M. Chapoutier’s Ermitage “L’Ermite” 2009 is a single-vineyard Hermitage from the L’Ermite lieu-dit at the top of the hill near the chapel, sourced from very old Syrah vines (described as 80+ years old). Made as 100% Syrah, it is fully destemmed and fermented in concrete, using only free-run juice, then matured about 18–20 months in French oak (new and one-year-old). At roughly 14% alcohol and produced in very limited quantity—Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate cites “702 cases”—it is built in a deliberately powerful, long-aging Northern Rhône style.
Critical reception is outstanding, with multiple excellent reviews at 97–98 points. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (98+) calls it “another monumental effort,” highlighting “copious notes of smoky asphalt, black truffles, pen ink, graphite and blackberry liqueur,” and adds that it is “extremely full-bodied” with “abundant sweet tannins” and a “long finish.” Parker also makes a rare longevity claim, saying it “should age effortlessly for 50–100+ years,” while recommending “25–30 years of cellaring.”
Wine Spectator’s 98-point review emphasizes structure and mineral drive, describing a wine that “has a taut feel… with an almost searing iron edge,” but also “plenty of flesh in reserve,” with “plum compote, cherry pâte de fruit and anise notes” and “very impressive length.” It’s advised “Best from 2016 through 2036,” with the additional note that only “40 cases imported.”
Jeb Dunnuck (97) underscores its classical build, calling it “the most structured and traditional of the Ermitages,” with “black raspberries, smoke, graphite, mineral, and assorted floral characteristics,” plus “gorgeous precision and focus,” concluding it “needs a decade or more in the cellar.”
Jeff Leve (98) is blunt about its current intensity—“massive, powerful… still young”—and stresses that “extreme patience is required,” projecting another “20–25 more years” before it fully resolves.
