2020 Combier Crozes-Hermitage Cuvee Laurent Organic, Northern Rhone

The 2020 Crozes Hermitage Laurent Combier is fermented in concrete, then aged in a mix of concrete eggs, steel tanks and barrels. It's floral and fresh up front, with violet and cherry notes. In the mouth, it's only medium-bodied but silky, vibrant and easy to drink. A staple on many wine lists in the region, it's a tasty, reliable offering vintage after vintage.

The team at Combier were sorting Syrah from their famous Clos des Grives when I arrived mid-afternoon on September 22. Laurent Combier's first vintage was in 1990—prior to that, the family had more land in apricot trees than grapevines and used to sell the grapes to Jaboulet. Laurent's youngest son, David, showed me around the winery and poured samples of the latest wines. The estate now totals about 60 hectares, he said, with 45 hectares planted to vines and just five hectares left in apricots. The Crozes offerings here (at least the reds) come in four different bottlings. The Laurent Combier is from the youngest vines and includes some purchased fruit. Then there's the "domaine" bottling; the Cap Nord, from the northern sector of the appellation; and the Clos des Grives, what David referred to as the family's grand cru. The domaine is certified organic. "This year was a lot of work during the season," said David. "But at the end, it's good for the body and the mind."

89 points Joe Czerwinski robertparker.com