Jamet Côte-Rôtie 2020

97 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Opaque ruby. Vibrant blackberry, cherry, incense, Moroccan spice, potpourri and smoky mineral qualities on the expansive, seductively perfumed nose. Offers vibrant black and blue fruit, spicecake, olive and floral pastille flavors that show bright detail and energetic mineral lift. The floral and spice notes recur strongly on the youthfully gripping finish, which features mounting tannins and lingering smokiness."

97 points Matt Walls (Decanter): "A combination of separate lieux-dits which show a classic, fresh and focused vintage, with each component reflecting its origins with great clarity. It's an aromatic style, with slight tannins and fairly low but balanced acidity. All whole-bunch fermented, matured mostly in old demi-muids. Drink: 2027-2042. (Oct 2021)"

95-97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Still resting in barrels, the 2020 Côte Rôtie is a ripe, sexy beast of a Côte Rôtie, and Jean-Paul commented that he preferred the more classic style of the 2019. Don't let that scare you away, as this is a thrilling Côte Rôtie in the making. All of the samples exhibited a healthy purple color, intense aromatics, remarkable purity, and a more medium to full-bodied profile. This ripe, powerful vintage is going to require at least 7-8 years to shed some baby fat (and you'll be excused for drinking a bottle in its youth) but should still evolve for 20+ years. I suspect the 2019 might be longer lived due to its more structured profile, but it's going to be a treat following these vintages over the coming decades. (12/15/22)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "[$210 list] Gorgeous and captivating, with heavy salty energy and simmering power. Stunning in both scale and range, offering a meaty, smoky core of red berry, bitter cherry and earth flavors held up by bolts of iron. Shows a supple feel on the palate, which exudes serious richness and depth through the lavender-kissed finish, revealing wafts of grilled mesquite smoke. This is Côte-Rôtie at its finest. Best from 2025 through 2040. (3/31/24)"

96 points La Revue du Vin de France: "The 2020 Côte-Rôtie is a superb success, the richness of the vintage is perfectly managed, the wine is full-bodied, with notes of black fruit, tapenade, white pepper and a very juicy finish. (2024)"

****(*) John Livingstone-Learmonth (The Cradle of The Rhône): "(from mainly northern sector sites near Ampuis, 5-40% destemmed according to vintage quality, 18-21 day vinification, pumping overs on whole bunch crop, cap punching on destemmed grapes, aged 20% new, 80% 2-10 year 550 and 228-litre oak casks 22 months, unfined, unfiltered, 30,000 b). 1) 600-litre cask, (young vines on Cumelle (2nd year), Remilly (1st year, at St Cyr), Rochains, 20% destemmed ***(*) dark red; cassis de Dijon liqueur, pep in the nose, with moss, salt. Has bright fruit, down the line, discreet spine, the fruit clear, the finale round, a little succulence on the aftertaste. It will aid the wine’s purity, clarity in a year of concentration. 22 years 2) (600-litre cask, Fongeant, Côte Baudin, Moutonnes (the most tannic of them), Collet at Tupin, Chavaroche) a solid **** shiny, dark red; chocolate, multiple violets, licorice on a nose with inner strength. The palate content is sleek, the fruit cassis, is pure, gives a good stream, velvet tannins within. This has good length, promise, the aftertaste mineral, ferrous, floral, good. 27 years 3) (228-litre cask, Fongeant, Gerine, Leyat) **** dark robe; a hint of power on the nose, black fruits, sense of ripeness, notes of violet. There’s ripe richness here -it prolongs, but is mostly central, notably rich and sunny, the length only developing gradually. Prune notes on the palate = sunshine. It will give good heart to the blend. 29 years 4) (228-litre cask, Le Plomb) ****(*) dark red. Has a coiled, intense bouquet, a good charge of blackberry, loganberry, menthol, fresh touches involved. The palate engages well, is cool and direct, well together. It’s the best so far due to its inner vitality, life, real good spine in it. It has a crunched, close-knit close, holds matter with freedom. 30 years 5) (600-litre cask, Gerine 1-7 hectares, the largest lieu-dit) **** to ****(*) dark red; dense furnished nose, ripe blackberry liqueur, pot pourri dried flowers, very typical of Gerine, rose petals. The attack is attractive, gives instant sweet-toned gratification, wide and persistent. This comes from ripe harvest, is very giving, gourmand, up tempo, the length good. The aftertaste is succulent, lip smacking with floral tones there. 29 years 6) (300-litre cask, Tartaras, Lézardes, top of Fongeant) ****(*) full red. Crème de cassis, sweet noted air, an easy curve to it. The palate holds elegant fruit, which lasts kindly, has a stroking texture, good style, refinement. The nose can take to the skies, is Burgundian, good depth, finesse here. 30 years 7) (228-litre cask, Côte Blonde) ***** dark red. Elegant nose, very Blonde, soaked cherries/griottes, a tuneful sweetness. The palate debut is suave, the fruit only peeking out, has a ripe, good frame, structure, the length good, firm. Classy juice, super tannins, real velvet in them. Balanced, aromatic. 32 years 8) (228-litre cask, La Landonne) ***** dark red; blue fruit, restrained nose with deep elegance, lots to come, is well infused with iron, a hint of black olives. The palate mixes blood, iron, terroir in its veins, captures the imagination, has extended length, a note of chocolate, ripeness right at the end. It has a good full close, elegance there. From 2028 34 years OVERALL ****(*) this could be complex, interesting, less powered and flamboyant than the 2019, but still very well together. 2050-53 June 2021."