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Shimmering ruby. Expressive, spice-accented red and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of olive, espresso and candied flowers. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering gently sweet cherry and cassis flavors that deepen through the back half. Finishes very long, spicy and smooth, with even tannins lending final grip.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThe 2020 Crozes Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert is terrific as well. Coming from old vines in the Chassis region, it has a darker ruby/purple hue as well as classic Thalabert black and blue fruits, black olive, smoke, and ground pepper. Medium to full-bodied, it offers fine tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It will evolve for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA charismatic Crozes-Hermitage with tons of black-plum fruit, as well as hot-asphalt and cocoa-powder notes. This is remarkably open for its young age, in spite of the ample structure. Has a bold and tightly knit tannin structure, but should be drinkable from release, thanks to the forthright fruit that is very present at the long, moderately dry finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.James Suckling | 92-93 JSThe 2020 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert boasts effusive aromas of cracked pepper, black olives, cherries and blueberries. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers some soft dusty tannins and decent length, but it’s surprisingly lacking in concentration.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

One of the gems in the vintage is the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac, a 100% Grenache that was destemmed and brought up all in concrete tanks. Darker berries, ground pepper, graphite, and savory garrigue are just some of its nuances, and this beauty is full-bodied, has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and an awesome finish. It’s a brilliant bottle of wine that readers will love. It deserves 3-4 years of bottle age and will shine over the following two decades. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDA seductive 100% grenache with cherries, mixed berries, licorice and sweet spices on the nose. Full body with creamy tannins. Round and velvety with a caressing touch of strawberries and raspberries at the center. It has volume and texture with a succulent and precise long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThere’s an appealing high-toned spice over the very ripe blackberry fruit here, like star anise. Very rounded and generous, but with some good intensity and freshness at its core. Concentrated and ripe but with good acidity. The alcohol is warming on the finish, but it’s not overly unbalanced. A fruity and immediate style of Barbe Rac.Decanter | 93 DEC

At the moment, the 2020 Gigondas Hominis Fides looks to be the standout of the three single vineyards, although all three are beautiful wines in the making. It certainly offers the most power and concentration, with lots of ground pepper, Provençal garrigue, violets, and loamy soils notes, as well as a darker cassis and berry-driven core of fruit. It builds beautifully on the palate, with ample structure, incredible balance, and a great, great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDRipe, figgy blackberry fruit, with a touch of menthol. Full-bodied, rich and generous palate, quite potent and powerful. Dense, thick tannic base and the alcohol is high. Grenache planted sometime around 1902 on Miocene calcareous sand, in a single vineyard. No destemming, 12 months maturation in French oak barriques: 30% new, 30% one-year-old, 30% two-year-old. Unfiltered. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC

I was blown away by the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Chaupin, a 100% Grenache release that comes almost exclusively from the Chaupin lieu-dit in the northern part of the appellation. It’s never as inky-hued or powerful as the Vieilles Vignes but always screams Grenache with its sexy, ripe, seamless, and remarkably elegant style. The 2020 offers a translucent ruby/purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blackberries, black raspberries, peppery garrigue, herbes de Provence, and flowers, and it opens up nicely with time in the glass. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. I finished my note with "a Grenache lover’s dream." This is up with the finest vintages produced and will evolve for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDFull-bodied, generous in fruit and glycerol. The tannins and acidity seem to meld together into a single vertebral column. The alcohol is present, lending sweetness rather than heat. Remarkably elegant for a wine of these dimensions, with great, rising, upright flavours and structure. This is a very special wine with a long finish. Parcels of Grenache planted on lieux-dits Chapouin, La Janasse and La Crau, the oldest planted in 1912. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2038Decanter | 98 DECAll Grenache, with about 20% to 30% whole bunches, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin is slightly herbal and stemmy on the nose, but those elements are balanced by wonderful black cherry and blackberry fruit. Full-bodied, concentrated yet silky, with a long, briny finish, this is another strong 2020 from the Sabon family.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPRipe but very focused, with a streamlined feel to the mix of raspberry, red currant and bitter cherry fruit flavors. Reveals a racy apple wood note coursing underneath, while licorice, black tea and graphite fill in through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,500 cases made, 504 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina is a strong candidate to be wine of the vintage. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, it combines scents of black truffles and black cherries with hints of cedar and vanilla (the Mourvèdre is aged in new oak, the Grenache in concrete). It’s full-bodied and concentrated, supple and almost creamy in feel, then long and velvety on the finish. Bravo.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPPossibly the wine of the vintage (at least at this early stage), the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deus-Ex Machina is a 60/40 split of Grenache and Mourvedre, with the Grenache brought up in foudre and the Mourvedre in demi-muids. Its vivid ruby/purple hue is followed by rock star notes of kirsch, blackberries, cured meats, woodsmoke, and dried flowers. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it’s an incredible effort in this challenging vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JD