Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Beautifully fragrant and floral, showing rose and violet characters. Super-fine, silky tannins and lovely acidity, this is an eminently classic Côte Brune, with flowers, cinnamon, black olive, rosemary and perfectly ripe, bright blackberries. It has a tapered finish - not the same concentration and power as 2019 - but with great finesse and elegance of expression. Beautifully balanced and very hard to fault.

A compelling rose fragrance, then such wonderfully rounded, juicy tannins in the mouth. Perfectly balanced and fresh, but explosive, long, flamboyant and captivating, with pliable, springy tannins. What a stunning wine. Picked on the 26th august. It had four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak (limited new oak), fermented with natural yeasts and with as many stems as possible.

Particularly compelling, this might be worthy of a higher score once bottled. Perfect acidity, great aromatic expression and amazing precision. Raspberry, olive and bay leaf, with a tremulous finish, this is a great expression of Lancement. Very special indeed, this is an elegant, beautiful wine.

A combination of separate lieux-dits which show a classic, fresh and focused vintage, with each component reflecting its origins with great clarity. It's an aromatic style, with slight tannins and fairly low but balanced acidity. All whole-bunch fermented, matured mostly in old demi-muids.

Beautifully detailed, floral, violet-scented nose; totally classic, tender and charming. Medium- to full-bodied, with cooling, fresh blackberry fruit. Super-fine, plentiful but elegant tannins and the little bitter kick is classic Viallière. This is exceptional and will provide a lot of pleasure. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak (limited new oak), with natural yeasts and as many stems as possible.

Peppery rose aromas flow onto a seriously weighty, deep, rounded, powerful and dense palate. Muscular yet fresh, this is very similar to a classic Les Grandes Places in style. Lots of clay in this lieu-dit, which is only owned by Gaillard and Ogier. 80% whole bunch.

Beautifully floral expression, bright acidity and great upright thrust. So juicy and powerful, but such finesse and lightness of touch, also. Big, driving, burly tannins and just a touch of raised alcohol peeping through, but this is forgivable given its excellence. Tannins still a touch green on the finish, but such a big, powerful and rich wine. 100% whole bunch from Côte Rozier.

From an old-vine parcel, this is peppery, fluid and fresh, showing bay leaf, rose and fine tannins. Not as powerful as his Champon or Bertholon, but elegant and complex. 100% whole bunch.

Wonderfully fresh and expressive, with a touch of black pepper hiding among the menthol and deep, dark berry fruits. Medium- to full-bodied, this has stacks of rich, sweet berry fruit and driving acidity, then ends neat and precise. Very well-integrated oak brings a spicy complexity, but the site is more prominent than the method. Arguably not as deep as 2015, but this is nonetheless a hugely enjoyable wine. A blend of lieux-dits Le Mollard (near Côte-Blonde), La Viallière, La Brosse and La Landonne. Tasted non-blind.

Very promising and dense, with great freshness and muscular tannins. Bold and intense, this is better than the 2019. Tannins are saturated with juice, all very fine, with piercing acidity. 100% new oak and aged for 36 months.

Intensely herbal, with rosemary, thyme, lavender and juniper. Medium-bodied, with plenty of concentrated black fruit and saturated, super-fine tannin. Long finish, well-balanced acidity, even if it's on the low side, there's a deep-set smokiness which completes the package. All in all, this is perfectly balanced, concentrated, structured and complex - a remarkably good Côte-Rôtie. The oak spice works well and frames the herbal fruits perfectly. Lieux-dits Le Plomb, l'Arselie and Fourvier, 65% whole bunch, natural yeasts, 18 months in demi-muids, unfiltered. Tasted non-blind.

A deep, dark, earthy style of Côte-Rôtie, clearly some clay in the soil here along with the schist, which fills out the mid-palate. Les Rochins can be rugged, but this has great finesse on the palate, impressive length and focus, and a perfumed finish. 25% whole bunch, 18 months in barriques of which 30% were new.

Classically dark, brooding fruits, this has length and depth, with good balance even though the acidity is quite low. With its intense and muscular tannins, this is for the long term. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak (limited newoak), with natural yeasts and as many stems as possible.

This feels like a classic, with the weight and tannins necessary to help this age, but it's not as massive as some recent vintages. Star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg - very much about the spice this year - this is bold and sweetly fruited, with juicy, pliable tannins and a long finish. Vines are on the Côte Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after being abandoned since 1935. La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, less than 1ha. This is only at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.

Dense, powerful tannins which are grippy but ripe, this is a very long, fresh and deep wine. 100% whole bunch from a hillside parcel of Cogent.

Fresh, sappy and complete, with fresh berry juice acidity and sweet tannins. Beautifully delicate and floral.

Very closed and extremely dense for now, this fresh but tight. The wine is long and powerful, with a great cut and dark chocolate tannins. Perhaps not the most elegant of his single vineyard wines this year, but great structure and power, especially for 2020. East-facing parcel of Le Champon.

An immediately enticing nose, with intense crispy bacon notes, ripe blackberry and toasted spices. Medium-bodied despite its intense concentration, the acidity isn't terribly high, but it does feel balanced. Very ripe, pliable tannins, this is a rich, potent, concentrated style. Plush and seductive.

A wonderful nose: rose and tobacco leaf, really attractive. Soft, easy-going, velvety style on the palate with mouthfilling fruit and well-balanced acidity. The alcohol is a touch high, but suits the style. Touch of tannic grip on the long finish. The oak is still quite present, but will integrate in time. The family has 3ha in the Coteaux de Tupin; they choose the best terraces of that year. All whole-bunch fermented, aged in barrel for 22 months. Gneiss soils.

Dark fruits and cassis are wrapped up in fine tannins. No huge depth here, but good freshness, tension and lovely acidity. The oak has been swallowed well. From a 1ha, east-facing parcel and a monopole.

Sticky damson and plum fruit, just a little touch of prune in the mix. Medium-bodied with fresh, fine tannins; quite an ethereal style of La Mouline, with floral hints and plentiful spicy oak among the roses. A compact style of wine for the vintage that suits what this vineyard delivers - good expression of terroir. I would drink this young, though it will no doubt age fairly well. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde and at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.