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...

(VN 96-98 points) Glass-staining purple. Assertively perfumed cassis, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and floral aromas take on espresso, olive and smoky bacon accents with aeration. Juicy, chewy and energetic on the palate...

(VN 94-96 points) Inky violet. A wild, smoke- and spice-accented bouquet evokes kirsch, cassis, smoked meat, olive and succulent herbs, with mineral and floral notes emerging as the wine opens up. Firm, sharply etched...

(VN 93-95 points) Full, bright-rimmed violet. Highly fragrant cherry and black raspberry scents, along with suggestions of pipe tobacco, olive, peony and baking spices. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering...

(VN 92-94 points) 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...

Opaque ruby. Mineral-accented blackberry, cherry, smoked meat and olive aromas show fine detail and a spicy black pepper flourish. Energetic cherry and red and dark berry flavors are complemented by a candied violet...

(VN 96-98 points) Opaque magenta. Displays an array of fresh red and dark fruit, floral and spice qualities on the intensely perfumed nose, along with building mineral and succulent herb notes. Vibrant and silky in...

(94+ points) Also terrific, the 2020 Saint Joseph La Cotte Sud has a riper, spicier style in its red and black fruits, scorched earth, violets, and spicy, incense, and meaty nuances. It's another powerful, concentrated...

How is it possible to marry this kind of syrah power with the extraordinary refinement of this Cote-Rotie? It just glides effortlessly over your palate. Then, right at the end, the power creeps up on you and inexorably...

If you ever wondered why Hermitage had such a special reputation then you need to taste this towering masterpiece of this appellation. Spectacular mountain freshness as well as enormous concentration and underplayed...

(VN 95-97 points) Dark purple. Vibrant, expansive aromas of spice-accented dark berries, minerals and candied flowers pick up suggestions of olive, vanilla and smoky bacon with air. Sappy and energetic in style, offering...

Burning embers, graphite, violets, and mostly blue fruits dominate the 2020 Saint Joseph Les Royes, an Hermitage-like Saint Joseph that has medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and...

A fragrant nose of blackberries, dark cherries, wild herbs, baking spices, stones and black pepper. Medium body with fine, firm tannins. It has volume and structure, but remains extremely agile. It has bright acidity and...

(95+ points) Similarly deep purple-hued, the 2020 Cornas Terre Brulee has a darker, slightly richer, yet less complex style that also warrants bottle age. Offering more black fruits, scorched earth, burning embers, and...

(95+ points) The 2020 Cornas Pur Granit is brilliant stuff. Ripe black cherries, blueberries, scorched earth, smoked game, and iron are just some of its nuances, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered...

Inky violet color. High-pitched cherry and black raspberry scents are complemented by building floral and mineral notes. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering intense red and blue fruit liqueur, licorice and olive...

St.-Joseph isn’t always as elegant as it is cracked up to be, but this delicious wine is very fresh and elegant in spite of the full smoky and peppery character. Well-structured, the tannins shaping the focused and...

(93-95 points) From an old-vine parcel south of Chavanay proper, the 2020 Saint Joseph les Grisieres (tasted from barrel) seems to have held onto more red-fruit character than the regular bottling. It's brighter and...