Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Le Pavillon 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
I suspect the wine of the vintage will be the 2015 Ermitage le Pavillon, and while it’s normally a more forward, sexy wine than the l’Ermite, in 2015 it’s easily the most concentrated, structured and mineral driven of the lineup. Its inky purple/blue color is followed by to-die-for notes of blackcurrants, crème de cassis, graphite, liquid smoke and a liqueur of rocks-like profile that could come from nowhere else in the world than this steep hillside of pure broken granite. Full-bodied, concentrated, structured and tannic, forget bottles for a decade and enjoy over the following half century.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Surely a 100-point wine in nearly any other context, the 2015 Ermitage le Pavillon is a terrific wine. Full-bodied and intense, it offers tremendous notes of crushed stone, mocha and ripe plum given shape and texture by powerful yet ripe tannins. The finish is nearly endless, oozing with essence of granite and balanced by bright acids. Wow.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright purple. Assertive, highly complex aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, licorice candy and potpourri carry an exotic spice overtone. Stains the palate with concentrated blueberry, cassis and cola flavors, while a suave violet pastille nuance builds steadily with air. Velvety tannins shape a strikingly long, chewy, mineral- and spice-tinged finish that shows outstanding power and energy.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Vivid purple. Powerful, intensely perfumed black raspberry, cherry liqueur, incense and licorice aromas, along with hints of star anise and vanilla. Sweet, penetrating and focused on the palate, offering deeply concentrated but energetic red and dark berry liqueur, floral pastille and succulent herb flavors that show outstanding power and definition. Smoothly plays richness and power off finesse and finishes extremely long and sweet; fine-grained tannins come in late.
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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