The 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux comes from a cooler, higher elevation parcel and also includes slightly more Mourvedre, both of which give this cuvée a more firm, structured profile, especially in its youth. Awesome red, blue, and black fruits as well as black licorice, liquid violet, and peppery garrigue define the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, with a great mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a salty, almost bloody character on the finish. It shows the more charming nature of the 2020 vintage yet still deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will have over two decades of longevity.
97 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Nov 2022)
In a vintage like 2020, the Cabrières terroir, located in the northern part of the appellation and benefiting from shade during the hottest part of the day, proved to be a real asset, as showcased by the 2020 Les Hauts-Lieux. Evoking a deep, complex bouquet of dark cherries, licorice, iris and flowers, this wine is full-bodied, lively and vibrant, with a tense, crystalline texture and a fleshy, dense mid-palate perfectly framed by ripe, velvety and structured tannins. With its gastronomic bitterness and acidity, it has the potential to age gracefully over the next decade or more.
96 points, Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (Oct 2024)
There's a pleasant chewiness to this complex, intensely concentrated Châteauneuf. Spicy and ripe, woven with violet, smoldering incense, salty mineral, earth and warm mocha notes, revealing more nuance with every sip. Hefty bolts of iron offset the ripeness, and a sense of freshness pulses from start to finish. Though a bit mellowed after a few years of bottle age, this remains tightly wound and will benefit from more time.
95 points, Kristen Bieler, Wine Spectator (Mar 2025)
More aromatic than Les Trois Sources currently, it has lifted mulberry aromas and a touch of florality. Not as tannic, this is more approachable and ready to drink. Fresh, pure, a distinctly upright style of Châteauneuf, with a fairly rigid tannic skeleton. Fine, cleansing fruit-derived tannins, and a long, savoury finish. An elegant wine. From the northern edge of the appellation, aged in foudres for 12 months.
95 points, Matt Walls, Decanter (Nov 2024)
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