2020 Rhône Vintage (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Summary
2020 is a very good vintage across the Rhône Valley, characterized by seductive, silken pleasure and early accessibility — the opposite of the brooding, muscular 2019s. Despite a long, hot, dry summer and extremely precocious harvest dates (close to record-early, rivaling 2003), the wines are unexpectedly balanced: lower in degree than 2019, with good freshness and smooth, tasty tannins. JLL calls it “a more classic, less solar vintage than recent years,” grouping it with 2016 as a vintage of refinement rather than raw power.
In the South, the word of the vintage is harmony. The best wines hold attractive fruit with tannins well on the inside, and degrees are a notch lower than 2019. Selection is important at Châteauneuf-du-Pape given its large surface area, but the domaines noted for finesse gave “pretty, silken, well defined wines.”
Drinking outlook: Northern reds will sing well in their first decade, with longevity most commonly 20-25 years. Southern reds are convivial and approachable, with the best exceeding those limits.
Northern Rhône
Overview
Francois Villard: “2020 was the most precocious year of the last 80 years, but in reality it’s a normal year.” On all known form — hot summer, tiny grapes, record-early harvest — the wines should have been firm and tannic. None of that happened. Instead, the vintage delivered balance and freshness.
Xavier Gerard (Condrieu/Cote-Rotie): “2016 and 2020 are more classic years — 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are more hot.” Degrees ranged from 12.6 for Crozes red to 13.8 for Cornas, aiding acidity.
By Appellation
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Côte-Rôtie — Christophe Bonnefond: “more freshness and less alcohol than 2019 and 2018, good balance, very belle freshness.” Christophe Billon: “well fruited, silken, well rounded, nearly ready to drink early on… more open than 2019 and 2018.” Some producers lost 25% to drought.
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Hermitage — Bernard Faurie on his last full vintage: “2020 lies between 2019 and 2018, is neither solar nor Nordic, but is well balanced, still with a high degree, but a bit less than 2019, around 14 degrees.” Higher yields on some cuvees meant less depth (notably Faurie’s Les Bessards). Chave’s 2020 rouge is “a very great Hermitage” — Bessards-marked, with silky texture and smoky coolness. The Cathelin was made this year.
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Cornas — Guillaume Gilles: the wines are “tender, soft, offer gourmandise.” Franck Balthazar: “a pre-hot climate year, with more finesse, but still at 13.5 degrees, a lot for here.” Mickael Bourg had his most abundant crop in recent vintages (40 hl/ha vs 35 in 2018-2019). Allemand’s Reynard rated five-to-six stars; Clape’s Cornas also five-to-six stars (“heroic”).
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Saint-Joseph — Jean Gonon terms the vintage “refined, elegant — more so than the more concentrated 2019.” JLL’s note: “high interest St Jo, with poise and local truth, holds sensuous promise with a serious underpinning.”
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Crozes-Hermitage — More variable than elsewhere. High degrees have become prevalent in recent years, taking away some of the fun elements. In good hands, the vintage is successful. Stephane Rousset: “the vintage combines good life and gourmandise, more so than 2019.”
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Whites — Jacques Desvernois (Guigal winemaker): “floral, airborne.” Easy to drink, enjoyable, not necessarily high in acidity.
Southern Rhône
Overview
An easy-natured vintage that avoided the extremes of recent years — the drought of 2017, the mildew of 2018, the high heat spikes of 2019. Harvest conditions were favorable, with growers able to pick and choose timing thanks to late-season good weather. The best wines are charming, much more approachable than the powered 2019s — a vintage to drink ahead of 2019.
By Appellation
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape — A mixed bag due to large surface area; selection is important. The domaines noted for finesse — Chapelle St Theodoric, Beaurenard, La Biscarelle, Les Cailloux, Albin Jacumin, Marcoux — gave pretty, silken, well defined wines. Vieux Telegraphe’s La Crau was upgraded to six stars in bottle (“really profound, on a big stage”). Clos des Papes white was STGT. Any Chateauneuf red at four stars and above is well worth buying.
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Gigondas — A little variable; the best are harmonious, spherical, tuneful, with tannins not assertive. Natural freshness of the place nicely in evidence.
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Vacqueyras — Decent base level. Leaders are attractive, not heady or overblown, with good quality fruit. Tannins barely noticeable.
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Cairanne — Shows the natural finesse of the appellation. A pleasing year among the best, fruit pure and tasty; not a vintage to sit on for a very long time.
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Whites — Pretty tender, open, flattering, not necessarily high in acidity. Often drinking with supple pleasure already. Enough richness to suit a Mediterranean table.
Top Wines
Northern Rhône (from JLL vintage notes data)
- Chave Hermitage Rouge — five-to-six stars; “a very great Hermitage,” Bessards-marked
- Chave Ermitage Cathelin — six stars; “Burgundian refinement… like a small arrow, all in precision”
- Allemand Cornas Reynard — five-to-six stars; “tremendous”
- Clape Cornas — five-to-six stars; “heroic”
- Sorrel Hermitage Le Greal — five-to-six stars; “mighty vintage”
- Jamet Cote Brune — five stars; coulis of blackberry, smoke, lead pencil
- Rostaing Cote Blonde — five stars; “built for the long haul”
Southern Rhône
- Vieux Telegraphe La Crau red — six stars (upgraded in bottle); “really profound”
- Vieux Telegraphe La Crau white — five stars STGT
- Chateau Rayas white — “great style, serene peach-floral aroma, winning intricacy”
- Chateau Rayas Pignan red — “silky tones, outer airborne, inner profound”
Key Themes
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The paradox of a hot vintage producing balanced wines. Despite record-early harvests and a long, hot summer, the wines are notably less extreme than 2019, 2018, or 2017. Lower degrees and good acidity are recurring themes.
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A vintage for Burgundy lovers. JLL says 2020 “will appeal to lovers of Burgundy, those who like to detect hidden merits in their wines, while being entertained by suave textures and smooth, tasty tannins.” Multiple producers’ wines described as “Pinot-like” or “Burgundian.”
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The last comfortable vintage before 2021’s troubles. Given the coming struggles of 2021 — frost, rain, mildew, black rot — growers look back at 2020 as a very welcome, easy-to-produce, easy-to-sell vintage. Bernard Faurie’s last full vintage. The contrast between 2020’s ease and 2021’s challenges is stark.
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— “2020 Northern Rhone” and “2020 Southern Rhone” (JLL / drinkRhone.com)