95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2020 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine is another Hermitage look-alike, with a slightly Bessards-like character in its ripe blue fruits, liquid violets, burning embers, and leather-slanted aromas and flavors. It's more inward, reserved, and focused compared to the François de Tournon but is beautifully concentrated and balanced, with ripe, polished tannins. The purity of fruit here is seriously impressive. It offers plenty of pleasure today yet has another 10-15 years of prime drinking and, I suspect, a gradual decline thereafter. It's slightly more plush and soft compared to the 2015, yet I think at the same quality level. Drink 2024-2039 (Mar 2024)"
94 points Wine Spectator: "Restrained and tightly focused, this has a sleek mineral edge that carries a core of gently mulled raspberry and black cherry fruit, while light violet, savory and incense hints fill in the background. Sneaky long, too. Best from 2024 through 2034. 500 cases made, 62 cases imported. (Feb 2023)"
94 points Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com): "Intense smoke, green and black pepper, clove and flint aromas pull you into this powerful, deep and remarkably fresh St.-Joseph. Makes a serious statement at the long, very stony and energetic finish. Matured only in oak barrels, of which about one quarter were new. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. (May 2023)"
(93-94) points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Brilliant purple color. Pungent dark berries, licorice, smoked meat and potpourri on the highly perfumed nose. Shows very good depth as well as energy on the palate, which offers nervy, spice-accented cassis, bitter cherry and black pepper flavors that become sweeter as the wine opens up. Steadily building tannins frame a very long, focused finish that echoes the floral and smoke notes. (Dec 2022)"
(91-93) points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "Tasted from barrel, the 2020 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine, from the Saint-Jean de Muzols portion of the appellation, features classic granite-derived notes of crushed stone and restraint, but it also has plentiful notes of raspberries and black olive. Medium to full-bodied, it's dense and structured yet has a long, silky finish. (Jan 2022)"
94 points Wine Spectator: "Restrained and tightly focused, this has a sleek mineral edge that carries a core of gently mulled raspberry and black cherry fruit, while light violet, savory and incense hints fill in the background. Sneaky long, too. Best from 2024 through 2034. 500 cases made, 62 cases imported. (Feb 2023)"
94 points Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com): "Intense smoke, green and black pepper, clove and flint aromas pull you into this powerful, deep and remarkably fresh St.-Joseph. Makes a serious statement at the long, very stony and energetic finish. Matured only in oak barrels, of which about one quarter were new. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. (May 2023)"
(93-94) points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Brilliant purple color. Pungent dark berries, licorice, smoked meat and potpourri on the highly perfumed nose. Shows very good depth as well as energy on the palate, which offers nervy, spice-accented cassis, bitter cherry and black pepper flavors that become sweeter as the wine opens up. Steadily building tannins frame a very long, focused finish that echoes the floral and smoke notes. (Dec 2022)"
(91-93) points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "Tasted from barrel, the 2020 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine, from the Saint-Jean de Muzols portion of the appellation, features classic granite-derived notes of crushed stone and restraint, but it also has plentiful notes of raspberries and black olive. Medium to full-bodied, it's dense and structured yet has a long, silky finish. (Jan 2022)"
| Product SKU | 352314 |
| Producer | Delas Frères |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône |
| SubRegion | Northern Rhône |
| Appellation | St.-Joseph |
| Varietal | Syrah/Shiraz |
| Designation | Vieilles Vignes |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 14.5% |
| Ships To |
