2020 Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph Les Royes [JD95][V93][WA91-93]

Producer: Domaine Courbis 
Region: Saint-Joseph, Rhone, France  
Varietal: Syrah  
Year: 2020 

Jeb Dunnuck, 95 Points 

"Burning embers, graphite, violets, and mostly blue fruits dominate the 2020 Saint Joseph Les Royes, an Hermitage-like Saint Joseph that has medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's young and unevolved and needs 2-4 years to develop more complexity, but this is a beautifully layered, impressive 2020 that will have 15 years of overall longevity." 

Vinous, 93 Points 

"Bright purple. Spice-accented red and blue fruit aromas show fine delineation and are complemented by suggestions of vanilla and candied violet. Sappy and nicely concentrated yet lively as well, offering juicy cherry and boysenberry flavors that become spicier with air. Smoothly blends power and finesse and finishes long and smooth, with supple tannins emerging slowly." 

Wine Advocate, 91-93 Points 

"Aged in 25% new oak, the 2020 Saint Joseph Les Royes was still in barrels at the time of my visit, so I was presented a representative sample for review. Hints of black raspberries and mocha appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple, creamy and gently tannic, with a lingering finish. I expect this seductive offering will be approachable upon release (it's slated to be bottled in March or April of 2022) and drink well through the rest of this decade. It was great to be back at the Courbis's hillside tasting room in the tiny commune of Châteaubourg, hosted by the always genial Laurent Courbis. We started with prepared barrel samples of the 2020s, a vintage which he said, "[is] ripe but fresh, aromatic, with great balance, similar to 2017." We then moved into the bottled 2019s, which are another solid vintage for the Courbis family, although maybe lacking some of the spark of 2020. These are modern, ripe, sometimes oaky wines that I'm sure make some purists wince but which provide immense pleasure and have yet to see prices soar out of reach." 

Alcohol: 14% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.