2020 Rhône – Côte Rôtie, red Hermitage, Cornas and northern overview

Asked to define the 2020 vintage at the family property in Cornas, the summation of Pierre-Marie Clape, pictured above, was succinct: ‘hot, dry and early’. Indeed, the whole of the northern Rhône experienced another solar year in line with 2019 and 2018. Mitigating climatic factors, though, and a more seasoned approach from growers, have made the wines a little less...