Hermitage 2020: report and top-scoring wines
Matt Walls finds much pleasure across both red and white Hermitage in 2020, with impressive balance, precision and structure coming through despite the hot, dry conditions.
This is a remarkably classic vintage for Hermitage given the hot, dry conditions.
The reds have impressive tannic weight and texture, balanced acidity and a good sense of freshness.
Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Hermitage 2020 wines
The whites are a floral, mineral expression of Hermitage, with less of the richness and opulence of recent vintages.
‘It’s like the vines adapted to the heat and the vintage, so it’s full of hope for me,’ says Jean-Louis Chave.
See the Rhône 2020 full vintage report and top-scoring wines
See all 400 Rhône 2020 tasting notes and scores
In response to the increasingly dry conditions, Caroline Frey at Paul Jaboulet Aîné says she has adapted how she works in the vineyard: working the soil less, leaving the vines with larger canopies and flattening grass in between the rows to retain humidity.
But she admits she can’t rationalise the cool aspect found in the wines of 2020.
‘It’s the mysterious part of the vintage,’ she says, ‘I don’t think any winemaker can explain it completely.’
This is a very good Hermitage vintage, one of precision and structure rather than depth and muscle.
Quick links
Northern Rhône 2020 full report and top scoring wines
Cornas and St-Péray | Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu | Crozes-Hermitage | Saint-Joseph
Hermitage 2020 key producers
Domaine JL Chave
Domaine Laurent Fayolle
Domaine Yann Chave
E Guigal
Ferraton Père & Fils
M Chapoutier
Hermitage 2020 top-value wines
Domaine Belle, Blanc, Hermitage, 2020
Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières Blanc, Hermitage, 2020
Ferraton Père & Fils, Les Miaux Blanc, Hermitage, 2020
Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières, Hermitage, 2020
Ferraton Père & Fils, Les Miaux, Hermitage, 2020
Tardieu-Laurent, Hermitage, 2020
See the Northern Rhône 2020 score table listing Matt’s top 98 wines scoring 94 points or above
See Matt’s top Hermitage 2020 tasting notes and scores:
Related content:
Rhône 2020 full report and top scoring wines
Northern Rhône 2020 full report and top scoring wines
Southern Rhône 2020 full report and top scoring wines
Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
The 2020 vintage is 'an amazing surprise', according to Jean-Louis Chave. 'It's like the vines adapted to the heat of the vintage - so it's...
2020
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
M Chapoutier, De l’Orée, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
The nose is quite savoury, almond is the presiding aroma, with apple and quince in the background. It has the roundness of De l'Orée but...
2020
M ChapoutierHermitage
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Plenty of richness on the palate, and all the intense mineral facets you would expect from L'Ermite, both on the nose and the palate. Intensely...
2020
M ChapoutierHermitage
E Guigal, Ex-Voto, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
This is looking very good, it's very oaky for sure, but there's good intensity and vibrancy. Long and with no excess alcohol, it's nicely balanced...
2020
E GuigalHermitage
M Chapoutier, Le Méal Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Almond, quince and a touch of rhubarb at this early stage; you sense the ripeness, but it's not exotically fruity in 2020. The silkiness and...
2020
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Belle, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
The nose is compelling - crushed almond, lilies, pear - just gorgeous. Rolling, generous juiciness on the palate, but a firm beam of acidity underneath....
2020
Domaine BelleHermitage
Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières Blan, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Almond nougat, dried pear and fresh quince. This has serious intensity and minerality on the palate, with pinpoint acidity. Plenty of glycerol but no gloopiness,...
2020
Domaine Laurent FayolleHermitage
Domaine Laurent Habrard, Les Rocoules, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
A fresh, floral style, relatively light for a white Hermitage. It has a remarkable mineral seam on the palate however, which, with the tense acidity,...
2020
Domaine Laurent HabrardHermitage
Ferraton Père & Fils, Les Miaux, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Beautifully perfumed, so pure, with a floating floral aroma. Apricot and pear on the palate, this has power, definition and a focused, long, tapered finish...
2020
Ferraton Père & FilsHermitage
M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
This has that tell-tale touch of soy to the plum and blackcurrant fruit so reminiscent of this cuvée. Fluid and juicy on the palate, this...
2020
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
What you find in the whites, you find in the reds,' says Jean-Louis Chave, alluding to the natural freshness and balance in the 2020 Hermitage...
2020
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Fresh, flinty aroma with blackcurrant underneath - an enlivening nose. Great harmony, incisive freshness and remarkable drive, the fruit is fresh, pure and concentrated. Totally...
2020
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Yann Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Introverted on the nose, but smooth and bold on the palate. A little more generosity and weight than some Hermitage this year, also slightly higher...
2020
Domaine Yann ChaveHermitage
E Guigal, Ex-Voto, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Fresh and dense, displaying great substance and depth. Robust oak work here and it's very tannic; a powerful, driving wine of great size and grandeur....
2020
E GuigalHermitage
Delas, Les Bessards, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Full-bodied, fine and tightly wound, but with a good sense of harmony and typicity. Stretching skywards, this is a tense, saline style but with sufficient...
2020
DelasHermitage
Tardieu-Laurent, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Good sense of weight, volume and depth here. The acidity is marked and nicely integrated, as is the alcohol and the oak for that matter...
2020
Tardieu-LaurentHermitage
Ferraton Père & Fils, Le Méal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Good sense of purity and definition on the nose. Tasted blind, this was unmistakably Le Méal. Slender, fine, elegant on the palate, with fine tannin...
2020
Ferraton Père & FilsHermitage
