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

Richly aromatic, with deep pear and a touch of yellow melon. Lightly honeyed on the nose, then more noticeably so on the palate, with sweet...

Nectarine fruit inlaid with a touch of fresh coconut. Full-bodied, generous and rounded, without any excessive oak - it's matured mostly in foudre and some...

Floral pear notes on the nose, an attractive and lively aromatic display. It has the characteristic generosity on the palate of this cuvée, but with...

Bright and zesty in aroma, with no overt oaking to detract from the purity of the fruit. Only medium-bodied, with lovely crisp acidity cutting through....

Full-bodied and just a touch oily. The oak is forthright, and this has great concentration and huge power before a driving, saline finish. Almost too...

Full-bodied, generous and broad, then a powerful beam of surging acidity rides in to refresh and cleanse the palate. The oaking is robust and will...

Super-fresh and so dynamic. A lovely brisk acidity propels the tangy lime fruit long into the finish. The oak is quite present but well judged...

Fennel and grapefruit on the nose. Only medium-bodied, with a lovely sense of freshness and tension. Great brightness, acidity and balance. Pure and precise, with...

Lovely soft and floral aroma - a slightly nutty kind of honeysuckle scent. Medium- to full-bodied, well balanced, with lovely freshness and pinpoint acidity. The...

Honeycomb oak on the nose, then quite a broad and generous palate. Sappy acidity, although not as high as some white Châteauneufs this year, and...

Quite introspective for now, mostly just the nutty oak showing itself on the nose. Distinctly savoury, dry and medium-bodied palate. There's plenty of extract, giving...

Relatively brisk and nimble for a pure Roussanne, this isn't as oaked as some, which helps the fruit to shine through more clearly. It's zesty...

Touch of reductive smoky bacon on the nose. Full-bodied, rich, quite unctuous but dry. The lime peel finish has cut and salinity, making it long...

Honeysuckle and tarragon notes on the nose, which is quite introverted at the time of tasting. Full-bodied, soft and pillow-like in texture. Lovely sense of...

Silky on the palate, with a touch of coconut oak and dried citrus peel. Fresh, balanced, with precise, cleansing acidity and a long finish. Not...