2014 - Ermitage Le Pavillon, M. Chapoutier

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.

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.

Full bottle 1,394 g. From a distinctive four-hectare parcel made up of fine sediments on granitic subsoil. Hand-picked 'to the limit of over-maturity' from low-yielding old vines. All destemmed and fermented in concrete. One or two treadings a day and fermentation temperature held at 32 °C. Four- to five-week maceration. Only free-run juice. Aged between 18 and 20 months in oak casks (30% new). Natural clarification. Certified biodynamic. Deep blackish, shaded ruby. Much richer nose than Les Greffieux. Really spicy and great breadth of fruit almost distracts from the massive tannic charge of a wine that, nevertheless, has considerable polish. Great tannin extraction! Meaty, bone-dry, long finish. This should have a very long life. (JR)