M. Chapoutier : L'Ermite 2021

A blockbuster of power and scale, particularly for the leaner vintage. Brushed with cedar polish and backed by serious mineral intensity, the ripe core of winey cherry and cassis shows real richness. A refreshing blast of herbs and mouthwatering acidity adds savory lift, while columns of iron form the solid backbone. Best from 2026 through 2042. 10 cases imported.

A fresh, piercing cassis style, that’s very fine and compact on the palate. Powerfully mineral, the wine really dives deep. The tannins are juicy but also energetic and strict. A wine with huge intensity and great driving energy. Not as much flesh as some recent vintages, but this is very classically Ermite with its immense tension and peppery, smoky freshness underneath. No lack, or excess, of ripeness. This is bracing. Vines are south-facing, just behind the Chapelle St Christophe.

Descend into this labyrinth of spices and you may never return. The black fruit and the most perfect violets will take you prisoner and never release you. Absolutely astounding tannin structure, not from the quantity, but from the finesse and the beauty. Then the explosive finish that pulls you up in the direction of syrah nirvana. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Cask sample. An inviting nose – red fruits and creamy notes, spiced character and crushed blackberry. Super-structured with a core of black fruit, graphite, spice and liquorice. Dense and tightly wound, this wine will age extremely well. Plenty of acidity and tension – layered. But don’t touch this for at least ten years! (AC)

The 2021 Ermitage L'Ermite unfurls with precisely sculpted crushed violets, red cherry, graphite, blackberry and forest floor traces. Medium-bodied and refreshing, the palate is marked by chalky tannins that need more time to mellow. Give this well-made 2021 at least three more years in bottle.

The 2021 Ermitage L'Ermite (which saw 15% stems) is another beautiful wine from Chapoutier. Brought up in 25% new oak, it has a perfumed nose of red and black fruits, leather, crushed stone, and loamy earth. Rich, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant on the palate, it’s a touch more focused and linear compared to the Pavillon at this point and will benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age. The 2021 vintage doesn't get much better.