2020 Hermitage Rouge
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Looking first at the classic 2020 Hermitage, it sports a dense purple color as well as a terrific nose of ripe red and black fruits, leather, sappy flowers, and loamy earth. It's medium to full-bodied, wonderfully balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It has a firm edge under its fruit and is going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age. A brilliant bottle of wine, it should be long-lived.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Inky violet color. Juicy red and blue fruit preserve aromas are complemented by suave floral and exotic spice flourishes. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering sappy cherry, blueberry, fruitcake, candied violet and salty olive flavors and a suggestion of star anise. Round, even tannins build steadily through the impressively long finish, which strongly echoes the floral and spice notes.
Chiefly (90%) from Les Plantiers—a little-known lieu-dit toward the western base of the slope—with about 10% Les Bessards, Sorrel's 2020 Hermitage looks like its customary supple, silky self, with masses of raspberry fruit, ample weight and richness and a long, elegant finish. It should drink well soon after release and evolve well for more than a decade.
90% Les Plantiers, 10% Les Bessards. Cask sample tasted at the domaine. Crimson with a light rim. More elegance than power, the fruit floral and lifted, the tannins fine grained and overriding freshness, the alcohol well retained. Good depth all the same and plenty of drive on the finish. Should be accessible relatively early. (JL)