M. Chapoutier : Les Greffieux 2018

Smoldering tobacco and warm earth notes mix in liberally with a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. Shows alder and cedar flashes on the finish, along with a savory edge. This is sneaky long, with a caressing feel. Best from 2023 through 2037. 20 cases imported.

100% Syrah. Aged for 18 months in oak (33% new). Cask sample. Superb fruit character: blackberry, rhubarb plus fresh peppercorns and milk chocolate. A really expressive, opulent style, with easy accessibility considering the appellation. Long, smoked-meat notes on the finish. This has everything – the stature, the clarity, the classic granitic earthiness. (RH)

Saturated violet color. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, potpourri, exotic spices and olive. Stains the palate with sweet black raspberry and cherry liqueur flavors that take on licorice, allspice and smoky mineral accents on the back half. Rich yet impressively lively in style, showing sharp precision on the wonderfully persistent, youthfully tannic and floral-driven finish.

Certainly the most plush and sexy of the 2018 single vineyard releases, the 2018 Ermitage Les Greffieux is all Syrah from the more sedimentary soils at the base of the Le Méal hillside and was destemmed and brought up in a mix of barrels and demi-muids, with just 20% being new. Its dense purple color is followed by a smorgasbord-like array of black raspberries, smoked game, bouquet garni, violets, and high-end leather. Ripe, sexy and textured on the palate, it still has a weightless mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It's not quite as massive or concentrated as the 2006, but it's certainly a gorgeous Hermitage. Forget bottles for 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

A successful union of dark fruits, spices and oak. The juice is concentrated and consistent, with a broad, velvety structure and well-present tannins. The whole is fleshy, dense and sun-kissed, while retaining freshness and complexity.