Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage L'Ermite Rouge 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
As usual, Chapoutier's 2018 Ermitage l'Ermite is a standout among standouts. Crushed stone, blueberries, even a touch of herb feature on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is cool and crunchy but also ripe and generous. It's rich and long, with a firm, granitic structure that should enable two-plus decades of aging. This has it all.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Inky ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented blueberry, kirsch, cassis and vanilla aromas are complemented by suggestions of succulent flowers, allspice, smoky bacon and incense. Coats the palate with alluringly sweet, finely etched black and blue fruit preserve, spicecake, mocha, olive paste and violet pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of smoky minerality. Shows outstanding energy for its brawn and finishes impressively long, smoky and broad, with mounting tannins and gentle closing grip. 50% new oak.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black/blue fruits, Moroccan spice, potpourri and incense. Densely packed and impressively lively on the palate, offering intense blueberry, cassis, cherry compote and floral pastille flavors that firm up steadily on the back half. The floral and spice notes carry emphatically through an impressively long, youthfully tannic finish that leaves a smoky mineral flourish behind.
About the Producer
Founded in 1808, M. Chapoutier owns 175 hectares of vines in five appellations in the Rhone Valley and is now run by the energetic and brilliant Michel Chapoutier. Since Michel started running the estate, the quality of the winemaking has improved very quickly and the philosophy of winemaking has changed considerably. Michel Chapoutier's achievements caused an instant sensation in the winemaking world and he completely changed the way Chapoutier wines were made and the winemaking process, eventually making wines to rival those made by Marcel Guigal, one of the best winemakers in the Rhone Valley. The vineyards of Château Sapoutier range from the Rhone Valley to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a number of quality vineyards planted with Syrah, Grenache, Marsanne, Roussanne and other major grape varieties. The winery is "mono-varietal" (i.e. making wines from a single variety), for example, all Syrah for the Châteauneuf-du-Rotie wines, all Marsanne for the Hermitage whites and all Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines. The wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are all Grenache. Château Sapoutier has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of its wines, even though each single vineyard produces far more than the 500 cases of fine wine. Since 1989, Château Sapoutier has been using biodynamic farming and winemaking methods with the aim of producing wines that are the purest and closest to the natural terroir. Every decision, every step of the viticultural and winemaking process is designed to add to the terroir, varietal character and vintage identity of the wines. Only wild yeasts are used for fermentation and the wines are made in small oak barrels. The best red and white wines are not clarified or filtered before bottling.
1997(2)1999(2)2000(1)2001(3)2003(2)2004(2)2005(5)2006(1)2007(2)2008(7)2009(4)2010(3)2011(3)2012(1)2013(1)2014(4)2015(10)2016(7)2017(5)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L
