Top scoring wines of 2020: 100 point wines

The terraced slopes of Côte-Rôtie are the world's ultimate source for wild, meaty and savory expressions of Syrah. For lovers of this style, there is Jamet and then everyone else. The 1990 vintage provides one of the last chances to taste the work of Joseph Jamet himself. The 'standard-issue' 1990 Côte-Rôtie has become a legendary wine in its own right, making the minuscule quantities of the Côte-Brune bottling almost mythical. The aromas here are too numerous to give proper justice to – so much so that I refrained from tasting the wine for half an hour. Roasted wild game, stewed red meats, peppercorn and blood sauce reduction attempt to get the point across. The palate brings together sappy, dense and lavish textures, bound around a core of ripe, dehydrated black fruits and cracked black pepper. Breathtakingly complete, even from the first pour; that this was only the initial ascent of the rollercoaster is simply unbelievable. Without question the greatest Syrah I have ever tasted, and one of the best wines of my life.

Richly scented like you wouldn't believe; earthy truffle, black olive and rosemary fill the glass and don’t let up right through the palate, providing waves of first aroma then flavour. The vintage plays to all of Petrus’ strengths; a classic Merlot year that here combines velvety soft-edged tannins, caressing and cushioning the abundant black cherry, blackberry and bilberry fruit. Traces of campfire, mocha and liquorice are shot through every mouthful, and this is just so good. A small yield meant just 2,400 cases [of 12].

Only now is the wine becoming clear. And only now is it really open - a fireworks show, with great spark and smoke on the nose, a little hung game and spices. So exciting to stick your nose in, it's a carnival. Medium-bodied now, with a lovely freshness and fruitiness on the palate. A strong acid vein keeps things moving, and this still has a good tannic frame, though soft now, with great length and depth. This is what most wine lovers would want when opening a Châteauneuf: complexity, power, great aromatic display, and great satisfaction. Faultless.

The 2018 vintage resulted in elegant but relatively light wines, and cool nights kept them fresh. The subdued red fruit nose has finesse and poise, while the attack is lively and relatively forward. This is no blockbuster but it shows fine acidity and concentration. It may lack some complexity now but it's still youthful. Long.

As ever when tasting the two together, the striking thing is the difference in character rather than quality between 2009 and 2010. This is tighter, more structured in its concentration, more broad shouldered, but still intensely impressive and full of pleasure. Neither are ready to go yet, but this feels like it will last longer, and feels extremely Haut-Bailly in spirit, with an elegant but complex personality, and a grip that doesn't make a big deal of its power but refuses to give up. Blackberry, bilberry, black chocolate and pencil. Harvest September 22 to October 14.

Superb and already immensely delicious, yet decidedly youthful and only beginning its evolution. The colour is dark, and the ripe plummy fruit resounds with notes of game, leather and spice. The rich texture is dense and ripe, with supple tannins and immense concentration and body. There is enough acidity to balance the wine and lead to a lingering, sensual finish. This epic wine for the ages should continue on the way up for another half-century. The blend is 51% Merlot, aged in 75% new barrels before bottling in June 2002.

This thrilling wine from a textbook year is dark in colour and shows pronounced aromas of ripe mulberry and black plum fruit, with hints of spice and smoke – the aromas are youthful, and still show some influence from the cask ageing. The texture is lush and dense, with firmish tannins, a plump feel and a warm, approachable texture. Has the substance to age for decades to come. The results in the glass are in every way a fulfillment of the promise of the millennial year.

A legendary wine, with reason. I have only tasted this once, at the home of a very kind friend, exactly as it should be drunk – over a dinner table, where it managed to stop the conversation. It is still young, just now starting to open up to reveal its dazzling array of black and blue fruits, black olives, truffles and well-defined tannins exerting an influence over the structure. The mineral slate side of Lafleur is now fully in its stride, tugging you back as you reach the end, keeping you hanging on for more.

A long way from being ready to go – I would suggest at least another six years – but it is going to be worth the wait for this wine. I’ve tasted it now on several separate occasions, and every time been blown away by its purity, succulence and precision. Blackberries, blackcurrants, liquorice, rosemary, aniseed and tight grilled tannins, all offset by violet aromatics. Serious, powerful, sets its own pace.

As good as it gets for Washington Cabernet Sauvignon. Massive blue fruit and milk chocolate aromas leap from the glass to join more savoury tomato and sage notes, with brighter blueberry scents evolving after an hour of air. The lengthy palate is dense and chewy with light tannins, the mouthfeel becoming more silky and elegantly textured with time. Rich yet balanced flavours of blue fruits and wild blackberry cobbler are joined by mocha tones and exotic sandalwood spice. Perfectly evolved now, and one to enjoy within the next five years.

Smoked grilled tar on the nose, it feels both very 2010 and supremely Mouton - accomplished and confident. A more glamorous, enticing edge than the other Pauillac Firsts at this 10 year window. There are plentiful tannins but they are lined with air, and the overall feel is of plush, plumped fruits, like being rolled-up in luxurious sheets. It is very different in character to the other two Pauillac Firsts, but no less enjoyable. It feels higher in alcohol, more Cos than Lafite in terms of personality, in the way that Pichon Baron is more Latour than Comtesse, but it is nuanced and clever and surprising.

Layered, textured, deep, cigar box, cassis and earth, managing to simultaneously stretch out, and burrow down. The edges open slowly but surely and seductively. Still inky in colour, this has all the powerful texture and tannic architecture that you expect from Leoville, and unlike the 2009 at its ten year point it is still keeping plenty of secrets close to its chest. But you are going to want to be around when it fully opens.

Just over a third of the harvest made it into the grand vin to give a wine of startling concentration and purity, with lovely, forward cassis fruit and a hint of spice on the attack. The texture is fresh but not overly tannic, and there is a surprisingly sweet, silky feel cloaking the powerful extract. Best to wait another decade before trying this, but it will last a half-century beyond that. Moderate temperatures followed a flowering disrupted slightly by cool weather and rain. The summer was dry and sunny, if somewhat cool. The Merlot was picked beginning on the 20th of September and the Cabernet 4th of October. The final blend is just over 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with most of the balance being Merlot.

Brilliant – double decant and wait an hour so the wine can better express its sensual aromas of faded rose, cassis, homemade strawberry jam, graphite and iodine freshness. The palate is enveloped in cashmere-like refinement, leading to a long finish with sea air and floral freshness. Best to hang on another five years for a proper drinking window, but if you insist, try it now with filet mignon.