Domaine de La Janasse CdP Vieilles Vignes 2020 (1.5L)

98 FS / 97+ JD / 95-98 WA / 97 WCI / 97 DE / 95 WS / 17+ JR

Strong ruby colour, purple reflections, broad brightening on the rim. Delicate hints of candied violets, black wild berries, some lavender, a touch of dried herbs and lime zest. Taut, finely-meshed, with depth. Ripe cherries, exquisite fruit, ripe, supporting tannins, fresh and mineral. Has great length; a perfect marriage of the different soils and varieties, certain ageing potential.-Falstaff

Much more powerful and closed, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes comes more from the La Crau and La Janasse lieux-dits and is the usual blend of mostly Grenache with a touch of Syrah. Blackberries, graphite, scorched earth, pepper, and sappy garrigue all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied, has beautiful concentration, polished tannins, and a great finish. Nothing is out of place, and this perfectly balanced, authoritative, powerful, and incredibly impressive 2020 will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

Not as rich or concentrated as I was expecting, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes still delivers ample layers of dark fruit, hints of cola, mint and spice elements. It's full-bodied, silky and long, but it looks to fall short of the quality heights reached by some other recent vintages. - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

Dark in color, the wine exudes a hint of jam along with black cherries, flowers and spicy plums in the nose. On the palate, the wine is lush, polished, balanced and fresh merging its naturally powerful, full-bodied style with elegance and polish. Clearly, this is one of the wines of the vintage. The wine is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre. Drink from 2023-2038.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

This is brimming with dark cherry, blackberry and boysenberry compote flavors that spill forth, laced with generous licorice snap, tar, graphite and black tea notes. A nice tug of iron appears very late on the finish, as the fruit lingers on. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,500 cases made, 392 cases imported. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Powerful, weighty, dark-fruit character. Intensity on the palate combined with powerful tannic structure and spice. This is a wine which needs several years to reach its peak. All the components are there but need a bit more time to come together. Love the vibrant character here.-Andy Howard MW, JancisRobinson