When our friend pulled the 2020 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape out of his Eurocave, we couldn't help but notice the blockbuster bottles he was passing up: Beaucastel, Clos des Papes—a who's who of marquee Rhône reds.

We thought he was holding out on us—but when he poured the Louis Bernard, our FOMO went up in flames. Bursting with aromas of black cherry, dark spiced berries, and roses and violets, we were enamored by the nose alone. Then we took a sip and were met with a bold, layered palate of confected cherry, dark cocoa, and generous tannins gliding to a long finish.

We stayed until the bottle was dusted, snapped a pic of the label, and when we called our host to thank him for the party, complimented him again on his late-night selection. Then we got to work securing it for Wine Access members.

We’re not alone in loving this Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which won an impressive 96 points from the Decanter World Wine Awards. The expert panel called it “powerfully lifted,” “really complex,” and “polished.” It’s a muscular and expressive wine that doesn’t hold back, delivering a quintessential Châteauneuf experience with every sip.

The 2020 vintage gave the Southern Rhône everything it needed. Ample winter rains refilled the water table after a punishing 2019, setting the vines up for a growing season that was hot and dry but never brutal—cool nights extended ripening, preserving the freshness and acidity that can get cooked out in lesser years. Producers across Châteauneuf compared 2020 to 2016—and even the legendary 1990 vintage—and Wine Advocate, who rated it an outstanding vintage, described it as delivering wines with terroir purity and structure built for the long haul.

Louis Bernard has been sourcing from the Southern Rhône since 1976, building partnerships with growers across more than 20 respected estates—from Gigondas, where they're headquartered, all the way through Châteauneuf—with 24 hectares of their own vines rooted in the celebrated La Crau plateau. That depth of sourcing and knowledge of the appellation shows in a wine like this.

“Everything about Châteauneuf is big,” writes Decanter, and the 2020 growing season for the Southern Rhône certainly delivered on this pronouncement. It delivered a host of fantastic wines—bearing big-name labels, sure, but also some under-the-radar stunners like this one. We’re thrilled to share it with you.

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