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2038. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Roger Sabon, Le Secret des Sabon | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Full-bodied and powerful, but not over the top and with a great sense of freshness. It's expansive, with gently sweet, vibrant black cherry and kirsch notes within soft, pliable fruit tannins and a long finish. A remarkably precise and balanced wine, not the most powerful this year, but one of the most drinkable. Mostly grown on sand, fermented in stainless steel then aged in tronconic wooden vats. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Santa Duc, La Crau Ouest | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Aromas of rose, raspberry, thyme and pine needles. Fine, full-bodied but not fat, showing super-fine tannins, lovely berry acidity and a long finish. Could be excellent in time, but already dangerously drinkable. Rich sandy soils of La Crau Ouest, 85-year-old vines, all aged in amphora. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| La Bastide St-Dominique, Les Hespérides | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Liquorice, tar and a slightly animal note lurking in the background from the Mourvèdre. Full-bodied, slick and lithe on the palate which is cut through by juicy acidity. Bold and juicy with no lack of depth, this has freshness and plentiful sinewy tannin to hold everything together. A remarkable wine. Vineyard planted in the 1950s in lieu-dit Les Bédines in galets roulés and sand. Fermented in stainless steel and then aged in stainless steel and demi-muids. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2039. Click to see full details | |
| La Bastide St-Dominique, Secrets de Pignan | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 96 | Fine, fresh and herbal with expressive black cherry, liquorice and violets. Full-bodied, gummy and ripe in fruit, but the acidity and plentiful tannin help to keep everything moving and focused. An exceptional, long expression of pure Grenache on sand, it has the fine tannins and elegant structure you'd hope for, alongside great freshness and balance. Its longevity isn't easy to predict, but it's hard to resist drinking now anyway. From a south-facing vineyard planted in 1920 in lieu-dit Pignan, fermented and then matured in stainless steel for 18 months. 6,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Alary, L'Estevenas | Cairanne | 2020 | 95 | Amazing aromatic expression, a kind of black olive caramel, with hints of cardamom. I could smell this all day. Medium- to full-bodied, but no excess flesh or weight on the palate which shows blackberries, dark chocolate, a great rising freshness, length and a raspberry finish. Strongly characterful and of great quality, it's complex, precise, defined and thrilling. From a parcel of Serine-clone Syrah planted in 1960, very early for the area. Likely to offer very good value for money. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Chante Cigale, PI | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | This is very good; it has brightness, freshness, energy and length, with fine-sand tannins on the finish. Black cherry and damson fruit, it's concentrated but not overly full-bodied, with good acidity which completes the package. Beautiful sense of lightness and lift on the palate. Grenache grown on sand in lieu-dit Pignan, partly destemmed, fermented in stainless steel and aged in foudre. 2,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Charvin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Little herbal note to the fruit bringing some complexity, this is saline, light, fresh, fluid and drinkable. Plenty of texture and interest to the fruit, with really searching tannins. Needs time to come round, will be elegant and charming when it does. Fruit, structure, fragrance and energy - it's got the lot. Very Charvin. Organically grown in the northwest of the appellation, in lieux-dits Cabrières and Maucoil where there's galets roulés and sand. It's fermented and then aged for 21 months in concrete using indigenous yeasts, then bottled unfiltered. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric 'Le Grand Pin' | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Rounded and generous, with the whole-bunch aspect integrated and harmonious. A touch of spice to the strawberry fruit, gentle in tannin and structure, with low acidity, then a long, savoury finish. 100% old-vine Grenache grown on sand in lieu-dit Pignan, no destemming, aged for 24 months in old demi-muids. 3,200 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Beautifully detailed nose with peppery freshness. Intense, with fine tannins, gently saline and not overly marked by wood this year - lovely drinkability. This is excellent and based on a recipe belonging to an ancestor of the Lançon family. It's unusual in its proportion of Counoise; with it are co-fermented Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Clairette Rose and Grenache Blanc. Aged in three-year-old barriques. No filtration or fining. 2,600 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Grapillon d'Or, Excellence | Gigondas | 2020 | 95 | Spicy reductive edge to the aromas brings some complexity and vivacity to the nose. Powerful acid line and tight, muscular tannins around dark fruits touched by liquorice before the long finish. An athletic style of Gigondas grown on clay limestone vineyards, with some Grenache up to 40 years old, the Syrah even older. Destemmed, fairly long maceration (35 days). Unfined and unfiltered. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine la Barroche, Pure | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Cherry blossom, thyme, strawberry and black olive. Medium-bodied, with piercingly bright acidity. Very classic style of Châteauneuf, bright and juicy, silky and not overly full-bodied, with a little touch of sucrosité at its heart. The alcohol is high but not hot, tempered by the acidity and raw energy in the wine. 100% Grenache from a plot of 100-year-old vines planted on the sandy soils at the junction of lieux-dits Rayas, Grand Pierre and Le Pointu. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Cuvée Impériale - Vignes Centenaires | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Generous, deep, focused, fruity and defined, this isn't giving away much at this stage, but it certainly has a good sense of freshness and balance. Powerful finish with fairly assertive tannins, with a little dry touch that should soften in time. Long finish. A wine like a finely tailored suit. From Grenache planted in 1901. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2036. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Saint-Préfert, Isabel Ferrando | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | This cuvée replaces the three historical red cuvées of the domaine (Classique, Auguste Favier and Charles Giraud). Quite introverted for now, seems to have everything required but needs time to knit together. Freshness, energy, fine and plentiful tannins with good acidity. While the alcohol is warming it is balanced. Could be very good in time, hard to judge now, but early signs are good and I'd like to see this again in bottle. From the galets roulés of lieu-dit Les Serres, fermented in concrete and then aged in concrete, old oak and amphora. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2036. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Santa Duc, Le Pied de Baud | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | The darkest, roundest and ripest of their Châteauneufs this year. Very generous, with super-fine, quite light tannins. Light, long and tremulous finish, slight raised alcohol, some wet-clay tannins and a sprinkling of dry herbs. From the sandy clay soils of the northern plateau of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all co-planted. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2033. Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Pie VI | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | The Syrah really gives this intense spice on the nose and it's already showing some potential for complexity. Fresh, not terribly deep, but plenty of power. Juicy, sweet ripe fruit at its core, then super-fine tannins flood the finish. A hedonistic, flamboyant but balanced wine that will provide a lot of unfettered pleasure. Grown on galets roulés, fermented then matured for 18 months in concrete. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2029. Click to see full details | |
| Moulin de la Gardette, Ventabren | Gigondas | 2020 | 95 | Very ripe style, with a touch of date and fig to the blackberry fruit. Well-balanced, harmonious style that's searching and intense. Long, with fruity acidity throughout. A selection of the oldest vines of the estate (65-115 years old), organically grown on sandstone and marl, handpicked, whole-bunch fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled after maturing in old foudres and demi-muids. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Piedlong | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 95 | Beautifully fragrant style, with rose and raspberry. Gentle, soft, not massive but rounded and smooth on the palate, showing bright acidity, and while the tannins are present they're melted into the wine. Drinkable, approachable, pure and well-balanced - very good this year. Grenache fermented in concrete, Mourvèdre in wood. Two years of élevage in foudres. No destemming with half of the Grenache. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Château de la Gardine, Immortelle | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Rounded, fruity, elegant and balanced. Seamlessly smooth palate, with fine fresh fruits melding well with the oak, a saline seam underneath. Long, precise, well-shaped and highly drinkable despite its size. The best from La Gardine for some time. Grown on a mix of soils, mostly galets roulés, with some limestone and clay. 1,500 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Château de St Cosme, Hominis Fides | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Ripe, figgy blackberry fruit, with a touch of menthol. Full-bodied, rich and generous palate, quite potent and powerful. Dense, thick tannic base and the alcohol is high. Grenache planted sometime around 1902 on Miocene calcareous sand, in a single vineyard. No destemming, 12 months maturation in French oak barriques: 30% new, 30% one-year-old, 30% two-year-old. Unfiltered. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2038. Click to see full details | |
| Clos St Michel, M M | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Full-bodied, ripe and rounded, the Mourvèdre provides some welcome padding and substance. Smooth, muscular tannins, good weight of fruit and plenty of length. Bold but fresh, grown on galets roulés, fermented and aged in concrete vats. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2031. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Chante Cigale, Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Good sense of vibrancy here, it's upright with good acidity and snappy, springy tannins. Great energy and already showing some burgeoning complexity. Tannins are fresh and searching. No great depth, but lots of pleasure to offer in its youth. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grown on galets roulés and sand in lieux-dits L’Arnesque, Bois Dauphin and Cabrières, part destemmed, fermented in stainless steel, aged in foudre and demi-muid. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric 'La Guigasse' | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Wonderfully fresh, juicy and gently sweet fruit teamed with herbal notes from the stalks, then a little bitter touch. Savoury style, only medium-bodied, but with plenty of personality. This is pure Grenache grown on sand in the lieu-dit La Guigasse, aged for 24 months in demi-muid. 4,800 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2031. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Le Haut Lieux | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Bright, vibrant, wonderfully smooth tannins and an exceptional expression of Mourvèdre. Lovely blueberry and violet, this is deep and brooding, the alcohol feels a little high but otherwise this is well-balanced and long. No Syrah in the blend here, plentiful Mourvèdre however, which performed well in 2020. From three parcels close to the limestone plateau with some clay, it's at relatively high altitude and thus late ripening, with less exposition to the sun. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Saje, Marquis Anselme Mathieu | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Decidedly spicy expression, I love the vibrancy and tight tannins, this has real tension and finesse. No great weight of fruit apparent, but this is very good, compact, focused and precise. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Terret Noir, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc, Muscardin, Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse, Roussanne, Counoise and Clairette. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bosquets, La Colline | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Fuller-bodied than most 2020 Gigondas, this has good fruit, purity and concentration. Acidity is high - this is crisp and vibrant - and the alcohol is fairly high, also, but this is still very good for the vintage. A little menthol touch brings interest and the oak is well-judged. La Colline is a single vineyard selection of old Grenache planted on blue marl and limestone at altitude. 80% destemmed then aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2033. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bosquets, Le Plateau... | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Earthy liquorice note to the red berry fruit and a touch of blackberry. I like the vibrancy, the intensity. Tannins are fairly low, but enjoyably textural, a little grainy perhaps, and the alcohol is fairly high. A good wine, that may well improve and show better after some time in bottle. Le Plateau is a single vineyard selection of old-vine Mourvèdre planted at high altitude in 1922, on blue marl and limestone, exposed north. Aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Bosquet des Papes, Chante Le Merle - Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | The deep-set herbal notes from the stems bring additional interest and complexity to the blackberry aromas, augmented by a touch of white pepper. Full-bodied, intense and vibrant, with an enjoyable freshness throughout and into the length. A little light in fruit, this will make for a lean but interesting, textural Châteauneuf. A selection of 80-90-year-old vines across different terroirs. No destemming, fermented in concrete then aged for 15 months in foudres, demi-muids and concrete. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Bosquet des Papes, Les Sens de Pignan | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Rounded, generous Grenache fruit, blackberry skin tannins, a touch of sucrosité, but overall more about the dry, intense palate and brusque tannins which are a little fibrous, but this should have some interesting character in time. A new cuvée from 70-80-year-old vines in lieu-dit Pignan, fermented in concrete, aged in foudres. 4,800 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Gour de Chaulé, Tradition | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Considerably more interesting on the nose than many Gigondas this year, revealing raspberry, cranberry and oregano. Full-bodied, but a fairly restrained tannic structure. Pure and harmonious, the alcohol is quite raised but otherwise the balance is good. Taken from 23 parcels around the appellation, hand-harvested, natural yeasts used, matured in concrete, foudres and old barriques. A good value option. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Grapillon d'Or, Cuvée 1806 | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Blueberry and liquorice touches to the blackberry fruit. This has more depth and expression than most this year. Good intensity and has plenty of personality. Firm acidity and strong, ripe tannins make for a robust but fresh and well-balanced Gigondas. Grown on clay limestone vineyards, with some Grenache up to 40 years old, the Syrah even older. Destemmed, fairly long maceration (35 days). Unfined, unfiltered. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Pegau, Cuvée Réservée | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Decidedly stemmy, this has lots of white pepper and a slightly vegetal note. Full-bodied, very savoury, this ends on fibrous stems - they're not very well-integrated yet, but they rarely are at this stage; give it time. Good purity and freshness of fruit, however, with juicy raspberry and plum, which helps to smooth over the stems. Very fresh, good acidity, moderate alcohol - this could be a great Pegau in time. The remaining 10% of the blend contains a further 10 minor Châteauneuf varieties. Whole-bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Père Caboche, Vieilles Vignes Elisabeth Chambellan | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Powerful, intense, juicy and robust on the palate, this has soaring acidity and ripe tannin holding up the juicy damson and black cherry fruit. A touch of thyme brings freshness. Impressive. The best from Père Caboche in a long time. Grown in lieux-dits La Crau and La Font du Pape, mostly galets roulés. Aged in stainless steel, foudres and concrete. 9,000 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine le Sang des Cailloux, Lopy | Vacqueyras | 2020 | 94 | Charming and deliciously drinkable now; so focused and precise. Does it have the depth to age? Time will tell. Rounded, fluid and very Burgundian, with fine tannins and good length. 20% whole bunch, aged in amphora and old barrels. No Hommage cuvée will be made this year. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2032. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Les Goubert, Cuvée Florence | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Coffee bean and vanilla pod oak work well with the fruit. Full-bodied, there's a little herbal touch in the background, oregano and blackcurrant leaf. Grip and intensity on the palate, this is quite lean structurally, but there's some serious fruit here. Will take some time to come together, but should be complex. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Olivier Hillaire, Les Terrasses | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Cherries and roses, with precise, raspberry-ish acidity and fine tannins. There's a little sweet strawberry touch at its heart, light extraction and no distracting oak; immediate and drinkable. It's not about depth or power, just a lovely fresh and juicy expression of Grenache. An atypically light style. Grown on galets roulés in lieu-dit Les Escondudes. Fermented in concrete, aged in old barriques. 2,500 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2024. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Richaud | Cairanne | 2020 | 94 | Beautifully accessible and attractive nose, with notes of juniper, bay, black olive and blackberry. Great impact and intensity, beautifully bright fruit, the alcohol is high but the wine can handle it. Explosively open, this is Cairanne writ large. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Counoise. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Richaud, L'Ebrescade | Cairanne | 2020 | 94 | Great freshness, purity, brightness and liveliness, showing lovely, vivid fruit expression. Bay leaf, olive, cassis, blackberry and leather, you really sense the Mourvèdre. From a single vineyard planted on clay limestone near the border with Cairanne. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Santa Duc, Clos Derrière Vieille | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Soft, rounded, very fluid style with gentle tannins. Soft and pillowy but ending neat and fresh. A charming, red-fruited, drinkable style. No Mourvèdre in the blend this year. From northwest-facing vineyards of grey marl with cold soils at 300m altitude, surrounded by woods. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Santa Duc, Les Hautes Garrigues | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Strong Mourvèdre profile here, with heavy aromas like a dense fug. Soft, gently unctuous fruit including blackberry and black cherry. Fresh with bold, muscular tannins and a long finish. This wine is well balanced this year, definitely one to buy. Planted at the foot of the Cône around their house. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Santa Duc, Les Saintes Vierges | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Rounded, fresh, generous in puppy fat, showing strawberry, blackberry and plum fruit. Fine tannins, slightly raised alcohol, good sense of intensity and finesse. From the far east of the appellation, fine sandy soils, varieties all co-planted. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Julien Masquin, Si… rare | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Full-bodied, with a touch of oak sweetness and fruit to the fore on the palate. Cedar and tobacco notes from the oak, but it's not overwhelming and there remains a great sense of freshness and finesse; this has intensity and focus even without any great fruit concentration. It could be very good in time - worth keeping an eye on. Partial destemming and fermentation in concrete is followed by ageing in demi-muid. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2030. Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos des Cazaux, Le Souiras | Gigondas | 2020 | 94 | Dark chocolate and vanilla touches to the black cherry fruit. Middleweight, not excessive, but good concentration and vibrancy running through the wine into the length. Juicy and delicious, with a subtle mineral seam giving the wine brightness and persistence. Remarkably well balanced - could be very interesting once bottled. Old Grenache vines planted in blue clay at 400m, part destemmed, to be matured for a total of 36 months. 1,200 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Quartz | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | Juicy, rounded, relaxed and transparent. Enjoyably drinkable, approachable and compact, it feels unforced and authentic, with ripe tannins, fresh blackberry acidity and a neat, precise finish. Grown half on large pebbles, half on sand in lieu-dit Les Cassanets. Destemmed then fermented in tronconic concrete vats, then matured mostly in demi-muid and old barriques except for 7% in amphora. 6,800 bottles made. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2028. Click to see full details | |
| Rotem & Mounir Saouma, Omnia | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2020 | 94 | A great sense of tension, though light extraction. Spicy, with fine tannins. Fruit coming from eight different terroirs and all five Châteauneuf communes. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2038. Click to see full details |