Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020: Best-value wines

Very darkly coloured for the vintage, this is broad and full-bodied but not over extracted. The tannins are quite burly, but should settle in time...

This has real freshness both on the nose and palate. It brims with energy, is bracing and intense, with bright acidity and fresh tannins. Only...

White pepper from the stems accentuates the fresh aromatics. Full-bodied, but again great freshness on the palate, with is underlined by the piercing acidity. Texturally...

A fine style of Châteauneuf, elegant, with plentiful fine tannins. It has a real sense of focus and line, finishing long. While still young, this...

Almond and violet notes over a core of plum fruits. This is not hugely concentrated, but there’s great energy, with fresh, cleansing tannins. Well balanced,...

This feels fresh, with notes of kirsch, raspberry and crushed herbs. It has weight and fine, fur coat-like tannins, and a lovely seam of precise...

Fine, juicy, fresh, classic - plenty of concentrated plum and damson fruit, coupled with bright acidity and moderate alcohol. Drinkable, vivid and approachable, this is...

Bold, powerful, there's quite noticeable but well-integrated oak that contributes to the flavour and textural style. It's nonetheless quite savoury, not as large as some...

A fine, slightly lighter style for a 2020 – with no lack of intense fruit and bold, crunchy tannin, however. This has serious energy on...

This is still quite closed on the nose, with rhubarb aromas. It lacks a bit of concentration and heft on the palate. There’s a nice...

There is plenty of dense blackberry fruit here – remarkably dense, tannic and really quite extracted. There’s serious muscle and heft, but the tannins are...

Dark in colour and dense in fruit – this is a Châteauneuf you can sink your teeth into. It is sweetly fruited, with quite high...

Very tight, very fresh and vibrant, with a strong acid line and powerful, taut tannins. This is long and intense, but really quite aggressive currently....

This wine is very closed currently. On the palate, it’s expansive and full-bodied, and has energy and fresh tannins – lots of them. A very...

Elegant, fresh, lively and floral on the nose. A full-bodied wine, classically Châteauneuf in its generosity of fruit and body. Very ripe, with plenty of...

A lovely wine – so charming, fresh and compact, with great energy and freshness. The acidity really helps to balance the blackberry eau-de-vie fruit, which...

Fruity and tannic, flamboyant and powerful, but not exaggerated; all well balanced, with good length. Really quite darkly fruited and very ripe – towards overripeness,...

Expressive and juicy. There is a nice little raspberry pip and cranberry touch to the fruit, which is vibrant and zingy. Not overly full-bodied or...

This is in something of a hole right now, but it will be good when it emerges. Blackcurrant flavours come with air, while the palate...

Attractive, detailed red fruits on the nose. Full-bodied, with a touch of dried berries on the palate. This is certainly powerful – ripe, rich and...

Fairly light to start with on the nose and tight still on the palate – give this a few years to soften and relax. Good...

Relatively pale in colour, with appealing plum aromas. There is good acidity, with fine but persistent, fresh, well-balanced, grippy tannins. It’s just a bit lacking...

Damson and blackberry fruit notes with just a jot of charcoal, which lends the aromatics a savoury appeal. A fresh, immediate and vibrant style with...

Broad and full on the palate. Concentrated but not heavy, the alcohol slightly warming. It suits the traditional style, however, and this wine provides plenty...

A little closed on the nose for now, with menthol and lavender notes over blackberry and blueberry. Fulsome and velvety textured, this has relief and...

There are some fruitcake notes to the plum fruit here. The wine is fresher on the palate than the nose, with serious intensity and concentration....

Remarkably cherryish – an unusual aromatic marker in this vintage. The palate is really quite tight, taut, with marked acidity, herbal aromatics and textural grip....

Very ripe, this certainly has concentration and power. Good tannic weight, too. I would drink it young, for the concentration and tarry black fruits. It...

This is starting to gain interest on the nose, with some complexity taking shape. The wine shows good freshness and acidity. The tannins are quite...

A Châteauneuf with sweet red fruits, and a soft and inviting texture. A wine with real vibrancy and poise, and lovely acidity. Very well balanced...