Latest from Decanter (Vanilla) in Rhone-en-primeur

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 key producers:

Domaine JP Jamet, Côte-Rôtie
E Guigal, Côte-Rôtie
Stéphane Ogier, Côte-Rôtie
M Chapoutier, Condrieu
Pierre Jean Villa, Condrieu

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed Condrieu then Côte-Rôtie in score order.

St-Joseph 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:31:47 +0000

It felt like I was tasting two different vintages while working my way through more than 100 St-Josephs this year. Some of the reds were diminutive but fresh and well-balanced; others were soft, luxurious and liqueur-fruited.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

There are a lot of very good wines to choose from however, particularly in the lighter style, which was more prevalent around the southern pole of the appellation near Mauves.

The whites were also very good. Though some were overdone and heavy – particularly those using excessive new oak – most have managed to balance richness and drinkability. Nonetheless, expect an opulent, bombastic style.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | Crozes-Hermitage | Cornas & St-Péray | Hermitage

Rhône 2022 score tables:

St-Joseph 2022 key producers:

Domaine Coursodon
Domaine Gonon
Domaine JL Chave
Lionel Faury
M Chapoutier

St-Joseph 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Cornas & St-Péray 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:15:06 +0000

Cornas

It was particularly dry in Cornas, with about 100mm of rain between April and harvest, according to Pierre Clape. It’s no surprise therefore that the ripening blockages are felt more keenly here than elsewhere in the north. ‘But the leaves stayed green, in contrast to 2003,’ says Clape.

Tannins can be difficult, rough and fibrous in places, but, both here and elsewhere, sensitive use of oak has helped to paper over the cracks and add some palate weight.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

St-Péray

It’s a more consistent vintage in St-Péray, where the wines are generous and will be at their best in their youth.

It was a tough year for Roussanne throughout the northern Rhône, but Marsanne performed well, and tended to produce fresher and more balanced wines than Viognier.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Crozes-Hermitage | Hermitage

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Cornas & St-Péray 2022 key producers:

Franck Balthazar, Cornas
Domaine Clape, Cornas
Domaine Vincent Paris, Cornas
Cave de Tain, St-Péray
M Chapoutier, St-Péray

Cornas & St-Péray 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of St-Péray and Cornas in score order.

Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:54 +0000

It’s an unusual style of red Hermitage this year: smaller in structure and stature than a usual year. Again, as with other appellations, it’s primarily down to problems with ripening – Guillaume Sorrel said it didn’t rain at all on the hill of Hermitage in June, July or August, and Maxime Chapoutier remembers the mercury hitting 40 ̊C as early as June.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

When balanced, the wines are charming, approachable and fairly fresh. The best will build complexity over time, but most will be at their peak when fairly young, about the 10-14 year mark. Soils with more clay such as Le Méal supplied wines with depth and intensity, but that Hermitage grandeur isn’t always present in 2022.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Cornas & St-Péray | Crozes-Hermitage

‘It was a bit more difficult for whites as they don’t like drought,’ says Jean-Louis Chave. In contrast to the reds, the whites are often very concentrated and powerful, sometimes with confit notes like dried pear. It’s not always the most elegant vintage for white Hermitage, but the best are majestic, unmistakably Hermitage, and will be very long-lived.

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Hermitage 2022 key producers:

Domaine JL Chave
Domaine Laurent Fayolle
Domaine Marc Sorrel
E Guigal
M Chapoutier

Hermitage 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below scored 92 points and above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Walls: Get to know the 20 lieux-dits of Hermitage

Walls: Tasting Hermitage 2001 20 years on

Getting to know white Hermitage

Crozes-Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:39 +0000

After the disastrous 2021 vintage, 2022 is certainly a step up, though stylistically it couldn’t be more varied.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

At one end of the spectrum, the Crozes-Hermitage wines are thin, dilute and green; at the other, overripe with high alcohol. They tend toward the fuller end of the scale however, often with black fruit flavours and thick, suede tannins. Acidities are low, but so are alcohol levels.

So not a brilliant year, but there are some standout wines that transcend the vintage.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Cornas & St-Péray | Hermitage

The whites are more consistent in both quality and style. It’s an opulent and sometimes heavy vintage, but when the wines have sufficient freshness and acidity to balance out the richness, they can be delicious. Flavours often tend towards mango and pineapple rather than orchard fruit, and I would drink them as young as possible.

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Domaine Combier, Laurent Combier, Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2022

Crozes-Hermitage 2022 key producers:

David Reynaud
Domaine Combier
Domaine Laurent Fayolle
Domaine Marc Sorrel
Yves Cuilleron

Crozes-Hermitage 2022 top value wines:

Domaine Mucyn, Les Entrecoeurs, Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2022

David Reynaud, Beaumont, Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2022

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 90 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Crozes-Hermitage 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Rhône producer to know: Domaine Laurent Habrard, Crozes-Hermitage

Northern Rhône whites: Panel tasting results

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:21 +0000

Northern Rhône 2022 overall vintage rating: 4/5

Diverse in style and quality due to intense heat and drought. Blockages in ripening were widespread around Cornas and Hermitage, making for some lighter wines with moderate alcohol; others more robust. Côte-Rôtie tends to be soft and velvety. Whites can be overly rich but some are enjoyably powerful and exuberant.

‘Most will drink young and into the medium term, but the more tannic, structured wines will take a long time to soften, then age for decades’

In both the northern and southern Rhône, the contrast between the 2021 and 2022 vintages couldn’t be stronger. The 2021 vintage saw widespread frosts, then a cool, wet season; in 2022, growers were spared any frost damage, but experienced a hot, dry year.

In the north, there was almost a month’s difference in picking dates between 2021 and 2022: in 2021, Domaine Clape started harvesting its reds on 20 September; in 2022, it was 23 August.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring northern Rhône 2022 wines

The drought was less severe compared to the southern Rhône, but it was still extremely parched. Cornas struggled with widespread blockages in ripening due to water stress, and some wines display green, fibrous tannins as a result. Hermitage suffered too, but not to the same degree. Côte-Rôtie was blessed with a little more rain, and it shows in the style of the wines; softer, more velvety, if sometimes lacking acidity.

Stéphane Ogier, of his eponymous domaine, notes that ripening issues were more common with younger vines, and stressed the importance of fermenting with stems in 2022, which contributes structure and freshness and reduces alcohol levels.

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Both bunches and berries were reduced in size in 2022 – Loïc Jamet at Domaine JP Jamet says that in some bunches ‘some grapes didn’t even touch each other, they were so small’. That’s good for aerating the grapes, reducing the likelihood of disease, but bad for overall yields.

The lack of water meant that even the vines themselves were stunted, often reaching little more than shoulder height, compared to the often lofty canopies which reach above head height. This meant limited photosynthesis, which was one reason why the wines have modest alcohol levels this year – typically 12.5% to 13.5% for reds, 13% to 14% for whites.

The hot, dry weather made for a relatively hassle-free year in the vineyard. Jamet says ‘it was quite an easy year for us, there wasn’t much need to scissor the vines [to control the canopy], and no rot’.

Pierre Rostaing of Domaine Rostaing says that there was little grass to cut between the vines. ‘But it was hard to watch the vines suffer,’ he says, with many vines, particularly younger ones, not surviving the summer.

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022: full report and top-scoring wines

Due to the disparity of style throughout the region this year, it’s hard to generalise about ageability; most will drink young and into the medium term, but the more tannic, structured wines will take a long time to soften, then age for decades. Consulting drinking windows is advisable.

There was much optimism among growers about vines acclimatising to hot, dry summers. Clément Bärtschi, winemaker and cellar master at M Chapoutier, adds that ‘growers have also adapted’ in the way they work: leaving more leaf shadow on the grapes, pressing more gently, reducing new oak, spraying wet clay on grapes to slow down ripening, picking whites earlier and seeking more generous yields.

And unlike 2003, ‘no-one planned to be on the coast in mid-August,’ says Bärtschi. This time growers were ready to react. The result is a better vintage than 2003, and although very mixed in style and quality, there are plenty of wines worth seeking out.

Northern Rhône 2022 red wine of the vintage

Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage

Northern Rhône 2022 white wine of the vintage

M Chapoutier, Le Méal, Hermitage

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Cornas & St-Péray | Hermitage | Crozes-Hermitage

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Top 10 northern Rhône producers

Domaine Clape
Domaine JL Chave
Domaine JP Jamet
Domaine Marc Sorrel
Domaine Rostaing
E Guigal
Franck Balthazar
M Chapoutier
Pierre Jean Villa
Stéphane Ogier

Top-scoring northern Rhône 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 96 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:16:52 +0000

Rasteau

Outside Châteauneuf, the best performing appellation was Rasteau. There were no problems with green tannins here, which Jérôme Bressy of Domaine Gourt de Mautens believes is thanks to the abundance of clay. The 2022 vintage has delivered wines with bright fruit, good concentration and balanced alcohol. They are often robustly tannic however, so pay close attention to drinking windows.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Cairanne

There are many good Cairannes as well, which are also more tannic than a typical year. Marcel Richaud reported low yields and grapes with very thick skins.

Most are juicy rather than deep in style, occasionally with subtle herbal nuances, either from use of whole bunches or from blockages in ripening. Cairanne whites are decent if less inspiring than the reds in 2022, and will be best drunk young.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise | Lirac & Tavel

Vinsobres

Vinsobres largely failed to live up to its potential this year. Wines tend to be either overly soft and alcoholic, or brandish thuggish tannins. There were a few exceptions that managed to find a balance.

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 key producers:

Domaine des Escaravailles, Rasteau
Domaine Elodie Balme, Rasteau
Domaine Clos Romane, Cairanne
Domaine Richaud, Cairanne
Famille Perrin, Vinsobres

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 wines:

See below the top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne and Vinsobres wines, listed by appellation and white then red in score order.

Lirac & Tavel 2022: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 09:15:30 +0000

Lirac

On top of drought and intense heat in 2022, the west bank of the Rhône also had to deal with hail, which caused localised damage.

The reds in Lirac are very concentrated this year, sometimes overripe or sternly tannic. The whites and rosés based on Clairette tend to be the most vibrant.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Lirac & Tavel 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Tavel

It’s not a terribly fresh year for Tavel either, but standards are improving here, with a new generation producing increasing numbers of wines with character and personality.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise | Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Lirac & Tavel 2022 key producers:

Château de Manissy, Tavel
Domaine des Carabiniers, Tavel
Domaine Lafond, Tavel
Château de Montfaucon, Lirac
Domaine de Castel Oualou, Lirac

Lirac & Tavel 2022 top value wines:

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Lirac & Tavel 2022 wines:

See below all of the Tavel and Lirac wines from the 2022 en primeur report.

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:53:05 +0000

Gigondas

The picture is more mixed in Gigondas than in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with more instances of unripe tannin due to higher crop loads or picking too early.

The successful wines have impact, freshness and low alcohol, even if they aren’t always terribly deep or long in flavour. The best however are excellent, and I share the opinion of Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme that these will age with interest.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Vacqueyras

Vacqueyras was more consistent, with fewer problems with phenolic ripeness. Frédéri Férigoule of Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux stressed the importance of green harvesting in 2022: ‘We had a good crop load, but it was too much to ripen,’ he says.

Vacqueyras reds are broadly juicy and well balanced this year with refreshingly moderate alcohol. Some are drinking well already, but other more tannic examples will benefit from a few years to soften up. The whites are rich and tropical, often with high alcohol.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres | Lirac & Tavel

Beaumes de Venise

Beaumes de Venise reds were also mixed, with some monstrously tannic wines which will likely never come round. But overall it was a good vintage here – wines with intensity and vibrancy. The sweet Muscats however tend towards heaviness.

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Key Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise producers in 2022

Château de St Cosme, Gigondas
Domaine des Bosquets, Gigondas
Domaine Santa Duc, Gigondas
Domaine la Ligière, Beaumes de Venise
Domaine Montirius, Vacqueyras

Best value Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise wines in 2022

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise, white then red in score order.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022: Report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:22:03 +0000

Antoine Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne was unsure about the season as it progressed. ‘We were cautious to begin with, we had low expectations,’ he says, ‘but the old vines were still very healthy at the end despite the dryness.’ He was pleased with the domaine’s wines in 2022 – they have silky tannins, moderate alcohol and good acidity.

Châteauneuf rode out the challenges of 2022 better than any other appellation this year, and unpleasantly green tannins are relatively rare.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 wines

‘The lower the yield, the easier it is for the vine to adapt,’ says Antoine’s father Jean-Paul Daumen. They averaged 22hl/ha (the authorised maximum is 35hl/ha).

It was the same figure at Château de Beaucastel, where César Perrin agrees on the importance of old vines. ‘Our job with global warming is to keep the old vineyards,’ he says, and thinks there are two styles of wine this year: juicy wines from young vines for drinking within five years, and more powerful wines from old vines for drinking after 15. He compares 2022 to 2005 – a good but tannic year that took a long time to come round.

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

All the growers I spoke to agreed on the importance of the rain that fell throughout the region on 14 August, which helped to swell the berries with juice and unlock some vines whose ripening had stalled. For many, it saved the vintage.

For certain producers to the far east of the appellation, however, the storm had the opposite effect. Nicolas Brunier of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe clearly remembers that day. ‘We got a call saying there’s a storm coming,’ he recalls. But here instead of rain it brought hail. ‘Thirty minutes later and there’s nothing left… no more leaves, no more grapes, nothing – a catastrophe.’

It’s the first year in the domaine’s history that no red or white Vieux Télégraphe was made. There is some weather that even old vines can’t withstand.

See the Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Key Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers in 2022

Château de Beaucastel
Château Rayas
Domaine de Cristia
Domaine de la Janasse
Domaine de la Mordorée

Best value Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines in 2022

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Individual appellation analysis on:

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise | Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres | Lirac & Tavel

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Southern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:21:31 +0000

Southern Rhône 2022 overall vintage rating: 4/5

Extreme weather conditions produced reds that range from light and juicy to dense and powerful. Blockages in ripening caused by heat and drought made for moderate alcohol levels, but sometimes tough tannins. Whites can lack freshness. Some excellent, ageworthy Châteauneuf-du-Papes; also good in Rasteau.

‘Hot, dry vintages tend to favour red wines and 2022 is no exception. In general the style is fairly concentrated and fruity, if not profound’

Budbreak was a little later than an average year in the southern Rhône, yet harvest was early, so the growing season was contracted due to the extraordinary heat and drought.

Flowering went well, and it was the earliest veraison (when grapes turn from green to red) ever reported.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring southern Rhône 2022 wines

The extreme weather conditions were both a blessing and a curse. Berries were particularly small this year due to the lack of water, meaning a large proportion of skins compared to juice, making for some very tannic wines. This isn’t problematic if the tannins are ripe, but where the hydric stress was more severe, some wines lack depth or taste green and bitter. The hot weather also contributed to low levels of acidity.

One welcome effect of the stop-start ripening, however, was to curb alcohol levels, which are pleasantly low this year. The dry weather at harvest, which started in mid-August for the whites, meant there was no disease pressure in the vineyards and producers could wait for the right moment to pick.

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Hot, dry vintages tend to favour red wines and 2022 is no exception. Grenache fared well, particularly old vines grown on water-retaining clay, whose roots had better access to water reserves. Mourvèdre is very dense and tannic this year, providing resonance and ageing potential. Syrah struggled in the heat.

The whites can lack elegance and freshness, but certain producers with old vines in the best terroirs made some very impressive wines, in a broad, generous, Provençal style. It was often the Clairette-based blends that stood out for their freshness over the richer Roussanne.

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: full report and top-scoring wines

Individual appellation analysis:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise | Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres | Lirac & Tavel

Because some vines suffered blockages and others didn’t, it’s hard to summarise the style of the 2022s in the southern Rhône, but in general it’s fairly concentrated and fruity, if not profound.

Châteauneuf performed the best, while the more brutally tannic, overripe or overly alcoholic wines were found elsewhere. It’s a better vintage than I expected, and there are many good wines to buy, some of which will age well. There are also plenty of wines to swerve.

Southern Rhône 2022 red wine of the vintage

Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric La Guigasse, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Southern Rhône 2022 white wine of the vintage

Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Top 10 southern Rhône producers in 2022

Château de Beaucastel
Château de St Cosme
Château Rayas
Clos des Papes
Domaine de Beaurenard
Domaine de Cristia
Domaine de la Janasse
Domaine de la Mordorée
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
Le Clos du Caillou

Top-scoring southern Rhône 2022 wines:

A selection of 30 southern Rhône wines which scored 95 points or above, listed white then red in score order.

Rhône 2022 en primeur: Full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:38 +0000

Rhône 2022 en primeur vintage rating:

Northern Rhône: 4 /5

Diverse in style and quality due to intense heat and drought. Blockages in ripening were widespread around Cornas and Hermitage, making for some lighter wines with moderate alcohol; others more robust. Côte-Rôtie tends to be soft and velvety. Whites can be overly rich but some are enjoyably powerful and exuberant

Southern Rhône: 4 /5

‘Never before has a vintage so confounded my expectations’

While preparing for my three-week visit to taste the 2022 vintage in the Rhône, I read that the region experienced the hottest and driest growing season since 1950. Even hotter and drier than 2003 – a vintage burned into the memory of local winemakers. So I approached the tastings with a degree of trepidation. Extreme conditions rarely make for balanced wines.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rhône 2022 wines

But as I started to work my way through them, a very different picture began to emerge. Rather than boozy behemoths, what I often found were middle-weight wines with just-ripe berry fruits and moderate alcohol levels. Some were lean, even, with green, unripe tannins. Never before has a vintage so confounded my expectations.

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

The drought started early in the year, and barely let up until harvest. Between 15 October 2021 and 1 September 2022, it rained just 300mm in the southern Rhône, compared to an average of 600mm. Combined with the intense heat (it was the hottest May on record) many vines simply shut down and stopped growing in order to conserve water.

Some winemakers I spoke to, such as Jean-Paul Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne and Jean-Louis Chave, believe this is evidence of vines adapting to an increasingly extreme climate. Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme describes these blockages due to hydric stress as the vine’s ‘security mode’. He says that ‘in 2003, the vines kept growing when they should have shut down… what we have [in 2022] is very different.’ To many, it gives hope for the future.

Rhône 2022 red wine of the vintage:

Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric La Guigasse, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2022

Rhône 2022 white wine of the vintage:

M Chapoutier, Le Méal, Hermitage, Rhône, France 2022

Although the whole of the Rhône Valley experienced similar weather conditions, this effect isn’t uniform. It’s slightly more common in the north than in the south. As well as this leaner style of red, there are others that feel jammy and alcoholic, and you can find both styles side by side all over the region. It makes generalising about appellations and even producers difficult. So although there are some great wines, 2022 is too variable to be described as a great vintage, but it’s largely a good one.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the standout appellation, thanks to its wealth of old vine Grenache with deep root systems. But the northern Rhône was marginally more consistent in quality. In both north and south, the greatest terroirs really proved their worth.

Northern Rhône 2022: full report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022: full report and top-scoring wines

Lovers of white Rhône were spoiled in 2020 and 2021, but the wines in 2022 don’t have the same freshness or acidity. There are some very good whites for those seeking richness and power, but generally speaking, this is a vintage for reds.

It’s hard to predict exactly what style of wine you’ll get from a 2022 Rhône without opening a bottle or reading a review. It might be underripe, it might be overripe. It might walk the line between the two and be utterly delicious. It’s certainly better than 2003. And if the weather continues to be chaotic, it may well be a vision of vintages to come.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Cornas & St-Péray | Hermitage | Crozes-Hermitage

Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise | Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres | Lirac & Tavel

Rhône 2022 score tables:

Key Rhône producers in 2022:

Top 10 northern Rhône producers

Domaine Clape
Domaine JL Chave
Domaine JP Jamet
Domaine Marc Sorrel
Domaine Rostaing
E Guigal
Franck Balthazar
M Chapoutier
Pierre Jean Villa
Stéphane Ogier

Top 10 southern Rhône producers

Château de Beaucastel
Château de St Cosme
Château Rayas
Clos des Papes
Domaine de Beaurenard
Domaine de Cristia
Domaine de la Janasse
Domaine de la Mordorée
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
Le Clos du Caillou

Top-scoring Rhône 2022 wines

See below the 30 highest scoring wines, listed white then red in score order.

Rhône 2022 en primeur diary: The north

Matt Walls — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:41:54 +0000

A week in the life of a Rhône correspondent during en primeur…

Sunday 17 September

Tain l’Hermitage train station. (Image credit: Matt Walls)

If I leave my house in the UK after breakfast, I can reach Tain l’Hermitage by train in time for dinner. It’s a journey I make several times a year, but my autumn visit when I taste the new vintage (in this case the 2022) is the most instructive – and the most gruelling. Tasting around 80 wines a day takes a lot of concentration and you finish the day exhausted. Is that the sound of tiny violins I hear as I pull into the station? I press on undeterred.

For a region so obsessed with rugby, it’s surprisingly difficult to find somewhere to watch this evening’s England game. I’m directed to a new bar on the edge of town that opened a few months ago, called Numéro 9. It does a good burger and the terrace has a panoramic view of the hill of Hermitage – a sight I never tire of.

After the match, my mind turns to the week ahead, five days of intensive tasting and visits. I’ve heard it was a hot and dry vintage, but reading some weather reports clarifies the situation – 2022 was the hottest and driest since 1950. Uh-oh. Will I find a repeat of the jammy 2003s, a year that suffered similar conditions? I sincerely hope not.

Monday 18 September

Tasting 2022s at Chapoutier. (Image credit: Matt Walls)

I’m woken up at 5am by a clap of thunder. It’s still raining when I get up. Normally I walk up to the Chapelle on Hermitage hill before a day’s tasting in Tain, but the lazy devil on my shoulder is rather smug – I have a satisfactory excuse to skip the morning’s exercise. I drive to the Maison des Vins, windscreen wipers on maximum, which will be my base for the next few days.

After lunch I visit Chapoutier to taste through its 2022s, including some very impressive Hermitage. Maxime Chapoutier says they saw 180mm of rain in certain parcels during the last 12 hours – that’s a quarter of a year’s rainfall. The term ‘climate chaos’ is no exaggeration.

I finish the day at Le Tournesol restaurant in Tournon. It’s run by a welcoming husband-and-wife team serving small plates of seasonal French cooking, and has an exceptional wine list with lots of hard-to-find gems. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Tuesday 19 September

Rain damage in Hermitage. (Image credit: Matt Walls)

I get up early to blue skies. The foot of the hill of Hermitage is cluttered with heaps of sandy soil washed down the slopes, broken échalas (the poles on which the vines are trained), bits of old vine…despite a small tree blocking the path I make my way to the summit. The Rhône River flows a muddy brown below.

Today I’m tasting Cornas and Hermitage. Expecting sweetly ripe fruit and high alcohol, what I find is the opposite – light, just-ripe wines, sometimes with green tannins. It’s confounding.

An afternoon visiting Pierre and Olivier Clape of Domaine Clape, then Franck Balthazar of his eponymous domaine, sheds some light on the vintage – it was so dry in 2022 that some vines shut down and stopped ripening. Things begin to make sense.

Wednesday 20 September

Blind tasting at the Maisons des Vins. (Image credit: Matt Walls)

I work through the whites today. Some appellations, such as St-Joseph, are more successful than others. It’s certainly not as fresh and tense in style as the cool 2021 – quite the opposite, rich and potent.

A visit to Domaine Gonon is always a highlight of my northern Rhône tastings. Jean Gonon is buoyant but weary after a tough season – he’s just finished harvesting the 2023s. ‘The most stressful moment is deciding when to pick,’ he says, and stresses the importance of having a good team at harvest.

We taste the 2019, 2020 and 2021 wines from bottle; a sample of 2022 from tank; then take a peek at his 2023s, still fermenting, frothy and sweet.

Thursday 21 September

A daunting line-up of red Crozes-Hermitage today – 76 in total. The hot, dry weather is reflected in the wines here: very ripe, powerful, with suede-like tannins. They are certainly more successful than the disastrous 2021s, but not all have good balance.

Afterwards I meet with Grégory Joannès, the new managing director of Paul Jaboulet Aîné. The company has been restructured, and a new property established. The jewel in the Jaboulet crown, Hermitage La Chapelle, has been scythed off, and will now be made in a new winery called Domaine de la Chapelle. Paul Jaboulet Aîné will continue to make its other domaine wines and negociant blends, with a tighter focus on the northern Rhône. I’ll get the full low-down in November.

Friday 22 September

Pierre Rostaing of Domaine Rostaing. (Image credit: Matt Walls)

A day of visits around Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu today, starting at 9am at Domaine JP Jamet. Wow, its Côte-Rôties are tannic! Certainly more structured than a typical year, but still detailed, fresh and expressive.

Pierre Rostaing’s are softer and more velvety in style. The weather in 2022 made for a relatively relaxed end to the season – there was no grass to cut and no disease pressure due to the drought. But ‘it was hard to watch the vines suffer,’ he says. Usually around 1% of his vines die naturally each year. It was 3%-4% in 2022. There will be a lot of replanting to do this winter.

A comprehensive tasting of Stéphane Ogier’s single-vineyard wines, some brilliant, finishes a long and enlightening week.

I expected wines akin to 2003 or 2019; what I found was a fascinating if curious mix of 2014, 2016 and 2018. Is it a good year? Yes; but not uniformly. It will be interesting to see how the southern Rhône compares. I’ll let you know.

Look out for Matt Walls’ southern Rhône diary next week.

Rhône 2021: best value wines

Matt Walls — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:53:47 +0000

Severe frost in early April wreaked havoc across both the northern and southern appellations of the Rhône Valley in 2021, with many producers losing a large majority of their crop.

The reds that did materialise tend towards lean, green flavours, because grapes struggled to ripen. A few producers struck lucky, with late-budding varieties or pockets of vineyard less affected by frost.

But overall, it is the whites that really shine, showing freshness, precision and longevity.

St-Joseph, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise offer particularly good value this year.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Matt Walls’ best value Rhône 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Rhône 2021: best value wines at a glance

Northern Rhone

Domaine Garon, Blanc, St-Joseph

M Chapoutier, Haut Chamblard, St-Péray

Domaine François Merlin, Rouge, St-Joseph

Domaine Guy Farge, Harmonie, Cornas

Domaine Lionel Faury, La Gloriette Rouge, St-Joseph

Southern Rhône

Domaine A Berthet-Rayne, Castel Mireio Blanc, Cairanne

Domaine la Ligière, Chemin Blanc, Vacqueyras

Château Redortier, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Domaine des Bernardins, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Le Clos de Caveau, Fruit Sauvage Rouge, Vacqueyras

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Rhône 2021: best value wines by appellation:

Below is a list of some of the best value wines within their appellation.

Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu

Benjamin & David Duclaux, La Chana, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Burgaud, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine François Merlin, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Garon, Les Triotes, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Garon, La Vieille Maison, Condrieu

Domaine Niero, Chérytage, Condrieu

Domaine Niero, Coeur de Roncharde, Condrieu

Cornas and St-Péray

Domaine Bernard Gripa, Les Figuiers, St-Péray

Domaine Guy Farge, Grain de Silex, St-Péray

Delas, Chante Perdrix, Cornas

Domaine A&E Verset, Signature Verset, Cornas

Domaine Guy Farge, Harmonie, Cornas

St-Joseph

Domaine Alain Voge, Les Côtes Rouge

Domaine Coursodon, Paradis Saint Pierre Blanc

Domaine François Merlin, Rouge

Domaine Garon, Blanc

Domaine Guy Farge, Vania Blanc

Hermitage

Cave de Tain, Au Coeur des Siècles Blanc

Domaine du Colombier, Blanc

Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières Blanc

Crozes-Hermitage

Domaine Aléofane, Blanc

Domaine des Combat, Cuvée Domaine Blanc,

Domaine Gaylord Machon, La Fille Dont J’ai Rêvé Blanc

Domaine Marc Sorrel, Blanc

David Reynaud, Beaumont Rouge

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Château Sixtine, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos du Mont-Olivet, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos St Michel, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos St Michel, Tradition Biologique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine de la Solitude, Tradition Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine du Grand Tinel, Les Roussannes de Charles, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise

Château Redortier, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Clos de Caveau, Fruit Sauvage Rouge, Vacqueyras,

Domaine des Bernardins, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Domaine du Cayron, Gigondas

Domaine la Ligière, Chemin Blanc, Vacqueyras

Domaine Raspail-Ay, Gigondas

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres

Domaine A Berthet-Rayne, Castel Mireio, Cairanne

Domaine Alary, L’Estévenas, Cairanne

Domaine des Amadieu, La Copado, Rasteau

Domaine Pique-Basse, Rasteau

Famille Perrin, Les Hauts de Julien, Vinsobres

Lirac & Tavel

Domaine Coudoulis, Euphorie, Lirac

Domaine Maby, La Fermade, Lirac

Château d’Aqueria, Tavel

Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois, Tavel

Les Vignerons de Tavel, Domaine des Carteresses, Tavel

The best value Rhône 2021 wines to seek out:

Wines listed northern then southern Rhône, by colour and score.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:46:21 +0000

Northern Rhône 2021 overall vintage rating: 2.5/5

Consistently excellent white wines, but reds very mixed due to severe frost and a mild, rainy season. Some are weak and green, others very good in a fresh and structured style.

‘The style of 2021 is light, lean and fresh, with high acidity, low alcohol and strict tannins…but for many producers making red wines, 2021 will be a year best forgotten. For white wines, the opposite is true.’

Northern Rhône 2021 red wine of the vintage

M Chapoutier, L’Ermite, Hermitage

Northern Rhône 2021 white wine of the vintage

Stéphane Ogier, Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay, Condrieu

If the southern Rhône had a tough year in 2021, the northern Rhône had it even worse. When talking to growers, one word that came up time and time again was ‘exhausting’. On paper, this was a disastrous vintage, but it was worth fighting for – some producers pulled excellent wines out of their hats. Not many, but some.

Like the southern Rhône, the north was hit by a brutal frost. Not just on the night of the 7 April, but the following night too. Vineyards in Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu in particular were severely damaged. But while the south enjoyed a fairly dry growing season, in the northern Rhône it was a different story. ‘After the frost,’ said Jean Gonon of Domaine Gonon, ‘it rained and rained and rained.’

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring northern Rhône 2021 wines

Bunches were heavy with swollen, thin-skinned grapes. ‘The grapes remained fragile all year,’ said Gonon. Reports of oidium, mildew and black rot were widespread, if contained. There were also three hailstorms, including one during the night, which is as cruel as it is rare: growers were woken in the darkness by the clattering storm, but couldn’t survey the damage until the sun rose the following day.

If this wasn’t challenging enough, the summer saw lower than average temperatures. All this made for a late, slow growing season, and many growers struggled to ripen their grapes. François Villard said he has never seen such low levels of alcohol. Almost everybody chaptalized.

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

‘For people looking for big wines, it’s not the best vintage,’ said Matthieu Barret of Domaine du Coulet. Stylistically the wines have little in common with the recent run of powerful, concentrated years such as 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The style of 2021 is light, lean and fresh, with high acidity, low alcohol and strict tannins.

Those with the energy, resources and experience to fight the elements were often rewarded, however. ‘The year was complicated,’ says Jean-Paul Jamet of Domaine Jamet, ‘but the results were far better than we could have hoped.’

For many producers making red wines, however, 2021 will be a year best forgotten.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Top 10 northern Rhône producers

Domaine A&E Verset
Domaine Clape
Domaine du Tunnel
Domaine François Merlin
Domaine Garon
Domaine JL Chave
Domaine JP Jamet
Domaine Marc Sorrel
Domaine Niero
M Chapoutier

Top-scoring northern Rhône 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Walls: top northern Rhône whites under £30

Behind Rasteau’s renaissance plus 10 ‘new look’ bottles to seek out

Rhône 2020 En Primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

St-Joseph 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:44:34 +0000

Clément Bärtschi, winemaker and cellarmaster at M Chapoutier, saw little frost in St-Joseph in 2021. Nevertheless, the cool, wet season resulted in oscillating quality.

Some wines are excellent, in a fresh, crisp and fragrant style; but the larger proportion lack fruit and joy, with dry, astringent tannins. ‘We’d have called it a lovely vintage – in the 1980s,’ said Jean Gonon of Domaine Gonon.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring St-Joseph 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

The best wines tended to work in harmony with the vintage, accentuating the wines’ natural freshness and tension. Those trying to make rich and powerful styles this year often delivered wines that feel clumsy or unbalanced – galumphing new oak for example can smudge the delicate details that give the 2021s their appeal.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

St-Joseph 2021 key producers:

Domaine Alain Voge

Domaine Bernard Gripa

Domaine François Merlin

Domaine Garon

M Chapoutier

St-Joseph 2021 top value wines:

Domaine Alain Voge, Les Côtes Rouge

Domaine Coursodon, Paradis Saint Pierre Blanc

Domaine François Merlin, Rouge

Domaine Garon, Blanc

Domaine Guy Farge, Vania Blanc

Matt Walls’ top-scoring St-Joseph 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 93 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Walls: Discovering St-Joseph estate Martine & Christian Rouchier

St-Joseph 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Cornas & St-Péray 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:39:53 +0000

This was the first year that Pierre Clape, of Domaine Clape, had witnessed frost on the slopes of Cornas; from these parcels he lost 40% of his crop.

On the flat, however, it was much worse – here he lost 90%. Like almost everybody else, he had to raise alcohol levels – here by adding concentrated must – to achieve 12% alcohol. The last time they had to do this was in 2008.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Olivier Clape pointed out the climatic similarity between 2008 and 2021; a wet summer, and heavy rains in September. Thankfully they’ll make better wines this time round: in 2008 they picked after the rain, in 2021 they harvested the day before. Not all their neighbours were so lucky.

A handful of wines I tasted did suffer from a lack of ripeness, but largely speaking this is a successful vintage in Cornas in a fresh, crunchy, structured style. Many 2018s and 2019s suffered from the scorching weather, delivering wines that were excessively rich and alcoholic; 2021 is much more classic – with all the commanding tannins that implies.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Cornas & St-Péray 2021 key producers:

M Chapoutier – St-Péray

Domaine Clape – St-Péray

Domaine A&E Verset – Cornas

Domaine Clape – Cornas

Domaine du Coulet – Cornas

Domaine du Tunnel – Cornas

Domaine Johann Michel – Cornas

Domaine Vincent Paris – Cornas

Cornas & St-Péray 2021 top value wines:

Domaine Bernard Gripa, Les Figuiers, St-Péray

Domaine Guy Farge, Grain de Silex, St-Péray

Delas Chante Perdrix, Cornas

Domaine A&E Verset, Signature Verset, Cornas

Domaine Guy Farge, Harmonie, Cornas

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 93 points or above, and are listed in order of St-Péray and Cornas in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Cornas to drink now: Matt Walls’ top 20

Cornas 2018 in bottle: full overview plus top-scoring wines

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:39:41 +0000

Is frost a bad thing? Yes; but it can have unexpected benefits. It can kill shoots, reducing yields, but it doesn’t necessarily affect quality.

In cooler growing seasons, vines with fewer bunches can find it easier to ripen them. So given the inclement conditions that followed the frost in 2021, optimists might consider it advantageous that the crop load had been lightened.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Low potential alcohol levels meant that growers could wait to pick until the tannins were ripe without worrying about elevated degrees. ‘Otherwise,’ said François Villard, of his eponymous domaine, ‘it would really have been considered a bad vintage.’

Stéphane Ogier, of his eponymous domaine, agreed that it was a year to pick late, despite the risks; rot was widespread. He doesn’t intend to make any single-vineyard bottlings this year.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2021 key producers:

Domaine François Merlin – Côte-Rôtie

M Chapoutier – Côte-Rôtie

Domaine JP Jamet – Côte-Rôtie

Stéphane Ogier – Condrieu

André Perret – Condrieu

Domaine Niero – Condrieu

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2021 top value wines:

Benjamin & David Duclaux, La Chana, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Burgaud, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine François Merlin, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Garon Les Triotes, Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Garon, La Vieille Maison, Condrieu

Domaine Niero Chérytage, Condrieu

Domaine Niero, Coeur de Roncharde, Condrieu

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed Condrieu then Côte-Rôtie in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Walls: Top-quality and great-value Côte-Rôtie alternatives

Walls: Brune and blonde soils in Côte-Rôtie – do they really make all the difference?

Crozes-Hermitage 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:39:26 +0000

When the northern Rhône faces a difficult vintage, it’s often Crozes-Hermitage that bears the brunt, which was the case in 2021.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Its vineyards are largely flat, which makes water management problematic, leading to serious dilution. Following the heavy storms in mid-September, some producers feared that a sudden uptake of water would cause the grapes’ fine skins to split, leading to rampaging rot.

There was a rush to pick, ripe or not. Some wines are refreshing, and green, herbal characters are a common refrain.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Crozes-Hermitage 2021 key producers:

Domaine Aléofane

Domaine des Combat

Domaine Gaylord Machon

Domaine Laurent Habrard

Domaine Marc Sorrel

Crozes-Hermitage 2021 top value wines:

Domaine Aléofane, Blanc

Domaine des Combat, Cuvée Domaine Blanc,

Domaine Gaylord Machon, La Fille Dont J’ai Rêvé Blanc

Domaine Marc Sorrel, Blanc

David Reynaud, Beaumont Rouge

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 89 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Crozes-Hermitage 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Hermitage 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:38:46 +0000

Hermitage was mercifully spared by the frost in 2021, however with elevated rainfall dilution was still a major issue.

‘It was the great terroirs that made good wines in 2021,’ said Jean-Louis Chave of Domaine JL Chave, ‘you needed slopes and old vines.’ This helped to avoid dilution, because rain runs off the slopes.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Hermitage 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Some of the best terroirs did produce very good wines in 2021, particularly the granite lieux-dits, in a tense, athletic style. But these are the exceptions; generally speaking, this is a mediocre vintage for Hermitage at best – too many wines lack the might and majesty that sets Hermitage apart.

Individual appellation analysis on:

Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu | St-Joseph | Cornas and St-Péray | Crozes-Hermitage

White Hermitage is another story. This is a brisk, medium-bodied vintage for white Hermitage, not as concentrated or powerful as 2019 and 2020, but one that will drink well young and age into the medium term at least, thanks to its energetic acidity and sustaining minerality.

Clément Bärtschi, cellarmaster at M Chapoutier, described it as resembling something between 2014 and 2001 in style – high praise.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Hermitage 2021 key producers:

M Chapoutier

Domaine JL Chave

Domaine Marc Sorrel

Hermitage 2021 top value wines:

Cave de Tain, Au Coeur des Siècles Blanc

Domaine du Colombier, Blanc

Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières Blanc

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Hermitage 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 93 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Walls: Get to know the 20 lieux-dits of Hermitage

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:38:25 +0000

Vacqueyras

Vacqueyras is low-lying and mostly flat, and it was hit hard by the frost in 2021. Yields were down around 25%.

Vineyards on slopes and near woodland were more likely to be spared, and those that were lucky went on to make precise, fresh, well-balanced reds. Most, however, are light and drinkable, destined to be drunk young.

White varieties largely avoided the frost, and the quality is excellent – concentrated wines with impact, acidity and great balance.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Gigondas

There was relatively little frost damage in Gigondas, and while the wines are usually brighter and juicier than those from Vacqueyras, they are still inconsistent.

Louis Barruol said ‘it’s a vintage in which your choices make a big impact on the final wine,’ and this was evidenced in the wines tasted. Many picked too soon, leading to fibrous, dry tannins. Some overextracted, others overoaked. Those who played the vintage well produced fresh, medium-bodied wines.

Beaumes de Venise

If you’re unfamiliar with the dry red wines of Beaumes de Venise, then this is the year to explore them – the quality was relatively impressive. Many of the vineyards are at altitude and interspersed with woods which helped ward off the frost.

Succulent tannins, freshness and purity are more common here – not to mention good value. Its sweet Muscats however were less exciting.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021 key producers

Clos de Caveau – Vacqueyras

Domaine des Bernardins – Beaumes de Venise

Domaine du Clos des Tourelles – Gigondas

Domaine des Bosquets – Gigondas

Domaine la Ligière – Gigondas

Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux – Vacqueyras

Famille Perrin – Gigondas

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021 top value wines

Château Redortier, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Clos de Caveau, Fruit Sauvage Rouge, Vacqueyras,

Domaine des Bernardins, Rouge, Beaumes de Venise

Domaine du Cayron, Gigondas

Domaine la Ligière, Chemin Blanc, Vacqueyras

Domaine Raspail-Ay, Gigondas

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 93 points or above, and are listed in order of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise, white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:37:03 +0000

Vinsobres

Though it often sits in the shadow of Cairanne and Rasteau, Vinsobres performed relatively well this year, and many of the wines have a good sense of freshness.

The characteristic angular tannins are quite marked, however, so give them a year or two, which will also help to further integrate any new oak, which has frequently been applied liberally here.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Cairanne

The upside for Carianne this year is its delicious whites, which are fresh and focused rather than the opulent style it sometimes delivers.

Cairanne’s reds lack juice and generosity this year however, lending them a sober, nordiste (or northern Rhône-like) style; especially since their tannins can be dry. Stick to the best terroirs and producers and you’ll find some pure and elegant wines which will drink well young.

Rasteau

Rasteau delivered a similar style to Cairanne – many producers in both appellations clearly struggled to ripen their reds. The result is rustic tannins and a green streak running through the wines.

Don’t expect bold, concentrated wines this year; the characteristic sucrosité of Rasteau isn’t always present in 2021.

Some growers succeeded in making interesting wines despite the challenges of the year, often in a fresh, compact, slightly herbal style.

Here and elsewhere, using a large proportion of stems can mark the wines excessively; as can new oak. Those who accepted the fragility of the harvest and dialled down their methods accordingly fared better.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021 key producers:

Domaine A Berthet-Rayne – Cairanne

Domaine Alary – Cairanne

Domaine Oratoire St Martin – Cairanne

Domaine des Amadieu – Rasteau

Domaine Pique-Basse – Rasteau

Famille Perrin – Vinsobres

Château de Rouanne – Vinsobres

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021 top value wines:

Domaine A Berthet-Rayne, Castel Mireio, Cairanne

Domaine Alary, L’Estévenas, Cairanne

Domaine des Amadieu, La Copado, Rasteau

Domaine Pique-Basse, Rasteau

Famille Perrin, Les Hauts de Julien, Vinsobres

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of Rasteau, Cairanne and Vinsobres, white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Lirac & Tavel 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:36:45 +0000

It was difficult to find many Liracs to recommend this year; they seemed to be hit particularly hard by the challenges of 2021, producing wines with thin red fruit and coarse tannins.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Lirac and Tavel 2021 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Ambre Delorme at Domaine de la Mordorée described it as a very difficult vintage. She decided to pick before the storm of September 15, and was glad that she did; some of her neighbours who waited ended up abandoning their harvest altogether.

It’s a classically-styled vintage for Lirac whites, however, which were fresh and well-balanced. It’s good to see such diversity with grape varieties and blends, and this year the characteristically straight Lirac style shines through with clarity.

Tavel produced a crop of powerful and well-balanced rosés that should age well thanks to their intensity and acidity.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Lirac and Tavel 2021 key producers:

Château de Montfaucon – Lirac

Domaine de la Mordorée – Lirac

Domaine Maby – Lirac

Château d’Aqueria – Tavel

Domaine de la Mordorée – Tavel

Les Vignerons de Tavel – Tavel

Lirac and Tavel 2021 top value wines:

Domaine Coudoulis, Euphorie, Lirac

Domaine Maby, La Fermade, Lirac

Château d’Aqueria, Tavel

Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois, Tavel

Les Vignerons de Tavel, Domaine des Carteresses, Tavel

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Lirac and Tavel 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 90 points or above, and are listed in order of appellation, white then red in score order.

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 10:46:45 +0000

Southern Rhône 2021 overall vintage rating: 2/5

Fresh, bright, intense white wines throughout the region. A hard frost reduced yields and produced a fragile harvest for reds. Quality is mixed; many wines lack ripeness, but there are some very good wines in a lean, fresh style with relatively low alcohols.

‘In this chaotic, unpredictable and atypical vintage, buying by appellation, or even producer, isn’t a reliable strategy.’

Southern Rhône 2021 red wine of the vintage

Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Southern Rhône 2021 white wine of the vintage

Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Though Châteauneuf-du-Pape wasn’t the worst hit, many producers, such as Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes, suffered reduced yields due to the frost. Temperatures dropped to -4 ̊ C here, but ‘what was mad is that it was 19 ̊C that afternoon,’ he said, ‘and 25 ̊C less than a week earlier.’ No wonder the vines were shocked.

Some plants that were frosted eventually produced secondary shoots, which produced welcome but limited amounts of fruit. The quality, however, is rarely as high, and it was a more common phenomenon with young vines rather than old.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring southern Rhône 2021 wines

After the frost, the season was clement enough: warm, and dry but not parched. But storms during harvest caused havoc – 100mm of rain fell on 15 September. This led to localised rot, not to mention dilution. It’s a miracle anyone made good wines. And yet some did.

Most agreed it was the Syrah that was worst hit by the frost. Late-budding Mourvèdre fared much better, as did Carignan and Cinsault. The overall effect was a delicate harvest. Philippe Faraud of Mas des Restanques says ‘the grapes had very thin skins, so people were afraid of rot… and many picked too early.’ Those who did were blighted with green tannins and weak fruit.

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

For growers who managed to successfully ripen their crop, the typical style of 2021 remains marked by a certain austerity. It’s a vintage without great generosity or richness, with fruit flavours often more towards red berries rather than black. Acidities are high, alcohols are low, and tannins are often strict and rigid.

It’s not easy to draw comparisons with other vintages. Serge Férigoule of Le Sang des Cailloux suggested 2014, 2008 or 2004. Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme also referenced 2008. Jean-Paul Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne said ‘I can’t compare it to any other vintage – it’s like a UFO.’

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Top 10 southern Rhône producers

Château de Beaucastel
Château de Montfaucon
Clos de Caveau
Clos des Papes
Domaine Benedetti
Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric
Domaine de la Janasse
Domaine des Bosquets
Domaine Gramenon
Domaine Raymond Usseglio

Top-scoring southern Rhône 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Walls: top northern Rhône whites under £30

Behind Rasteau’s renaissance plus 10 ‘new look’ bottles to seek out

Rhône 2020 En Primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 10:41:38 +0000

Châteauneuf-du-Pape wasn’t hit as hard as some appellations, thanks in part to its proximity to the Rhône river, and its openness to the mistral wind. Nevertheless, volumes are down by about 20%.

In some ways this feels like an old-fashioned vintage; measured alcohol, good acidity, strict tannins, and – when sufficiently ripe – this can make for an enjoyably fresh and balanced style.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 wines

Not all grapes reached full ripeness, however, resulting in many wines that are weak and dilute, with astringent tannins being a common theme.

It’s a highly heterogeneous vintage, and even some dependable producers suffered this year.

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

See the Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Wines with a high proportion of Mourvèdre are often among the best. Pure Grenache cuvées are also worth considering, thanks to the lower alcohol, higher acidity and firm tannins that this vintage provides – elements that pure Grenache from here can sometimes lack.

While the reds lack consistency, the opposite is true of the whites – even inexpensive tradition cuvées are largely very good this year, and some of the cuvées spéciales are stunning.

They aren’t as concentrated and rich as the 2019s, instead they are fresh and zesty, more medium-bodied, with great aromatic definition and freshness. The whites will drink well now and age well too.

Rhône 2021 score tables:

Châteauneuf 2021 key producers:

Château de Vaudieu

Domaine de Beaurenard

Château de Beaucastel

Domaine de la Janasse

Domaine de la Solitude

Châteauneuf 2021 top value wines:

Château Sixtine, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos du Mont-Olivet, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos St Michel, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos St Michel, Tradition Biologique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine de la Solitude, Tradition Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine du Grand, Tinel Les Roussannes de Charles, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 wines:

The wines below all scored 96 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Rhône 2021 full vintage report and top scoring wines

Walls: the best Rhône wines to buy in the UK right now

Rhône 2021 en primeur: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:21:56 +0000

Rhône 2021 en primeur vintage rating:

Northern Rhône: 2.5/5

Consistently excellent white wines, but reds very mixed due to severe frost and a mild, rainy season. Some are weak and green, others very good in a fresh and structured style.

Southern Rhône: 2/5

‘It’s an exceptional year for white wine in both the southern and northern Rhône. I tasted many red wines that were thin and green this year…But in the darkness, there are glimmers of light’

How do you define a bad vintage? If you’re a grower, you might say it’s a year of poor weather, disease and pests. Low yields too, even if quality is acceptable, means producers will be out of pocket. Wine lovers aren’t quite so concerned about conditions or quantity, however – it’s the quality in the bottle that matters most to us.

From anyone’s point of view therefore, 2021 will not go down as a good vintage. ‘It’s the year you never wish for,’ said Jean Gonon of Domaine Gonon, with a degree of sangfroid, ‘but it happens.’

Rhône 2021 red wine of the vintage:

Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Rhône 2021 white wine of the vintage:

Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rhône 2021 wines

It was a growing season beset with difficulties, but they can all be traced back to one day. On the night of the 7 April, temperatures dropped to -7 ̊ C. ‘Even my father never saw a frost this bad,’ said Pierre Rostaing of Domaine Rostaing in Côte-Rôtie, when the last serious frost episode was in 1938. Walking his vineyards the following day, the fresh green shoots were withered black. ‘It was immediately obvious, they looked like they’d been burned.’ He lost 50% of his crop.

All appellations were hit to some extent, but some worse than others. In the southern Rhône, Jacky Bernard, president of the Vacqueyras appellation, said that at least 80% of the appellation was hit by frost, ‘possibly even more.’ He and others witnessed a strange phenomenon throughout the region: some plots were decimated but others alongside were barely touched. Nonetheless, even vines not directly hit by frost seemed stunned by the intense cold.

See all 400 Rhône 2021 tasting notes and scores

For the vines that eventually recovered, it meant a late start to the season, and a struggle to ripen – I tasted many red wines that were thin and green this year. Persistent rain in the northern Rhône contributed to a sense of lightness and dilution. And we haven’t even touched on the rot, disease and hail.

So far so bleak. But in the darkness, there are glimmers of light. Late-budding varieties dodged the cold snap. Certain parcels that were frosted carried lower yields – which helped them reach full ripeness. Against the odds, there is a smattering of excellent wines.

For those who made a success of the vintage – and there were more than I expected – the style is one that many will find appealing. It’s a lean, fresh, structured vintage with refreshingly low alcohol – a counterweight to recent years, such as 2018 and 2019, that might have been too rich and opulent for some tastes.

There is one major strong point of the 2021 vintage: it’s an exceptional year for white wine in both the southern and northern Rhône, one of great freshness, precision and longevity. From Condrieu to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is an unmissable vintage for whites.

There have been other recent vintages, such as 2008 and 2014, whose reds weren’t particularly heralded on release. But today you can pull out certain wines from those tricky vintages that are delightfully fresh, balanced and drinkable. They are the exceptions in those difficult years. What I aim to do in this report is to point you to the wines that – by dint of viticultural proficiency, superlative terroir, or simple luck – will prove the exceptions in 2021.

Rhône 2021 score tables: