2020 Paul Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Domaine Thalabert, Northern Rhone

The 2020 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert seems to have put on weight since last tasted from barrel, improving with its élevage. Faint herbal notions and a bit of crushed stone accent black cherries on the nose. In the mouth, this wine is full-bodied, ripe and round, with supple tannins and a long, velvety finish. It's evolved into a really solid example of the cuvée, with a slightly baked-fruit character, but it works.

Between my hectic schedule of visits and Caroline Frey's racing around to direct harvesting in Switzerland, Burgundy, the Rhône and Bordeaux, we were unable to connect in person this year. She deputized Robin Jullian, a former cellar hand turned export manager, to taste through the wines with me.

The style of the white wines has changed somewhat, although Jullian pointed out that they're actually more like they would have been in the distant past. Picking dates appear to have been moved forward, and the wines are seeing much less oak than in recent history. The 2020 Hermitage Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, for example, is completely unoaked, aged exclusively in concrete. I confess I had some difficulties grappling with this, writing in my notes at one point, "Nothing resembling Hermitage as we understand it."

The reds were more consistent with my expectations, with the 2019s looking particularly strong and cellar-worthy here, and the 2020s (from barrel) being softer and more elegant.

93 points JC robertparker.com