Walls: Rasteau 2020 in bottle
‘If you’re not yet familiar with the appellation, this is the vintage to put that right,’ says Matt Walls. He revisits Rasteau's 2020 vintage now that the wines are in bottle.
If you’re looking for punchy, muscular Grenache, look no further than Rasteau. It’s a wild terroir with an abiding heat haze that only rarely struggles to ripen its crop.
A series of scorching vintages in the southern Rhône however have occasionally pushed some wines from handsomely well-built to something you’d see on the cover of Iron Man magazine.
That’s no bad thing if you’re looking for wines that are shredded, jacked or swole. But if you’re looking for balanced, drinkable bottles that are versatile with food – not so much.
Thankfully the 2020 vintage manages to find a sweet spot between ripeness and freshness, intensity and approachability – making it one of the most appealing vintages here in recent times.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 38 Rasteau 2020 wines
Growing season
After a wet winter, the 2020 growing season got off to a very early start. Spring was mild with regular showers, so growers had to be reactive. Aside from that, ‘2020 was a fairly easy year,’ says Vasco Perdigao of Domaine Chamfort, ‘even if “easy” years don’t really exist!’
The summer was very hot with the occasional rain shower, but cool nights helped to give the vines some respite. Madeline Ferran of Domaine des Escaravailles remembers ‘an ideal vintage, as much in the vineyard as the cellar.’
‘Despite a complicated year due to Covid, nature spoiled us,’ she says. ‘In 2020, the wines made themselves, the picking programme was very smooth with no rain, which is very rare for us. We finished harvesting with the autumn equinox storms of 24 September.’
Isabelle Roux of Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières says that a light touch in the cellar was the key to success, ‘with light extractions in order to preserve this fruit, this freshness and this finesse which brings us so much happiness when tasting them today,’ she says.
Read about Rasteau’s renaissance here
The style of the wines
The style of 2020 Rasteau is very different to the vintages either side. The 2019 vintage will be remembered for its record-breaking temperatures, and the style of the wines is one of density and chiselled tannins.
The 2021 vintage, on the other hand, was at the other end of the scale – a fragile, late-maturing crop due to devastating April frosts and a cool spring. The wines are unusually lean in 2021, often lacking Rasteau’s characteristic sweet ripeness and generosity of fruit, and frequently showing a mean green streak.
The style of the 2020s however sits comfortably between these two extremes. Frédéric Coulon of Domaine de Beaurenard says that ‘2020 is a beautiful vintage that we like a lot in the family, because it has good ripeness, good balance with sufficient acidity, fine tannins, good length and a beautiful aromatic expression.’
After tasting over 40 wines from the 2020 vintage, I can’t help but agree. I would add that 2020 Rasteau is also particularly well balanced in terms of its alcohol levels, which were lower than in 2019 and 2018.
Matt Walls’ Rasteau en primeur reports: 2021 | 2020 | 2019
Ageing potential
The 2020s are delicious already, and all but some of the more tannic wines can be opened straight away. Sometimes this can denote a less ageworthy vintage, but thanks to the balance, freshness and energy of the 2020s, I believe they will have a long life too.
Frédéric Roméro of Domaine la Soumade predicts his 2020s will last 8-15 years, particularly for his old vine cuvées. I’m sure he’s right, and I suspect some wines might last even longer.
The 2019s will benefit from a few more years in bottle due to their robust tannic frames, and if anything will live even longer than the 2020s. But in terms of sheer drinkability and charm, the 2020 vintage is superior.
Quality and value
Five of the wines can be found at retail in the UK for under £20 per bottle, and only a few break the £30 mark. For authentic wines of place, most of which have some level of sustainability certification, this feels like very good value indeed.
Notable good value wines include Domaine des Escaravailles’ La Ponce, Domaine M Boutin’s MB, Domaine Chamfort’s La Planne, Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières’ Les Ribes and Domaine de la Soumade’s classic Rasteau cuvée.
Rasteau tends to sit somewhat in the shadow of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, but in vintages like 2020 it shows why it was promoted to appellation status. If you’re not yet familiar with the appellation, this is the vintage to put that right.
38 Rasteau 2020 wines:
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Domaine de Beaurenard, Les Argiles Bleues, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Decidedly fresh, open and giving on the nose. This has a gorgeous fruit expression, showing blackberry, thyme, rosemary and black olive. Only medium-bodied on the...
2020
Domaine de BeaurenardRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, Argilla Ad Argillam, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
The aromas somehow creep, unfurl and spread out of the glass. It's pretty wild and there's a distinctly spicy side to the red berries, wild...
2020
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine la Soumade, Cuvée Prestige, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Good density, freshness and intensity here, with genuine Rasteau creamy-clay tannins. Powerful but not excessive, the alcohol is better balanced than expected. Relatively dark-fruited in...
2020
Domaine la SoumadeRasteau
Domaine M Boutin, MB, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Super smooth and silky on the palate, ripe but not jammy. This is very expressive and full of earthy black cherries. Deep and long, this...
2020
Domaine M BoutinRasteau
Domaine Beau Mistral, La Bastide St Martin, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Very much about the plum and damson fruit, this is concentrated, with a dab of fruit sweetness at its heart. Really quite extracted, the tannins...
2020
Domaine Beau MistralRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, Héritage 1924, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
This is very 'Rasteau Grenache' on the nose, it has the characteristic strawberry and violet notes. Slightly candied raspberry, too – it really is so...
2020
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, La Ponce, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Lovely sense of ripeness and site expression here – a great match of ripe fruit, beaming acidity and freshness, all enclosed within a firm, crunchy...
2020
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine Chamfort, La Planne, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Curiously closed on the nose, but blackberry fruit comes with aeration. Full-bodied, rounded, ample, and mouthfilling, but with fine tannins. With a lovely sense of...
2020
Domaine ChamfortRasteau
Domaine Combe Julière, Tradition, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Good depth of colour here. Fresh and lively, a combination of red and black berry fruits with some sparky garrigue herbs. Full-bodied and rounded, this...
2020
Domaine Combe JulièreRasteau
Domaine des Coteaux des Travers, Mondona, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Darker in fruit character than some thanks to the Syrah component, with blackberry, black olive, and some spicy notes. Not as big and bold as...
2020
Domaine des Coteaux des TraversRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, Classique, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Ripe, pure and expressive, this has layers of fresh plum and blackberry, violet and subtle iodine notes. Beautifully silky and svelte on the palate, this...
2020
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine des Girasols, Vieilles Vignes, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Concentrated, intense and dry, this has a massive mineral frame around which the ripe, generous fruits are draped like a fur coat. Great presence, great...
2020
Domaine des GirasolsRasteau
Domaine Elodie Balme, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Spicy notes and flinty freshness over bramble and raspberry fruit. Generous, rounded and fruity without excessive weight, sweetness, alcohol or extraction. Good freshness, bright acidity...
2020
Domaine Elodie BalmeRasteau
Domaine La Luminaille, Luminaris, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Juicy and well balanced with plenty of fine tannin, it finishes dry but not overly drying. This really delivers what you want from a Rasteau:...
2020
Domaine La LuminailleRasteau
Domaine la Soumade, Cuvée Confiance, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
A full and generous style that’s fruity and vibrant. Intensely fruited on the palate too, this is a wine for those that like big, upfront...
2020
Domaine la SoumadeRasteau
Domaine la Soumade, Fleur de Confiance, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Plump and juicy in style, with lots of fruit. Exuberant violet-tinged fruit, but the tannins need work, so give this time to soften. Alcohol feels...
2020
Domaine la SoumadeRasteau
Domaine Rabasse Charavin, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Pure blackberries on the nose, and very smooth and ripe on the palate. Powerful, with good length. Lovely chocolatey smoothness to the tannins. The wine...
2020
Domaine Rabasse CharavinRasteau
Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières, Les Ribes, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Blackberry pâte de fruits and sage leaf aromas. Medium-bodied, not overly full or tannic, this is quite tight and slim, showing its high-altitude terroir. Vibrant...
2020
Domaine Notre Dame des PallièresRasteau
Domaine des Girasols, Cuvée Lampereuse, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
This is good. The oak influence is discreet, but very smartly applied, giving shape and frame to the intense dark fruit. Grippy, with fruit and...
2020
Domaine des GirasolsRasteau
Domaine la Soumade, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Pure black cherry notes and an enticingly fresh demeanour. Silky and fresh on the palate, a very classic expression of Rasteau. Generous, full of fruit,...
2020
Domaine la SoumadeRasteau
Grandes Serres, La Chevalière, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
This has some intensity and energy, but it's tightly wound for now. It has real drive and focus, tight, fine tannins and a precision and...
2020
Grandes SerresRasteau
Gabriel Meffre, Saint-Didier, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Tea leaves and pine needles on the nose, and a character reminiscent of hot sand. This is quite unusual, a very savoury expression and slightly...
2020
Gabriel MeffreRasteau
Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières, La Coudoulière, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Properly broad, a massive presence, full of glycerol and expansive on the palate. There’s good concentration, and it’s robustly tannic. The alcohol is balanced. There’s...
2020
Domaine Notre Dame des PallièresRasteau
Domaine Grange Blanche, Héritage, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Smooth, full, round and powerful. The alcohol is high, but this has plenty of concentration. Intensely fruity, but finishing dry. From a variety of Rasteau...
2020
Domaine Grange BlancheRasteau
Rhonéa, Domaine Colline Bleue, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Exuberantly fruity nose, with raspberries, blackberries and a touch of blackcurrant. The tannins are smooth, svelte, fine and polished. The alcohol is really rather high,...
2020
RhonéaRasteau
Château la Courançonne, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Dark in the glass, intense purple from the Syrah. Rounded, quite heavy and weighty. Black cherry yoghurt notes. Powerful on the palate, with abundant alcohol....
2020
Château la CourançonneRasteau
Domaine Caroline Bonnefoy, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Red-fruited in style, notes of strawberries soaked in raspberry eau-de-vie. Powerful, with generous levels of alcohol.
2020
Domaine Caroline BonnefoyRasteau
Domaine de Verquière, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
A full-bodied, broad-shouldered style of Rasteau, but this has a good sense of freshness. The tannins are quite broad-grained. The alcohol is a touch out...
2020
Domaine de VerquièreRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, Les Coteaux, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Full-bodied, ripe and fresh. This is well made and very Rasteau in style, but not as elegant or refined as some of their other cuvées...
2020
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine Gramiller, Les Marcels, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Raspberry eau-de-vie on the nose, some notes of blackcurrant bush, then a red-fruited palate. Smooth, well-balanced and neat, if no great complexity promised – one...
2020
Domaine GramillerRasteau
Domaine Beau Mistral, Florianaëlle, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Full-bodied, heavy and fat. It has good concentration, but no great complexity, so drink young. Thick, chewy tannins – needs food.
2020
Domaine Beau MistralRasteau
Domaine des Girasols, L'Arbre de Vie, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
An uncomplicated plum and violet expression of Grenache, then well balanced on the palate with enjoyably grippy tannins. 70% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Cinsault, 10%...
2020
Domaine des GirasolsRasteau
Domaine Martin, Les Sommets de Rasteau Vieilles Vignes, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Iodine and menthol notes to the blackberry fruit. Plenty of presence and intensity on the palate, with a denim-like texture. There is a subtly unripe...
2020
Domaine MartinRasteau
Rhonéa, Les Encostes, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Plump, rounded, full of cooling glycerol across the palate. There are some grippy tannins on the finish, a touch chalky. Blackberry eau-de-vie. Well made, with...
2020
RhonéaRasteau
Alain Jaume & Fils, Les Valats, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Really quite reductive on the nose, but it’s better on the palate, agreeably fresh. The alcohol is high however, and this still feels quite tight...
2020
Alain Jaume & FilsRasteau
Rhonéa, Terroir Daronton - Édition Limitée, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2020
Violets, plums and blackberries – a very classic Rasteau, albeit towards a fresher, more fragrant style. Rounded, plump and juicy, with quite marked acidity. Not...
2020
RhonéaRasteau
