Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Le Pavillon 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Both the Pavillon and l’Ermite see a touch more new oak, with the wine aged 18 months in 30% new French oak barrels. The 2014 Ermitage le Pavillon will without a doubt be one of the top two to three wines in the vintage; it offers an incredibly granite character in its burning embers, graphite, crème de cassis and campfire-like bouquet. Big, concentrated, full-bodied, thick and yet still with the always present hedonistic slant of this cuvee, it will need 4-5 years of cellaring and have three or more decades of longevity.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Dark purple. Powerful smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur and vanilla, along with a suggestion of olive in the background. Supple, broad and sweet on the palate, offering deeply concentrated blackberry and violet pastille flavors and a jolt of smoky minerality that adds energy to the back half. Shows very impressive energy and focus for its depth. Finishes sappy and extremely long, displaying excellent focus, harmonious tannins and persistent spiciness.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Opaque ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes candied dark berries, cherry cola, incense and violet, and a smoky mineral nuance builds in the glass. Intense, mineral-laced black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors are given focus and spine by juicy acidity. Closes sweet, seamless and extremely long; peppery spices and smoky minerals add vivacity. This wine's blend of power and finesse is extremely impressive.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Ermitage le Pavillon is another wine from this team that defies the vintage. Full-bodied, concentrated, impeccably balanced and seamless, with classic notes of crushed rocks, graphite, cassis and blackcurrants, it hits the palate with no hard edges, has a great mid-palate and possesses sweet tannin. Michel commented that this wine reminded him of the 1982, and while it offers pleasure even today, it won’t hit maturity for another decade.
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.
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