5 stars, John Livingstone-Learmonth for The Cradle of The Rhône: "has a still firm red colour, a small line of ruby at the top. The nose shows reduction, animal tones from the Mourvèdre, with earthy, peppery tones, sage, nutmeg herbal notes, firm red cherry, kirsch notes, inner power. It has good scope, is going to burst out well. The palate is rich, enveloping, with a good continuity along its way, is well fuelled from within, reaches out with compact, redoubtable, closed notes. The juice is stylish, liberal, emerging gradually. It’s very intense, holds the concentration of the windy ripening that renders this vintage apart from other years; it doesn’t quite have the class of the best years. Blood and mineral are coming through; there’s a lot of late residual juice here, mineral, blood-like length." (02/2022)