95-97
Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com
The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Secrets De Pignan is all Grenache and comes from an incredible terroir just beside Rayas. Brought up entirely in stainless steel, it offers a deeper ruby/plum color as well as fabulous notes of black raspberries, Morello cherries, sandalwood, Provençal garrigue, and dried flowers. It brings beautiful depth of fruit on the palate, has full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's another brilliant 2020 that readers will love to drink any time over the coming 15 years or more.
96 Matt Walls - Decanter
Fine, fresh and herbal with expressive black cherry, liquorice and violets. Full-bodied, gummy and ripe in fruit, but the acidity and plentiful tannin help to keep everything moving and focused. An exceptional, long expression of pure Grenache on sand, it has the fine tannins and elegant structure you'd hope for, alongside great freshness and balance. Its longevity isn't easy to predict, but it's hard to resist drinking now anyway. From a south-facing vineyard planted in 1920 in lieu-dit Pignan, fermented and then matured in stainless steel for 18 months. 6,000 bottles made.
95+ Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
All Grenache from the sandy soils of Pignan (Nord), with élevage in stainless steel, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Secrets de Pignan is a prodigious effort. Boasting bombastic aromas of black cherries, licorice and black olives, this full-bodied wine is concentrated and rich and needs additional time in the bottle, as it's marked by dusty tannins on the lingering finish.
95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
A very impressive Chateauneuf with stunning damson plum fruit, also delicate notes of savory and smoke. Although this has a huge structure the wine doesn’t feel a jot too big thanks to the excellent concentration. So much savory and earthy depth at the long finish. 100% grenache from century old vines growing on sandy soil. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.