2016 Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite

Syrah - 1.5L
Reg: $750.00
$650.00
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REVIEWS

JD 100 DC 99 WA 99 WS 98 JS 97 WE 95
JD 100

jebdunnuck.com, December 2018

Readers wanting to understand pure granite soils need to taste the inky blue/black-colored 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite, as just sticking your nose in the glass is enough to instantly transport you to this magical hillside...
DC 99

Decanter, October 2017

Aged in 30% new oak for 20 months. A highly aromatic nose, showing blackberry, blackcurrant and mineral hot slate aromas. It's very full-bodied and very straight. The intense, dry, salty, mineral tannins are very much of...
WA 99

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, November 2018

The full-bodied 2016 Ermitage l'Ermite is the biggest, most tannic of Chapoutier's current releases. Don't be fooled by the upfront aromas of confiture de cassis, this rich, chewy wine needs 6-7 years of cellaring to near...
WS 98

Wine Spectator, July 2019

Steeped and focused black cherry, black currant and plum fruit flavors are carried by a substantial but very refined structure, ending with waves of anise, smoldering tobacco and black tea. An iron accent at the end adds...
JS 97

jamessuckling.com, August 2018

(JS 96-97 points) This has super, deep, black fruit, dusted in dark pepper and spice. It smells so pristine and fresh. The palate is immaculately structured, on fine, strong, tannin lines with a deep, black-cherry...
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, July 2020

Rich, concentrated blueberry and blackberry flavors are penetrating in this full-bodied, richly textured Syrah. It's a densely concentrated Hermitage framed by fine, gripping tannins and a firm mineral backbone. Best...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Syrah
Country France
Region Rhone
Sub-region Northern Rhone
Appellation Hermitage
Vintage 2016
Size 1.5L

Chapoutier is one of the oldest wine producers in the Rhone Valley with a history dating back to 1808. A distant ancestor, Polydor Chapoutier, was the first to buy vines here, shifting from being a simple grape grower to making and trading his own wine. For the last two hundred years, the estate has been producing some of the greatest wines in the Rhone Valley. Today, the range also includes wines from some Roussillon appellations as well as projects in Portugal and Australia.

Under Michel Chapoutier’s leadership, quality improved and Chapoutier gained international recognition. The massive negociant and winery produces single-vineyard expressions and classic wines from a range of appellations in the north and south of the valley.

They have adopted biodynamic farming techniques and have included Braille markings on their labels since 1996. This was done from a desire to reach out to and include lovers of good wines with sight-impairments, and as a tribute to Maurice Monier of La Sizeranne, a member of the family that previously owned the vines of the same name and who invented the first abbreviated version of Braille.

Ermitage wines possess a rich historical past. They were appreciated in Roman times when they and Cote Rotie wines were enjoyed under the name of "Vienne wines".

The name of Ermitage probably first appeared in the 17th Century in memory of Henry Gaspard, a knight from Sterimberg who, having come back from the Crusades (in the 13th Century) and tired of waging war, lived as a hermit on a hillside which had been given to him by Anne of Castille, Queen of Spain. There he planted a vineyard.

The L’Ermite vineyard is situated at the top of the Hermitage hill, around the chapel, in a place named the Ermite. The vines are 80 years old planted in granitic soils which are very poor.

The color of the wine is a very deep garnet red, almost black. On the nose are black fruits with spices and ink overtones. The tannins are at the same time powerful and velvety. Smoky and pepper overtones are wonderful expressions of Syrah from granitic soil. Depending on the vintage, the wine can be kept from 30 to 60 years or from 50 to 75 years.