After tasting more than 1,200 Rhône 2021 en primeur samples, Matt Walls has given his full verdict on the new vintage.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the 102 red Rhône wines that scored 93 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 99 | Very darkly coloured indeed. An extraordinarily deep and Mourvèdre-heavy fug of a scent; deep, but so fresh and searching. It's not overly full-bodied or heavy. Great surging acidity. It's tannic and will take a long time to soften, but promises great freshness and a long life - don't open too young. Around 60% of the blend comes from old-vine Mourvèdre from the Courrieux vineyard. Grapes are destemmed, fermented in tronconic wooden vats using natural yeasts after a brief cold maceration with regular punching down. Drinking window: 2033 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, L'Ermite | Hermitage | 2021 | 98 | A fresh, piercing cassis style, that’s very fine and compact on the palate. Powerfully mineral, the wine really dives deep. The tannins are juicy but also energetic and strict. A wine with huge intensity and great driving energy. Not as much flesh as some recent vintages, but this is very classically Ermite with its immense tension and peppery, smoky freshness underneath. No lack, or excess, of ripeness. This is bracing. Vines are south-facing, just behind the Chapelle St Christophe. Drinking window: 2034 - 2050 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric Le Grand Pin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 97 | Orange tint to the pale red. Extraordinary nose, like walking through a pine forest after the rain. Fine tannins and a gentle plumpness to the palate. Good acidity and a mineral note on the finish. Ethereal stuff, a beautiful Grenache. Grown on sand in Pignan nord, no destemming and a very light extraction, matured in demi-muids for 24 months. 3,200 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Beaucastel | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 96 | A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. Drinking window: 2030 - 2045 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Clape | Cornas | 2021 | 96 | A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits indicates that this will be a fresh, well-balanced style of Cornas. Acidity is high this year, tannins are classically Cornas in their granitic grain and intensity. A highly structured year, this will always be a vintage for dedicated Cornas-lovers, there's no great wealth of rich fruit behind like in some recent vintages, but nonetheless this should age well. Very much a classic year, rather than the powerfully ripe and rich vintages we've seen since 2017. Whole bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres. Drinking window: 2032 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Chaupin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 96 | Relatively black-fruited for a pure Grenache, it's generous in fruit but not excessive, the alcohol is high of course (it's pure Grenache), but it feels integrated. Long, pure, velvety - this is really stunning. Lifted plum fruit, dusted with dried oregano. It's young, but already quite accessible. It will age well thanks to its freshness and balance. Parcels of Grenache planted on lieux-dits Chaupin, La Janasse and La Crau, mostly sandy soils, the oldest planted in 1912. Drinking window: 2024 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Réservé | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 96 | Relatively darkly fruited. Full-bodied but not as full as some years. Strong acidity, the tannins are present but not excessive. Really quite a tense, strict and austere vintage of this cuvée that will require long ageing - will be excellent when it's ready. Selection from Les Trois Sources, their oldest Grenache. Only produced when the Grenache is good enough. Drinking window: 2033 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 96 | Introverted on the nose, then very powerful and concentrated on the palate. The muscular, rounded tannins are a Brune-side calling card, which are further buttressed by plentiful firm, dry oak tannins. Very long, powerful but fresh, with enough piercing acidity to propel this long into the future. Mineral edge brings further freshness and texture. Grown on lieu-dit Montlys, aged for 18 months in 4- to 9-year-old barriques and demi-muids. 4,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | Hermitage | 2021 | 96 | A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending was as instructive as ever. Péléat was smooth, silky and red-fruited with good acidity; Beaumes slightly meatier, a little less concentrated than a typical year, but with good tannic drive; L'Ermite was serious, dry and mineral; Bessards very strict, with tight, rigid tannins. The final blend is likely to produce a structural rather than generous style of Hermitage, with tannins that will need a long time in bottle to settle. This will be ascetic in youth, then complex and textural with age. Drinking window: 2023 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Johann Michel | Cornas | 2021 | 96 | Bright and intense both in colour and in aroma. Hyper-fresh, searching berry fruits, this is electric. Very rounded, with plump berry fruits, very concentrated and very fresh. Tannins are intense too, very grippy, very strict. Long finish. This is almost painful to taste at this stage, but should be excellent in time. Vines with an average of 35 years of age, lieux-dits Saveaux, Patou, Les Cotes, all destemmed, aged in 2- to 5-year-old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2030 - 2045 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet, Côte Brune | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 96 | Gorgeous nose, so floral, like a rose. Silky, very approachable already. A drier impression than a typical year but great freshness and energy. Well balanced acidity, no greenness here, but it's just-ripe. Not as long as some years. Precise, more friendly than most 2021s. Very much about the florals. One of the oldest parcels, and they found no rot here, unlike most others. Very constant in quality, impressive even in complicated years. Whole bunch fermented, matured in old demi-muid. No La Landonne will be made in 2021. Drinking window: 2026 - 2042 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal | Hermitage | 2021 | 96 | A particularly fruity Gréal, much more open than usual at this stage. Has weight and presence and a seriously mineral edge. Less concentration and structure than typical year, but should last well thanks to its energy, tension and strict tannins, and end up very Pinotesque in style with age. Very pure and with good ripeness of fruit and tannin, elegant. Impressive, but don't expect a huge wine. Very Bessards, like sucking pencil lead. 10% whole bunch, partly grown on Le Méal, partly on Les Greffieux. Drinking window: 2029 - 2046 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale | Cornas | 2021 | 96 | Gorgeous nose, very fresh, precise and surprisingly aromatic for a Cornas. The smoky oak and peppery Syrah spice combine well. Not massive, actually quite lean and precise, but great sense of energy and focus. Tannins are intense, quite sharp and bony, but should round out in time. The acidity is really quite intense, this will always be a brisk, athletic Cornas, but should make some complex old bones. Fairly long finish. Whole bunch fermented from 100-year-old vines grown in Reynard. Aged in used barrels, no new oak. 5,000 bottles made. Drinking window: 2030 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon | Hermitage | 2021 | 96 | Very classically Pavillon in its aromatic display, with hoi sin sauce and some cassis and blackberry. Very fine tannins, not a huge vintage, a more Burgundian expression of Le Pavillon. Not terribly concentrated like some recent vintages, this will drink well young. Very fresh, with strong acidity and an underlying smoky note. A lovely wine, but an atypically fine and compact Pavillon. From lieu-dit Les Bessards. Drinking window: 2025 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Neve | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 96 | Fresh, aerial style, violet scented. Introverted for now, but exceptionally fine tannins - very similar to La Viallière in style. Very well balanced, the acidity is high, the tannins are quite generous. Very mineral style. Lieu-dit Neve, south of La Viallière, rocky micaschist soils. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Papes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Defined raspberry and redcurrant fruits, some woody spices in the background. Quite a rounded, fluid style, the acidity is really quite marked this year. Tannins are gentle, and it finishes on raspberry and redcurrant coulis. There's a silky touch on the palate. It's built around the acidity, the tannins are just gently sandy. Good sense of purity, quite a Burgundian vintage. Less Grenache in the blend this year as it was particularly hit by the frost. Drinking window: 2025 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine A&E Verset, Signature Verset | Cornas | 2021 | 95 | Clove oak, very rich and opulent for the vintage, ripe and full-bodied. Tannins are driving and intense, with a rapier-like acidity that cuts through the centre. Classically shaped and textured, with the fruit and generosity to last. Whole bunch fermented, matured in barriques and demi-muids of between 3 and 8 previous uses. This cuvée is a selection of their best barrels. Drinking window: 2027 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cristia, Chapelle Saint Théodoric La Guigasse | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Wow!' was my reaction. Simply gorgeous aromatics, pulling in garrigue herbs, blood orange, redcurrant, liquorice and pine resin. Light in tannin, but a lovely sense of freshness, good acidity and a lovely detailed finish. Tannins are fine and slight. A compelling, Burgundian Grenache. This is pure whole-bunch Grenache grown on sand at the lieu-dit La Guigasse, aged for 24 months in demi-muid. 4,800 bottles made. Drinking window: 2023 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse, Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Pure, medium-bodied, with a lovely fine texture that's beautifully velvety. Certainly no lack of ripeness in fruit or tannin, which are plentiful but fine, ripe and succulent, and the finish is long. Alcohol is slightly raised but it suits the wine. Good balance, freshness and texture, it's restrained but not ungenerous. Partly destemmed, fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudre and demi-muid. Drinking window: 2028 - 2039 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Gorgeous nose, already showing some spicy, woody complexity. Just as compelling on the palate, the tannins are plentiful and will need time to settle, but the fruit is opulent enough to wait. Very long finish. From mostly galets roulés soils from lieu-dits Bois de la Ville, La Crau and La Nerthe, fermented and aged in 80% stainless steel, 20% old barriques. All destemmed. Drinking window: 2028 - 2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Panisse, Le Mas | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | An extremely spicy expression, remarkably herbal, with notes of cinnamon, rose, cedar and cigar tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, the acidity isn't high but it's well balanced, the tannins are fine, ending on a hint of dried orange rind. Again, quite a Burgundian style of Châteauneuf. The Grenache is grown on sand and galets roulés in lieu-dit La Janasse, planted in 1921. All destemmed, fermented in tronconic tanks, matured in demi-muids with a tiny proportion of new barriques. Now owned by Le Clos du Caillou. 10,000 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Geniale Patronne | Cornas | 2021 | 95 | Sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied with no stalkiness, very rounded and smooth. Good intensity, very mineral expression, super fresh, with the acidity of the vintage. All whole bunch, 2 years ageing in diamond-shaped cement tanks. Full grapes to begin with, then crushed. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Tunnel | Cornas | 2021 | 95 | Ripe blackberry and black cherry yoghurt on the nose. Ripe tannins, good acidity. It's concentrated but not massive, with a good sense of impact and focus. The acidity really drives it forward. Alcohol is well balanced, and it's not overly oaked. Long finish. Strict, chiselled Cornas tannins. Very classic. Lieux-dits Sauman, Combes, les Côtes, Mazards, Cayret, Patou, Les Eygats, Champelrose. Aged for 14 months in four-year-old barrels. Drinking window: 2028 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon, Le Combard | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Much more interesting than most 2021s on the nose, there's an oregano note behind the rose and tobacco scented fruits - very typically Côte Blonde. Smooth tannins, very well worked and fine. Great aromatics and textural finesse, a standout wine of the vintage. From the lieu-dit Le Combard, blonde soils, sharply sloping. Fermented in stainless steel then aged in barriques for 18 months. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gramenon, La Mémé | Côtes du Rhône | 2021 | 95 | Introverted at the time of tasting. Energy, intensity and textural wealth here, you really feel the unfiltered aspect. Long, lively, and with great acidity. The alcohol is in balance. Really lovely, a Grenache that will age well and give good and fresh drinking. Light peppery edge, the herbs are in the background for now. Great purity and freshness. From 100-year-old Grenache vines. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | A tasting of component barrels made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid, austere tannins that are quite common in 2021. Few barrels had great concentration or generosity of fruit, this is a vintage about structure and minerality rather than concentration or fruit sweetness. I would be inclined to leave this for a substantial amount of time before broaching, around 2031, by which time is should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole bunch fermented, matured mostly in old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2031 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, Côte Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Relatively pale this year. Very floral expression - violets. Light-bodied, fresh, with good acidity. Tannins are much friendlier than La Landonne, it's quite a light and gentle Côte Blonde this year, but the balance is good even if the concentration is fairly light. Will drink well young. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, limited new oak, natural yeasts, and as many stems as possible. Only single vineyards bottlings in 2021 will be La Landonne and Côte Blonde - and that's if they are not eventually blended in to Ampodium. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Turque | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Very much on the perfumed, rose-like side of La Turque, along with characteristic star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon spice, partly from the oak. Relatively light in body and concentration this year, but does have a good sense of freshness. More char and spice on the finish, along with vanilla pod. Very fine tannins, actually quite light in tannin this year. No hints of greenness, very fine and neat. Will be ready relatively early; not a vintage for long ageing. Low alcohol. At the beginning of its long maturation in 100% new oak barriques. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Isabel Ferrando, Colombis | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Rounded, fairly tannic style, but one with serious class and refinement. This needs time to settle in bottle, but will be lovely when ready - a classic and drinkable style. Largely sandy soils, a small lieu-dit to the west of the village. All fermented and aged in tronconic vats. Drinking window: 2026 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, La Réserve | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Dark chocolate and plum, with plentiful cola and clove oak. The tannins are still quite brusque, but this is still ageing. A touch pinched from the oak on the finish. If the tannins are smoothed out, this will make for an elegant wine with spicy complexity when fully mature. Grown on sandy soils of lieux-dits La Guigasse and Pignan sud; matured mostly in demi-muid and some clay amphora. 3,400 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2028 - 2041 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Quartz | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 95 | Quite a discrete style, there's plenty of fruit but no great body or structure. This isn't a negative comment; the wine has good balance, acidity and freshness, making for a very drinkable style. Appealing length, revealing detailed raspberry, star anise, cinnamon and rose petal. Grown half on large pebbles, half on sand in lieu-dit Les Cassanets. Destemmed, fermented in tronconic concrete vats, then matured in amphora. Just 6,800 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, La Mordorée | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Very classically Côte-Rôtie in aroma, there's juniper and forest berries, a touch balsamic. Rounded, generous, but not overly ripe of full-bodied. Very fine tannins, good acidity, very well balanced. The oak is well integrated, well applied. Great finesse here, one of their best vintages yet. Mineral, graphite finish. Blend of lieu-dit Côte-Blonde and lieu-dit Côte Brune. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Méal | Hermitage | 2021 | 95 | Very immediate and fruity style and a touch balsamic. Quite sappy acidity - really intense in fact. Quite introverted at the time of tasting. Bold and powerful tannins that demand long ageing. Vines are around 50-years-old, fermented in concrete, aged in recently used oak barrels for around 14 months. Drinking window: 2031 - 2044 Click to see full details | |
| Pierre Gaillard, Esprit de Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Smoky, sparky style on the nose, Szechuan pepper, wood smoke and cinnamon oak. Very rounded, good sense of ripeness, teamed with good acidity. Sappy fruits on the finish, with a firm, dry finish. Very well balanced, very fresh. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Pierre Gaillard, Rose Pourpre | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 95 | Lovely Brune-style aromatics here, dark, deep, resonant. Fairly full, decidedly round, mouthcoating clay tannins. The oak is well balanced here, adding weight and spice to the fruit. Generous for a 2021, with good acidity. South-facing parcel of Côte Rozier, all destemmed, malolactic takes place in new barriques, where it spends 18 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Benjamin & David Duclaux, Maison Rouge | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 94 | A riper and oakier expression than La Germine, it's certainly more generous. Good sense of purity. Rounded from the oak but not dried out, with good acidity. Very harmonious. Exceptionally fine tannin, this is a good success this year. No Coteaux de Tupin made this year as the stems weren't ripe enough. 20% whole bunch. All on gneiss, blonde soils. 100% Syrah, 20m in barrel, 40% new oak. Some very old vines, up to 100 years old. Drinking window: 2024 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Chante Perdrix | Cornas | 2021 | 94 | Decidedly oaky style, the oak tannins add to the robust fruit-derived tannins to create something of a beast! Certainly ripe enough, with great driving power and huge acidity. Fermented in concrete, aged in oak barrels for 12 months. Drinking window: 2026 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine A&E Verset | Cornas | 2021 | 94 | Hot tarmac and bonfire ash - decidedly smoky, with herbal undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, there's no lack of ripeness, it's concentrated to if not massive in size - quite a compact style of Cornas. The tannins are vibrant, intense, textural and very classic for the appellation - so you'll need to wait for them to settle. Very fresh, very intense, well balance and will last. Drinking window: 2027 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Bois de Boursan, Cuvée des Felix | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Dark, polished wood scents. Mouthfilling fruit and a generous tannic load. Powerful, a touch austere, not a sweetly-fruited Châteauneuf, but one that's likely to offer some textural interest and complexity when it's ready - but do wait. Grown organically on sand and galets roulés, fermented in concrete, then aged for 22 months in old barriques. 2,400 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2027 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Fontavin, Trilogies | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Creamy in texture, lovely soft and pliable tannin, all very ripe. Long finish. This is harmonious, promising a lot thanks to its lovely balance and succulent, compote fruits of blackberry and plum. Atypically velvety and generous for a 2021. Aged in concrete, then a quarter passes through demi-muid for a year. 7,500 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2025 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Les Hauts-Lieux | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Much fuller, richer than the Trois Sources. Clearly higher alcohol, with very piercing acidity and fine tannins. The alcohol is quite raised, but it has good length. From three parcels close to the limestone plateau with some clay, relatively high altitude and late ripening, with less exposition to the sun. Drinking window: 2027 - 2042 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Les Trois Sources | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Slightly less Grenache than a normal year. Lovely aromas of freshly squished raspberries. Lighter in body, higher in acidity than usual, really quite piercing. There's a touch of liquorice. Tannins are fine and it has an overall fresh feel. Three terraces of sandy soils at the northern edge of the appellation. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Picardan, with an average age of 75 years, all co-planted and co-fermented. Drinking window: 2022 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bosquets, Le Plateau... | Gigondas | 2021 | 94 | A perfumed style of Mourvèdre, with fresh blueberries and fresh soil. The smooth, voluminous, generous palate has some serious presence and intent. Gently ebbs away to a very dry (but not drying) finish. A balanced, harmonious, symmetrical wine. Le Plateau is a single-vineyard selection of old-vine Mourvèdre planted at high altitude in 1922, on blue marls and limestones exposed to the north. Aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Drinking window: 2024 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bosquets, Les Routes... | Gigondas | 2021 | 94 | Beautifully smoky, spicy Syrah expression, with cocoa nibs and cardamon. Not overly full-bodied, but good ripeness, intensity and drive. A focused style, linear, ending spicy and bright. Good acidity, but the alcohol is on the high side. Will find many fans, as this has real intensity, and will age with interest. A parcel selection of Syrah planted in the 1990s, destemmed and aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Bosquet des Papes, Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Lifted nose - between spicy and floral - with incense and sandalwood notes over the raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied, smooth and ample in body, with quite marked acidity. Surprisingly approachable already, this has lovely detail and finesse. A blend of different soils and lieux-dits, vines of 80 to 90 years old, no destemming, fermented in concrete, aged mostly in foudre. Drinking window: 2023 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Clos des Tourelles | Gigondas | 2021 | 94 | Very dark in the glass. Wonderful cassis aromas. It’s a rounded and generous style on the palate, with really expressive fruit. Good acidity and length, and the tannins are well tamed. Half the Grenache is whole-bunch fermented, as well as all the Syrah. Well balanced, this is very successful for a 2021 Gigondas. Vineyards around the Clos on the southern edge of the village, from a 4ha parcel. Drinking window: 2026 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Vivre libre ou mourir | Cornas | 2021 | 94 | Bright and lifted violet and liquorice aromatics, a touch of veal stock on the palate. Tight, bright and vibrant with trenchant acidity and very chalky tannins. Still quite light-bodied, with no great length. Lovely purity, freshness and energy though. A selection of Billes Noires that's aged in glass with no added sulfites, first vintage was 2020. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine François Merlin | St-Joseph | 2021 | 94 | Gorgeously fresh, aerial nose, brimming with violets and pounded blueberries. A touch of nutmeg adds to the scent. Smooth, rounded, and surprisingly sweetly approachable for a 2021 St-Joseph. Well balanced but very young - will need some time to come round. Wonderful energy, vibrancy and balance here, a real winner among 2021 St-Josephs. Drinking window: 2025 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Garon, Les Triotes | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 94 | Showing some reduction still on the nose, but not problematically so at this stage. Medium-bodied, mouth-coating fruit, very fresh and well balanced. The tannins are more succulent than most in 2021, and along with the fine, zesty acidity and tempered alcohol, this is very promising, and should be excellent if the reduction is resolved during élevage. The score assumes it will be. From four lieux-dits and 25-year-old vines in the Côte Blonde, aged for 21 months in barrels of various sizes and ages. Drinking window: 2023 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gramenon, La Sagesse | Côtes du Rhône | 2021 | 94 | Only just bottled so still quite introverted. Medium-bodied, with good concentration of fruit, quite robust tannins and good acidity. This will be excellent in time. Half whole bunch, and you feel just a touch of aromatic stems, but no excessive greenness or textural harshness. From three parcels around the estate of old-vine Grenache that are between 50 and 70 years old. Partially destemmed, fermented in raw cement tanks then aged in old barriques for 12 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Guy Farge, Harmonie | Cornas | 2021 | 94 | Lovely herbal display on the nose, with fresh thyme, rosemary and bay. They follow on to the palate, met by juicy, smooth berry fruits. Enjoyably ripe without excessive ripeness, it's on the lean side but it's not scrawny. Tannins are firm but not intense. Good length. Thirty-year-old vines, whole bunches, indigenous yeasts, lieux-dits Sauman et Reynard. Matured in 400l barrels, 1 to 5-years-old, for 12 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine la Ligière, Les Bergines | Gigondas | 2021 | 94 | A pretty, pure, neat expression, with delicate floral notes on pure red berry fruit. Fine on the palate, showing great purity and precision. Lovely acidity, well-balanced alcohol and a long, tapered finish. Among the best 2021s in Gigondas. Partly destemmed, indigenous yeasts, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel | Hermitage | 2021 | 94 | A fruity, pure, clean and surprisingly ripe expression here. There’s good ripeness on the palate, and it’s surprisingly potent, with intense, driving tannins. Relatively light in concentration for a Hermitage, the tannins are just a touch grainy but it has great freshness. A relatively drinkable, tense style with real vibrancy. Slim and tense but with good energy. 10% from Les Bessards, picked early due to hail, so a bit under mature; then blended with very ripe parcels. All destemmed this year. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Olivier Hillaire, Les Terrasses | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Gorgeous strawberry and raspberry expression of Grenache, with subtle herbal, resinous hints. Full-bodied, with deep strawberry fruits and extremely fine tannins. Perfectly balanced acidity completes this harmonious and pure Grenache. Grown on the galets roulés of Les Escondudes, this is destemmed, fermented in concrete and aged for 14 months in old barriques. 2,500 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Cuvée Impériale | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Lovely sense of purity and clarity to the forest berry fruit, with a whiff of smoke emerging with air. Medium- to full-bodied style, plenty of fruit concentration, with expressive blueberry and blackberry muddled together. Long finish, ending neat and precise. This has a fair whack of fine tannin, so give it time. Soils are mostly sand in lieux-dits Farguerol nord and Pied Long. Fermented and aged in concrete. Drinking window: 2025 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 94 | Graphite, iron and pencil lead come before the blackberry fruit - a very mineral aromatic expression, almost austere on the nose. Medium-bodied but with good presence on the palate and some sweetness to the berry fruits. Very compact, very dry and mineral expression. La Landonne is always strict, but this really is austere. The whole bunch element is marked, the tannins are fine and plentiful but very tense and dry. Needs a long time, don't drink too young. Only single vineyards bottlings in 2021 will be La Landonne and Côte Blonde - and that's if they are not eventually blended in to Ampodium. Drinking window: 2030 - 2043 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 94 | Very spicy on the nose, with sparky cinnamon along with the ashy, smoky notes from the whole bunch. Medium-bodied for La Landonne, this isn't a huge wine by any means. Decidedly fresh. The tannins are quite drying for now, but certainly fine. Not as long or concentrated as many recent years, but will emerge a fresh, balanced and complex wine in time. 100% whole bunch. At the beginning of its long maturation in 100% new oak barriques. Drinking window: 2029 - 2039 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Mayard, Domaine du Père Pape | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Cherry, rose and sandalwood aromas. There's no excessive concentration, and it's well laden with tannin and good acidity. Broad and expansive feel on the palate. The alcohol is present but not unbalanced. Will be complex when it's ready. The estate formerly known as Vignobles Mayard has been divided in two, creating two new estates from the 2021 vintage: Clos du Calvaire and Domaine Mayard. Drinking window: 2026 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Perrin, L'Argnée | Gigondas | 2021 | 94 | A soft, rounded, pure expression of Grenache. The acidity here is lower than most, but still in balance. There’s lovely softness to the plentiful ripe tannins. It’s a harmonious, gourmand and velvety style. From very old pre-phylloxera vines grown on sand close to the village of Gigondas, just six barrels made. Drinking window: 2023 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Perrin, Les Hauts de Julien | Vinsobres | 2021 | 94 | Distinctly spicy style, showing bacon, smoke, black pepper and cassis. The oak is quite present, but it works well. The tannins are quite typically Vinsobres. Strict, but such depth of fruit. Very good vintage of this cuvée. Such vibrant fruit and texture, with great acidity. All whole bunch, co-fermented then aged in new demi-muids. Pre-phylloxera Syrah, most of the Grenache is as well. Drinking window: 2027 - 2038 Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Caillou, Les Safres | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 94 | Lovely fresh and vibrant expression, the floral Mourvèdre coming through well. Only medium-bodied, this is pleasingly restrained. Acidity is good, tannins are fine, and the overall effect is one of neatness, balance and finesse. Not a big wine by any means, but very nicely judged. Grown organically on the sandy soils of Les Bédines, this is fermented in tronconic vats then aged in foudres for 18 months. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Andrea Calek, Babiole | Vin de France | 2021 | 93 | Gorgeous, high-toned and herbal nose - bay leaf intertwined with black cherry. Strawberry and iodine. Light-bodied, with low extraction, so it’s light and fresh. The acidity isn't high but the wine feels balanced, with good grip. So delightfully fresh and original. No faults, no excesses. Unfined, unfiltered and no added sulphites. Drinking window: 2022 - 2025 Click to see full details | |
| Brotte, Les Hauts de Barville | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | A pretty, fine, gently floral style with lovely lift and freshness. Raspberry fruit, fine tannins and a good sense of direction and vibrancy. Finishes precise and neat. Grown across diverse lieux-dits and soils, destemmed, fermented in concrete and matured in a variety of vessels, including 10% new oak, which isn't obvious to taste. Drinking window: 2023 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Montfaucon, Baron de Montfaucon Cuvée Bimard | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Bright, clear and attractive nose, lifted by gently floral Cinsault cherry aromas. Balanced and fresh, with beautifully fine tannins. This is almost ready to drink now; no great concentration or muscle, more a fine and elegant style. Destemmed, fermented in concrete, aged in old barriques. 5,600 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2024 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Rouanne, Guerin | Vinsobres | 2021 | 93 | With a nice sense of restraint, this feels like a particularly elegant style of Vinsobres in terms of texture. Expert use of oak has added weight and combed out the tannins, but hasn't occluded the fruit. Long, tapered, elegant finish. Finishes neat and dry. All whole-bunch fermented, aged for 12 months in 226-litre barrels. Owned by Louis Barruol of Château de St Cosme. Drinking window: 2025 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Château de Rouanne, Rouanne et les Crottes | Vinsobres | 2021 | 93 | The oak is quite noticeable, but there's plenty of exuberant fruit behind it. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in fruit, this is more concentrated than most 2021s. Good acidity, well-worked tannins and a nice sense of freshness all add up to a fairly powerful, concentrated, exuberant style of Vinsobres. All whole-bunch fermented, aged for 12 months in 226-litre barrels. Owned by Louis Barruol of Château de St Cosme. Drinking window: 2025 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Château de St Cosme, Le Claux | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | This is very good - ripe, with the fruit to stand up to the oak. Good acidity, balanced alcohol, some length too. A touch of caramel on the finish, and cinnamon sugar. Very old vines, all whole-cluster fermented in concrete, no destemming, indigenous yeasts and matured 100% in barriques; one-third new, one-third second-use, one-third third-use. Drinking window: 2025 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Château de St Cosme, Le Poste | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | Vanilla pod and coffee oak notes to the polished berry fruits. Remarkably ripe in both fruit and tannin for the vintage, with good concentration, but the oak certainly dominates for now, so give this time. Grenache planted on limestone marl. Single vineyard. No destemming. 12 months maturation in French oak barriques: 20% new, 50% one-year-old, 30% two-year-old. Unfiltered. Drinking window: 2026 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Château Sixtine | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | No excess extraction, however the tannins are ripe and velvety. Good slick of dark fruit, all very smooth. Approachable now, but will take on some further interest if allowed to age into the medium term thanks to its perfect balance. Well judged, neither pushed too far nor weak. All destemmed, fermented in stainless steel, mostly matured in concrete, along with some foudres and demi-muids. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Clos de Caveau, Fruit Sauvage | Vacqueyras | 2021 | 93 | Purity, freshness and aromatic precision - a promising start. Full-bodied, rounded, generous and fruity. Feels very Vacqueyras and has really punchy acidity to match the rich fruit. The alcohol is balanced, higher than most in this low-alcohol vintage. Long finish. Excellent. Indigenous yeasts, spends 50 days in tank. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Domaine des Tourettes | Hermitage | 2021 | 93 | Some weight of fruit here underneath the measured clove oak. Smooth, ripe, with well-balanced acidity, this has a good sense of balance and elegance. Fresh, with plentiful cinnamon spice and forest berry fruit that's just-ripe, neither over nor under. A fairly compact, early-drinking Hermitage, not a powerful one, but one that has some natural class. Drinking window: 2024 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Delas, Seigneur de Maugiron | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 93 | Attractive spiced raspberry aromas, some woodland hints in the background, pine needles and juniper. Light and easy-going on the palate, more raspberry fruit and raspberryish acidity. Compact, fresh and well balance, no great concentration but good sense of vibrancy. 70% from the Côte Brune, 30% from the Côte Blonde. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Alain Voge, Les Côtes | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | A beguiling nose of rose, pine resin and incense, very unusual. Crisp and red-fruited on the palate, with surging raspberry acidity. Reminiscent of a blonde-side Côte-Rôtie. Then it's quite light in fruit and tannin on the palate. The oak is quite forthright. An unusual, interesting wine. From a parcel near Mauves, a steep granite slope. No new oak. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Benedetti | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Very much on the floral violet side of things. Fine, fresh and silky, this has a lovely texture. Certainly powerful, with quite high alcohol and bright berry acidity running through it into the length. Elegant yet powerful, with sweetly ripe fruit. Alcohol just a little raised. Organic. Fourth generation family-owned domaine established in 1930, it has been bottling its own wines since 1997 when it left the local co-op. Its parcels are on La Crau, Cabrières and Saint-George. An up-and-coming domaine going from strength to strength. Drinking window: 2024 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Benedetti, Les Larmes Papales | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Better than most 2021 Châteauneuf Traditions, this has real liveliness of expression. Medium- to full-bodied, ripe tannins. Good acidity, some intensity of flavour. Tannins need some time to integrate, so wait a while. Fourth generation family-owned domaine established in 1930, it has been bottling its own wines since 1997 when it left the local co-op. Its parcels are on La Crau, Cabrières and Saint-George. An up-and-coming domaine going from strength to strength. Drinking window: 2026 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Burgaud | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 93 | Zesty orange, nutmeg and cinnamon, the nose has freshness and promising detail. Silky on the palate, layered and detailed. Well balanced and harmonious, this is one of the more successful Côte-Rôties in 2021. No great power, but good balance and restraint. Destemmed, natural yeasts, grown on lieux-dits Côte Blonde, Les Moutonnes, Fongeant, La Brosse, Le Champin, Leyat. Spends 15 months in oak, 20% new. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Charvin | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | A savoury nose with woodland scents, bark, moss and woody herbs. With good weight on the palate, it’s quite muscular with savoury tannins and finishes dry. Needs time, but will be a food-friendly, savoury and eventually quite complex wine when ready. Organically grown in the northwest of the appellation in lieu-dit Cabrières, on galets roulés and sand. It's whole-bunch fermented and then aged for 21 months in concrete using indigenous yeasts, then bottled unfiltered. Drinking window: 2025 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Very dark, dense and bold, this is very tannic indeed. There's concentration here, and it should become good in time, after a long wait. The acidity is lower than most 2021s, but the tannins have finesse. Don't be tempted to drink this young! Grapes are grown across a variety of soil types in the lieux-dits Beau Renard, Cabrières and Coteau de l'Ange, destemmed, vinified mostly in tronconic wooden vats, then aged in oak barrels of various sizes and ages, including 5% new oak. Drinking window: 2030 - 2039 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Beaurenard, Pied de Baud | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Big bolshy tannins that are on the dry side. Not sure it has the fruit to wait for these to come round! Good purity, however, and the tannins are very detailed and precise. Good acidity. Immensely tannic, this will take a very long time to soften, but should be good when they do. From a co-planted, co-fermented parcel of Grenache and Mourvèdre from lieu-dit Pied de Baud. Fermented in concrete eggs. 1,500 bottles produced. Drinking window: 2030 - 2037 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de la Janasse | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Expressive on the nose, with good ripeness to the damson and juniper fruit. It has plenty of presence and grip, and quite precise acidity which helps to lengthen the palate. Savoury, well balanced. Partially destemmed, fermented in concrete, aged mostly in foudres and some old barriques. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Saint Siffrein | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Distinctly spicy berry fruits, for now lifted by a touch of reduction. Savoury but generous, deep and complex already. The acidity is deep set, well balanced, tannins quite dry and serious, grippy. A fairly powerful wine for the vintage that will take a few years to show its best. Likely to offer good value. Partly destemmed, fermented in concrete, aged in foudres and stainless steel. Drinking window: 2025 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bernardins | Beaumes de Venise | 2021 | 93 | Interesting blend, and it comes through on the nose - it's a fruity, floral style of Beaumes that's really appealing. Full-bodied, rounded, generous and fluid, with very fine tannins. This is a real success in 2021. Also contains 5% Mourvèdre and 4% Grenache Blanc. No destemming, aged 12 months in stainless steel. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Bosquets, Le Lieu Dit... | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | Highly perfumed, with intense menthol, polished woods, Turkish delight and blood orange. Even more so than La Colline this year. Intense herbal notes, like fresh oregano, ending fine, with good acidity and ripe tannin. Highly atypical in its heady perfume - some will love this, others will not. Hard to score, therefore! This is a single-vineyard selection of Grenache on sandy soils, exposed northwest. Aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Drinking window: 2023 - 2027 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Cayron | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | Darkly coloured. Lovely sense of freshness, florality and herbal detail. Fairly full and rounded, quite mature already. Mouth-filling, sweet ripe fruit and a long finish. Has a slight, agreeable rusticity to the texture and feels authentically Gigondas. Unpolished. No destemming, aged in foudres and demi-muids. Drinking window: 2026 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Billes Noires | Cornas | 2021 | 93 | More depth to the nose and palate than his Brise Cailloux this year, enjoyably silky, with raspberry and rose. Very aromatic, a harmonious, fresh and zesty vintage - with rapier-like acidity! From lieu-dit Le Bois, south-facing, with 10-20% limestone in the granite soils. Some old vines (1920s), some younger. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Coulet, Brise Cailloux | Cornas | 2021 | 93 | Bright and floral, with potpourri, rose and blood orange. Silky on the tongue, then the very high acidity dashes in like a whippet. Plenty of impact, with an explosion of fruit. Tannins are tight and chalky, the fruit on the finish is delicate and raspberryish. Vibrant and electric. Drinking window: 2022 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Eric & Joël Durand, Prémices | Cornas | 2021 | 93 | Naturalistic blackberry fruit, no overt oak on the nose. Medium-bodied, no great concentration but a good sense of freshness and precision. Gently serrated Cornas tannins are present and enjoyably textural. Very well balanced, classic and precise. Twenty percent whole bunch, 20% new oak. Drinking window: 2024 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gonon | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | There’s an appealing touch of oregano to the blackberry fruit. It’s medium-bodied, with good acidity, but not as concentrated as the past few vintages. The tannins are however ripe and fine. Quite a delicate vintage, but good balance and freshness. Harvest started on 24 September, and yields were low this year at 27hl/ha. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gramenon, L'Emouvante | Côtes du Rhône | 2021 | 93 | Spicy and fresh, this is medium-bodied in an aerial and upright style. The acidity is really quite marked, the tannins are tough but will soften. 40-year-old vines on sandy clay limestone, a plateau at 350m altitude. Long maceration of two months. Drinking window: 2027 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | A tasting of the various constituent lieux-dits revealed that the Bachesson parcel had a peppery side and its characteristic rose scent, and an unmistakably granitic texture. The Chalaix lieu-dit was precise, fine, with no huge concentration but good balance. Lieu-dit Dardouille was looking promising, with good weight and length. The finished blend of the domaine’s St-Joseph is likely to be neat, precise and fresh, with a distinct mineral side, one to drink relatively young. There will be no separate bottling of Clos Florentin this year due to frost. Drinking window: 2022 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Raspail-Ay | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | Round, ripe, juicy and powerful fruit for a 2021. Driving fruit and texture, with the vintage's signature dry, herbal austerity. Very tannic, so wait, but should take on complexity in time. A single unbroken plot near the village of Gigondas, all destemmed and fermented in concrete, matured in old foudres for 18-24 months. No special cuvées, just a single wine produced from this domaine. Drinking window: 2026 - 2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Richaud, L'Ebrescade | Cairanne | 2021 | 93 | Deep beetroot and raspberry. Full-bodied, powerful and rich, with fine tannins. Remarkable acidity. Drinkable already. A single vineyard planted on clay limestone near the border with Cairanne. Drinking window: 2023 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Mouline | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 93 | Pretty berry fruits on the nose, perfumed and delicate. Light-bodied, it has taken its oak remarkably well. Very fine tannins, only very delicately tannic. The acidity is low too, this is light in concentration, and drinkable already. A very petite vintage of La Mouline, not terribly long. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde. At the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking window: 2024 - 2032 Click to see full details | |
| Famille Isabel Ferrando | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Mouthcoating ripe fruit, the alcohol is high but it's balanced out by the driving acidity. The tannins aren't the finest, but it has concentration and thrust. Has the presence and power of a classic Châteauneuf, which can be lacking in this vintage. Long finish. This cuvée replaces the three historical red cuvées of the domaine (Classique, Auguste Favier and Charles Giraud). From the galets roulés of lieu-dit Les Serres, fermented in concrete, aged in concrete, old oak and amphora. Drinking window: 2025 - 2036 Click to see full details | |
| François Villard, Jouvet | Cornas | 2021 | 93 | Full-bodied, good concentration here. Very good tannic finesse, it's quite intense, with fine, pliable tannins. Very tannic, but ripe tannins, not too serrated, quite buffed. Will be interesting, but wait. South-east facing lieu-dit Jouvet, 400m altitude. Bought grapes. All whole bunch, all fermented in wood, then aged in 5- to 7-year-old barriques. Drinking window: 2027 - 2035 Click to see full details | |
| Le Vieux Donjon | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | A smoky style that’s a touch herbal and meaty. Towards full-bodied, with good weight and texture. Quite a saline expression, ending on crisp raspberry acidity and quite strict tannins. Will always be a lean style, but should make interesting old bones. Drinking window: 2025 - 2034 Click to see full details | |
| Lionel Faury, La Gloriette | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | Really gorgeous nose, with oregano, rosemary and menthol. It has the fresh chewy feel of stemmy tannins on the palate; it will require a couple of years to digest them. Blackberry fruit, great liveliness and energy. One of the best red St-Josephs this year - as it is in most vintages. Drinking window: 2025 - 2030 Click to see full details | |
| Martine & Christian Rouchier, La Chave | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | Aromas of smoky herbs, blackcurrant bush and just-ripe blackberries. There’s good silky fruit on the palate, with a great sense of freshness and purity, this is very refined and pure. It still has the green streak that you can find in so many 2021 St-Josephs, but it works well here. Whole-bunch fermented, natural yeasts, 16 months élevage in old barrels. Drinking window: 2024 - 2028 Click to see full details | |
| Martine & Christian Rouchier, Luc | St-Joseph | 2021 | 93 | A smoky, ashy style, reminiscent of extinguished cigars and bay leaves. Searching tannins, which are quite robust. The whole-bunch element is very pronounced, and it finishes fresh and chewy, with crunchy fresh blackberries. Drinking window: 2025 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Vidal-Fleury, Brune et Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | 2021 | 93 | The blackberry and blueberry fruits are just ripe, it's quite a lean and fresh aromatic expression. Fuller on the palate than expected, it has a roundness that's quite unusual in 2021. Some length too. Good acidity, neat tannins and not overoaked. Drinking window: 2023 - 2029 Click to see full details | |
| Xavier Vignon | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2021 | 93 | Quite pale in colour for a 2021. A little menthol and bay leaf to the black cherry fruit, which is discrete for now. Good weight and body on the palate, however, and firm acid. A distinctly savoury style that should work well at the dinner table and will age well on its acidity into the medium term. Drinking window: 2025 - 2031 Click to see full details | |
| Xavier Vignon | Gigondas | 2021 | 93 | Good sense of ripeness and richness to the squished strawberry fruit. Expressive and juicy fruit on the palate, further lifted by bright acidity. Soft, well balanced, with a lovely pure, delicate, tremulous finish. He played this vintage well. 80-100-year-old vines, all destemmed. Drinking window: 2023 - 2028 Click to see full details |