2020 Hermitage Ligne de Crete
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Lastly, the 2020 Hermitage Ligne de Crête comes from the highest point on Hermitage and was destemmed and saw 20 months in a mix of new and once-used barrels. It's clearly the biggest, baddest beauty in the lineup and is another palate-saturating Hermitage with extraordinary richness and depth. Blackberries, currants, black truffle, smoked meats, espresso, and new leather notes all define this incredible wine, which has a deep, full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and incredibly minerality that emerges on the finish. This is legit, awesome Hermitage that needs to be forgotten for just 4-6 years and will evolve for 30+ years if well-stored.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Deep, vivid ruby. Smoky, mineral- and spice-accented red and dark berry preserve scents show excellent clarity and a sexy floral top note. Offers concentrated but wonderfully energetic blackberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that become sweeter and pick up hints of candied flowers, vanilla and olive on the back half. Finishes chewy, sharply focused and extremely long, with solid tannins adding shape and final grip.
The 2020 Hermitage Ligne De Crête comes all from the Les Grands Vignes lieu-dit, at the very top of Hermitage Hill, and is aged for 20 months in fine-grain barrels. It's another inky hued Hermitage yet has a more rounded, supple style compared to the Les Bessards, with gorgeous cassis and black raspberry fruits, notes of crushed stone, bacon fat, new leather, and flowery incense, full-bodied richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This seamless, sexy, incredibly floral Hermitage will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-30 years.
Looking a bit more supple and red fruited than the Les Bessards, the 2020 Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes (tasted from two barrels) features hints of crushed stone and bright raspberries. Full-bodied and supple, it finishes long and silky textured. It should be drinkable soon after release and continue to drink well for more than a decade.