Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Le Pavillon 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Saturated ruby color. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, licorice, exotic spices and incense, with cured tobacco and potpourri notes in the background. Shows impressive depth as well as vivacity in its lush blueberry, cherry-vanilla, mocha and fruitcake flavors, which display outstanding definition and back-end lift. Tightens up through the back half and finishes on a youthfully tannic note, with reverberating spice and floral notes and strong persistence. Made from de-stemmed fruit and aged in 20% new oak barrels.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Suave, mineral- and spice-accented aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur and pungent flowers show superb clarity and energetic lift. Sappy and penetrating in the mouth, displaying sharply defined black/blue fruit, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that turn livelier as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long and minerally, with intense, spicy thrust, a repeating floral note and gently chewy tannins.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
The 2018 Ermitage le Pavillon is a plush, full-bodied beauty that combines fruity notes of blueberries with savory notes of black olives and marries them together with rich, earthy notes. Almost creamy across the mid-palate, it finishes with soft waves of velvety tannins. I expect this will firm up a bit prior to bottling, then drink well for two decades.
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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