Côte Rôtie La Landonne, Etienne Guigal 2020

I think the clear star of the show in 2020, at least at this point, is the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, a 100% Syrah that wasn't destemmed and is still resting in new barrel. It has insanely good aromatics of ripe black fruits, woodsmoke, espresso, cured meats, and graphite that bring incredible intensity as well as purity and freshness. Full-bodied on the palate, it's dense, pure, concentrated, and structured. It's more in the style of the 2018 than the more tannic, structured 2019.

The undisputed star of the cellar this vintage (at least at this stage), the 2020 Cote Rotie La Landonne is not only unbelievably complex on the nose—with an awesome stew of vegetal-herbal nuances blended with cassis and smoked meat—but full-bodied, concentrated, velvety-textured and remarkably long and tannic. Patience will be required. Drink 2030-2045

The 2018 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is another wine that’s going to be up at the top of the scale, and all three of these 2018s will be candidates for perfection. Always the biggest, richest wine of the three flagships, it’s inky hued and has a primordial nose of blackberries, cassis, and currants fruits as well as huge ground pepper, cured meats, espresso, and underbrush. As Landonne as Landonne gets, it’s full-bodied, has a dense, powerful mid-palate, masses of tannins, and is going to be just about immortal.

Lastly, the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is another monster of a wine and just epitomizes what I think this terroir delivers in its smoky, meaty, massive profile. Notes of steak tartare, scorched earth, graphite, and blue fruits all emerge from this thrilling barrel sample that is unquestionably the most massive and structured in the lineup. Despite its size and concentration, it has flawless tannins, integrated acidity, and a purity of fruit that’s off the chart. It will require a decade of bottle age to hit the early stages of maturity and will be a 50-year wine if well stored.