“Lastly, the 2020 Hermitage Ligne de Crête comes from the highest point on Hermitage and was destemmed and saw 20 months in a mix of new and once-used barrels. It's clearly the biggest, baddest beauty in the lineup and is another palate-saturating Hermitage with extraordinary richness and depth. Blackberries, currants, black truffle, smoked meats, espresso, and new leather notes all define this incredible wine, which has a deep, full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and incredibly minerality that emerges on the finish. This is legit, awesome Hermitage that needs to be forgotten for just 4-6 years and will evolve for 30+ years if well-stored.”

“Moving to the three Hermitage releases, the 2020 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes offers a deep, saturated purple hue as well as a powerful bouquet of scorched earth, creosote, peppered meat, liquid violets, and both black and blue fruits. Aged 18 months in one-third new French oak, it's full-bodied, has the vintage's ripe, concentrated style, ample underlying structure, and outstanding length. It's a gorgeous Hermitage that readers will love to have in their cellar. It will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. It's up with the finest vintages of this cuvée ever produced.”

“The 2020 Hermitage Les Bessards is a behemoth, with palate-saturating levels of fruit and texture while it still stays pure, focused, and mineral-laced, with a classic Hermitage personality. Blue fruits, truffle, burning embers, sappy spring flowers, and liquid rock-like notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ripe, polished, yet building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with all of Jacques’ wines today, there's a certain polish and accessibility, yet this incredible Hermitage deserves 5-7 years in the cellar, and I'd be shocked to see it not have 30 years of overall longevity. ”

“I loved the 2020 Condrieu Clos Boucher from barrel, and it doesn't disappoint from bottle. Ripe white peach, caramelized orange, brioche, and a kiss of minerality all define this smoking good Condrieu, and while it's rich and textured, it stays light on its feet and has remarkable purity, as well as a beautiful sense of freshness on the palate. It's drinking brilliantly today yet will keep for 5-7 years, although I see no need to delay gratification.”

“The 2019 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Here, Tempranillo is the backbone, making up 87% of the wine in the low-yielding vintage of 2019 and complemented with 6% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha. This is the second vintage in the new winery. It’s a balsamic and spicy version—a wine with muscle that they aged for a longer time in barrel, and it's more traditional and serious. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.3 grams of acidity. They seek balance between fruit and oak, looking for freshness. A more powerful year.”