M. Chapoutier : Monier de la Sizeranne 2018

Sweet berry compote on the nose and palate, the acidity feels a little at odds with the wine currently. The most ready-to-drink of any recent vintages, this has a great burst of flavour and plenty of impact. The tannins are soft and juicy, the fruit is expressive – this is open and ready, if not the most elegant vintage of Monier de la Sizeranne, as the alcohol is just a little bit noticeable. It's a good vintage for drinking now.

Glass-staining ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes ripe, smoke-tinged red and dark berries, pit fruits, candied flowers, allspice and licorice. Juicy and broad on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry-cola, black raspberry and fruitcake flavors that are underscored by a smoky mineral quality. Finishes long and smooth, with building energy, sneaky tannins and resonating spice and floral notes.

A vintage of lovely maturity with a coherent structure. Beneath bacon and lard-like notes, the oak is a bit pronounced, but the palate—broad and velvety—with well-polished tannins brings a balancing finesse to the whole.

The 2018 Hermitage Monier De La Sizeranne comes from a mix of terroirs (sedimentary, granitic, and loess) and was brought up in 20% new oak. Classic Hermitage notes of red and black fruits, cured meats, graphite, new leather, and smoked herbs all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with an elegant, seamless texture and just about perfect balance. It's not the biggest or richest Hermitage out there, but it's already drinking fabulously, with a textbook character and the balance and class to evolve for 20 years more.

Powerful and dynamic, this wine reveals a rich savoury tapestry, woven with boysenberry, iodine, saffron, violet and terracotta aromas—absolutely stunning. The palate offers a luxurious balance of black fruit and savoury meatiness, with a refined texture and well-integrated tannins. The finish is long, with pure blackberry, meaty notes, iodine and a hint of spice. Delicious now, but it should hold well through 2040.