2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition, Domaine de la Côte de l'Ange, Rhone Valley, France

A very consistent high scorer with the critics and rightly so. This is a wine with great concentration of flavour, perfect balance and freshness. It beautifully marries ripe cherry and redcurrant with hints of liquorice, pepper and wild herbs. This is a very impressive Chateauneuf which is approachable when young.

Owned by the Mestre family, Domaine de la Côte de l'Ange has been run since 1988 by Corinne Mestre and her husband Yannick Gasparri, who were joined in 2017 by their son Jules. The vineyards are situated in plots around Châteauneuf du Pape with a small parcel of Côte du Rhône.

While not registered the Domaine is managed with great respect to the environment, pheromone traps are placed to confuse male butterflies and prevent them mating while the rows are ploughed rather than use herbicides. The aim here is to get the healthiest possible grapes into the winery while looking after the natural world.