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A perfect wine in every way, the 2015 Côte Rôtie La Turque comes from an incredible terroir on the Côte Brune and includes 7% Viognier. Stylistically, it normally fits between the more ripe, exuberant La Mouline and the more austere, tannic La Landonne. A deep purple color is followed by extraordinary notes of spring flowers, crushed violets, vanilla bean, and cured meats. This gives way to a full-bodied Côte Rôtie that has a stacked mid-palate, lots of ripe, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. Syrah, or red wine for that matter, doesn’t get any better! Hats off to the Guigal family for another magical wine. Give bottles 6-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDLike the La Mouline, the 2015 Cote Rotie La Turque comes across as slightly closed—I wouldn’t be surprised to see it inch up to a perfect rating in a decade or so. Lashings of ground spices—pepper, allspice, cardamom—are sprinkled over mixed berries, but this full-bodied wine is locked up tight, finishing with firm tannins. Give it at least 5-6 years, maybe even a decade or so, before pulling a cork.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDark plum, boysenberry and fig fruit is steeped with notes of anise, black tea, ganache and roasted apple wood. A warm cast iron spine drives the finish, pulling all the components together along the way. Delivers serious cut and drive, holding a deep well of fruit in reserve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 88 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe personality of this wine is in full, flamboyant flight in 2015 with such expressive aromas of fragrant spices, roses and violet flowers, orange zest, white pepper, dark stones, exotic baking spices and beautifully ripe blackberries, blood plums and some redder fruit notes. The palate delivers plenty of energy and depth with ripe, dark and juicy tannins, wrapped around a very rich, intense and fleshy blackberry core. Impressive and still just a baby. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSSaturated purple. Hugely perfumed aromas of dark berry preserves, incense, potpourri, smoky bacon and spicecake. Cola, olive and cracked pepper flourishes build with air. Youthfully and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, sharply defined black/blue fruit, spicecake, vanilla and violet pastille flavors that are brightened by a smoky mineral accent. Chewy and appealingly sweet on the extremely long, floral-dominated finish framed by youthful, slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMA darker, deeper, slightly more meaty style compared to La Mouline, the oak here more powerfully evident. Very grippy, very tight tannins. The alcohol feels a little raised, but generally there is a good balance between darks fruits, acidity and tannin, and the wine has great freshness, length and depth. Aromatically and texturally, the wine is dominated by oak at this early stage, though this aspect will soften and meld to some extent as it matures in bottle. Very long, juicy, intense finish. Fermented in stainless steel, 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking Window 2027 - 2039Decanter | 95 DEC

Because the 2015 Ermitage les Greffieux is so approachable and not as forbidding as Chapoutier’s other 2015s, I wonder if I’ve underestimated it? It’s full-bodied and rich in raspberry fruit, there’s an intriguing herbal note and it’s already almost silky in texture rather than being dense and closed. It should provide a couple of decades of drinking pleasure.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2015 Ermitage Les Greffieux comes from vines located at the base of the hill, just under the le Méal Vineyard. Blackberries, blueberries, liquid violet, dusty minerality and hints of beef blood all flow to a ripe, sexy, voluptuous, heavenly effort that’s overflowing with fruit and richness. Concentrated, ripe, sexy and just incredible stuff, it will rival the 2006 as the finest vintage to date from this vineyard. Slightly closed and backward now, don’t touch bottles for 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSaturated violet. Highly perfumed aromas of candied dark berries, cola, incense and smoky minerals develop a suave Asian spice nuance as the wine opens up. Silky, expansive black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors display an impressive blend of richness and energy thanks to a mineral flourish that builds on the back half. Finishes juicy, sweet and extremely long, displaying lingering, spice-tinged dark fruit qualities and slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 96 VMVery suave, featuring a frame of loam, ganache and melted black licorice notes melded together, while the core of steeped plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavors bristles with energy in reserve. A violet detail throughout adds lift and range. Best from 2020 through 2035. 328 cases made, 14 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSVery composed, with aromas of sappy, black fruit, dark stones, rich baking spices and a waft of pepper. The palate has an assertive, dense core of rich, black cherries and dark plums, as well as hints of licorice and dark, chocolate-coated orange peel. Fine sheets of tannins. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JS

Similarly colored, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc comes from a warmer terroir of pebbly and more loess soils and was brought up in 10% new demi-muids. It’s a bigger, richer wine than the de l’Orée and boasts rocking notes of honeyed citrus, orange marmalade, baking spices, and licorice. Rich, powerful, and layered on the palate, it’s another rocking white from this team that will drink nicely for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA two hectare plot of 50+ year old vines on a steep south facing slope of alluvial deposits and large stones. Deep gold in colour, this is fresh with a lifted apricot aroma. It’s very full and opulent in the mouth, almost too full - a point that’s emphasised by blocking malo. This is distinctly bright, refreshing yet powerful, with mineral notes and a saline finish. It has real relief and detail of texture despite its rich, flowing body. A wonderful wine, but be aware of the low acidity this year.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 Ermitage Blanc Le Méal is much more developed than the 2015 Ermitage Blanc De L’Orée tasted alongside. Deep straw-yellow in color, the 2016 exhales pronounced quince, hay, acacia honey, dried apple and toasted bread aromas. Powerful and deep, it hits the palate with full force. Opulent and flashy, the 2016 Blanc Le Méal closes with distinctive phenolic grip. Although it’s not the most elegant rendition, it does show the great potential that aged Marsanne can bring when made in the right hands.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2016 Ermitage le Meal Blanc is all Marsanne and all power, with ample weight and richness on the full-bodied palate. Grilled melon and tangerine flavors are big, bold and round yet balanced by a hint of bitterness on the finish. It should drink well for two decades or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSeductive and creamy nose with baked lemons, orange rind, rusks, flower honey, green apples and fresh flowers. Full body with such an ample, round dimension to it. It’s expansive and extensive with controlled power. It’s flattering with so much volume and weight on the palate. Long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

One of the legendary vintages for this cuvée is the 2017 Côte Rôtie La Turque, a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune lieu-dit. Always aged 4 years in new French oak, it offers a dense, saturated purple color as well as slightly more masculine notes of blackberries, smoked meats, dark chocolate, and graphite. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and perfectly balanced, with incredible purity of fruit, it already offers pleasure but will ideally be given 5-7 years of bottle age. It will deliver the goods for 30 to 40 years. It’s the star of the show in 2017 and one of the wines of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA common refrain regarding the La-Las is that they require a decade or more of cellaring to come around. In fact, they're often quite open and appealing soon after release, only to close down shortly thereafter. The 2017 Cote Rotie La Turque offers up hints of crushed stone and struck flint, smoky, bacon-fat aromas and ripe, mouthwatering blackberries. Full-bodied, creamy and rich, it's a powerful, concentrated effort that should still be drinking well in two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPYou can almost smell the fresh clay, immediately a different register compared to La Mouline with star anise, incense notes and rolling tobacco as opposed to cigarette tobacco. Rounded, fuller and plumper with more mouthcoating tannins and touches of vanilla pod from the oak.. The fruit is sweeter and juicier than the Mouline and this has a long, sappy finish with plentiful tannin but still elegant. (Drink between 2024-2038)Decanter | 97 DECVery alluring, with silky waves of cherry puree and mulled plum fruit gliding through, infused gently with red tea, savory and sweet tapenade hints. Lingering minerality carries the finish, which has structure and grip to merit cellaring, though the fruit is so hard to resist.Wine Spectator | 96 WSExpansive aromas of black raspberry, cherry and boysenberry, with exotic spice, floral oil and incense notes building in the glass. Energetic and focused on the palate, offering densely packed black/blue fruit liqueur flavors, along with intense violet pastille and cracked pepper notes. The floral quality builds steadily with air and carries through a very long, chewy finish that features resonating blue fruit and floral notes and youthfully gripping tannins.Vinous Media | 95-96 VM

Tasting like the 2015, yet with perhaps slightly more elegance, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Turque reveals a saturated purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, white flowers, candle wax, graphite, and spiced meats. It’s a huge, full-bodied, blockbuster styled effort as well as another magical wine in the making.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDDark violet. Deeply perfumed black and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of Moroccan spices, potpourri, olive and smoky minerals. Densely packed cassis, bitter cherry and violet pastille flavors show excellent definition and are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. The mineral and floral notes repeat on a wonderfully long and subtly chewy finish that’s shaped by dusty, steadily building tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMShut down tight on this occasion, the dark, impenetrable 2018 Cote Rotie La Turque is clearly dense and packed with potential. Cedary notes, dark, concentrated fruit, potent tannins and a long, dusty finish suggest plenty of upside for the patient.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96+ RP

Built for the long haul, the 2018 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc is a majestic, noble white that could only come from this incredible, south-facing hillside in Hermitage. Revealing a light gold hue as well as notes of quince, honeyed minerality, toasted spices, orange marmalade, and spring flowers, this deep, rich, and full-bodied white has absorbed just about every trace of its oak élevage and has a concentrated, rich, yet focused and lengthy style. This cuvée had a more oaky, opulent style in the past, but today it comes across as a much more pure, elegant wine while not giving an inch with regard to density, texture, and concentration. As with just about every top Hermitage Blanc today, this offers plenty of immediate pleasure with its pure, fresh, mineral-laced style. Don’t discount how much pleasure these wines can offer in their youth and always ignore the "always too young" crowd. This 2018 is going to evolve gracefully and drink brilliantly for 5-7 years, then (maybe) go into a closed, almost oxidative stage, only to emerge after 5-7 years and evolve for decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDFull-bodied and rounded, with firm acidity and salinity. The oak has taken over at this early stage and will always be quite dominant, however the fruit is deep and should harmonise with the wood in time. Very long and ending with butterscotch and quince, the élevage will always be a strong feature of the wine, but the depth is there for long ageing. For release in 2022. 100% new oak barriques. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECThe last time I saw the 2018 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc, it came across as opulent and fruit-forward. Now that it’s in bottle (and scheduled to be released in February 2022), it’s less tropical, showing more restraint and (perhaps) greater aging potential. Hints of toasted grain, lime custard and scorched lemon zest appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is rich, delivering notes of toasted marshmallow and a heavily textured, slightly coarse texture, but finishes long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Pale, shimmering yellow. Fresh pear, honeydew, tangerine and pungent flowers on the mineral-inflected nose. Offers lively, sharply focused orchard and citrus fruit flavors that are complemented by emerging ginger and white pepper notes adding back-end lift and cut. Silky and impressively lithe, delivering solid mineral thrust and repeating florality on the long, incisive finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

From vines just next to the Coteau Vernon, the Condrieu Les Chaillées de L’Enfer is year-in, year-out one of the top examples from this appellation. The 2018 Condrieu Les Chaillées De L’Enfer reveals a light gold color as well as a gorgeous bouquet of ripe stone fruits, honeyed nectarines, and apricots intermixed with notions of white flowers, white chocolate, and truffly earth. Possessing an incredible sense of salty minerality, medium to full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and a great finish, it strikes a beautiful balance between richness and freshness and stays light on its feet and elegant. I’d drink bottles over the coming 4-6 years, but it will evolve for longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBright and nicely detailed, with a mix of green almond, white peach, honeysuckle and mango notes, backed by a subtle bitter orange thread on the finish. The rich and showy side of this white is balanced by its inner purity. Drink now through 2024. 650 cases made, 35 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSPale straw-yellow. Powerful, mineral-accented orchard and pit fruits on the nose; a suave floral nuance builds as the wine stretches out. Sappy, penetrating and seamless in texture, offering vibrant tangerine, Anjou pear and white peach flavors and a sneaky hint of honeysuckle. Shows excellent focus and emphatic mineral cut on the finish, which lingers with outstanding tenacity.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The star of the Delas whites is the 2019 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Blanc, based on Marsanne from L’Ermite, Le Sabot (the bottom portion of Les Bessardes) and La Tourette. Barrel fermented and aged in approximately one-third new French oak, it offers scents of crushed stone, pencil shavings, toasted coconut, ripe pear and melon, plus hints of citrus. Full-bodied and rich, it’s creamy in texture and weighty on the palate, yet with great persistence and lingering flavors. Delicious now, I suspect it will close down within the next year or two, yet it should be capable of aging for up to two decades, adding layers of richness and truffled complexity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPStill a bit youthfully compact, but there’s focus and drive to the mix of salted butter, acacia, quince, lemon curd and white peach flavors. This has polished edges offset by a racy spine through it all. Cellar for maximum effect. Marsanne and Roussanne. Best from 2022 through 2032. 475 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA fresh, fine, direct fragrance - quince, pear and plum. Very rounded and generous on the palate, a little on the fat side. This has real depth however. There’s a vein of acidity buried in the wine which will help give it some freshness, but it’s not as fresh as some this year, it’s very full-bodied, but still very good. Fermented and aged in new and recent barriques, partial malolactic. Drinking Window 2021 - 2029.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a bigger, richer Côte Rôtie. Co-fermented with a solid chuck of Viognier and around 85% destemmed (the same as the La Turque), this full-bodied effort has a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of bloody black and blue fruits, tapenade, salted meat, woodsmoke, and a touch of violets. This cuvée is always an exotic wine, and the 2019 is no exception, offering full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, plenty of structure, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDBright, highly perfumed blueberry, black raspberry, violet and exotic spice aromas, along with a wild touch of blood orange. Juicy and lithe on the palate, offering intense red and blue fruit flavors that stain the palate while showing little in the way of excess weight. Finishes extremely long and sweet, with a building floral note, even tannins and a late jolt of five-spice powder.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMWhile just as aromatic and charming on the nose—where ephemeral floral notes join ripe cherries—as previous years, the 2019 Cote Rotie La Mouline isn’t quite as impressive on the palate. It’s medium to full-bodied, silky and caressing, without the same power, yet it’s supremely elegant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA little closed, not as open as you would expect at this stage. Medium-bodied, fresher on the palate than the nose, with a good sense of purity and salinity. Massy, ripe tannins and a long finish. Not quite as sprightly and perfumed at this stage as previous recent vintages of La Mouline, but clearly a very good wine. At the beginning of its 42 months in new French oak barriques.Decanter | 94 DEC

The extroverted 2019 Cote Rotie La Turque is about as impressive a young wine as I’ve tasted at Guigal, with extravagant, blossom-like aromas and oodles of cassis and blueberries. Full-bodied, it’s simultaneously concentrated and rich yet airy and almost weightless, an outrageous juxtaposition of characters that must be tasted to be understood.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPI was blown away by the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Turque, which comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune and is fermented with a touch of Viognier as well as a small amount of stems. It too has a smoky, meaty, gamey profile as well as full-bodied richness and tons of mid-palate depth and concentration. It’s another serious 2019 with structure to spare, remarkable purity, flawless balance, and a great finish. As usual, it’s not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to demand 10-15 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDBright and energetic on the intensely fragrant nose, displaying ripe black/blue fruit, vanilla and floral scents that pick up olive and exotic spice notes as the wine stretches out. In a powerful, fruit-driven style, offering appealingly sweet cherry, blackberry, mocha and allspice flavors, plus suggestions of licorice and cola. Finishes extremely long and smooth, with just a hint of fine-grained tannins and an assertive jolt of minerality.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMA big step up in quality from La Mouline this year, it’s deeply savoury with smoked meats on the nose at this stage. Full-bodied but not excessive, this is round and generous with tannins that are massy and ripe. The oak is robust and well judged and it ends very deep with a powerful, but lifted, saline finish. Great depth on show, very fine, it’s big but not excessive. On the Côte-Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after having been abandoned since 1935. La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, less than one hectare. At the beginning of its 42 months in new French oak barriques.Decanter | 97 DEC

A fresh version, with bright yellow plum, green almond and white peach flavors backed by notes of lemon shortbread and quinine on the plump finish. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2026. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSPretty apple blossom, spice, and sappy flower notes dominate the bouquet of the 2019 Saint Joseph Blanc. This carries to a more medium-bodied, elegant white that offers a solid sense of minerality, good mid-palate depth and concentration, notable balance, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful Saint Joseph white to drink over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDA bit more mineral than the Crozes-Hermitage, the Marsanne-dominant 2019 Saint-Joseph Blanc comes exclusively from the southern portion of the appellation, around Sarras and Tournon. Scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings (half was matured in tank, one-fourth in new oak and one-fourth in second-fill oak) accent notes of underripe peach and citrus on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is crisp, linear and long on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Vibrant mandarin, really fresh and lively aromatic display. Has some glycerol gummy softness on the palate, but the wine has a nice sense of fluidity and brisk acidity. Very well balanced, fresh, clear-cut and precise. Well-integrated oak, fruit to the fore. Really deliciously drinkable. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DEC

Inky ruby. Smoke- and mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and dark berries, pipe tobacco, olive paste, incense and vanilla, with a suave floral note building in the glass. Youthfully chewy and expansive on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, bitter cherry, licorice, cola, candied violet and allspice flavors that tighten up and become sweeter on the back half. Finishes sappy and extremely long, with resonating florality and mounting tannins that add shape and a firm closing grip.Vinous Media | 98 VMOffers up gorgeous fruit, with creamed açaí and blueberry mixed with warmed cassis and a flash of dark plum, which holds center stage while licorice snap, violet, apple wood and sweet bay leaf accents fill in the background. Shows terrific grip through the finish, setting this up for a long life. Best from 2025 through 2040. 10 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA rich, more broad, opulent wine, the 2019 Ermitage Les Greffieux has lots of darker berry and cassis-like fruit as well as textbook Northern Rhône Syrah notes of pepper, bouquet garni, leather, and woodsmoke. I love its depth and richness on the palate, and it’s full-bodied and has beautiful balance, supple tannins, and a great finish. It already offers pleasure and will continue doing so for another 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe creamy, almost lush 2019 Ermitage les Greffieux boasts knockout aromas of violets, crème de cassis and red raspberries. Full-bodied, yet fine and silky in feel, it’s a terrific example of this terroir, showing its hallmark accessibility and tremendous balance and elegance on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA distinct smoky vein running through this year. Powerful, very ripe, muscular but juicy with great freshness and power. The alcohol is slightly raised, but it’s such a big, impressive wine with very ripe, massy tannins. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2036Decanter | 96 DECIncredibly dense nose of elderberries with some raw meat and smoke. At least as massively structured as it is concentrated, this is almost too much to take at this early stage in its development, but the tannins are already beautifully integrated and all it needs is a couple of years in bottle to calm down a little. Very firm, stony finish that has so much energy. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JS

Already bottled, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche (Domaine) harkens back toward the quality of the superb 2017, with gentle nutty complexities interwoven with crushed stone, spice, melon and pear. Medium to full-bodied, this 50-50 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne from Les Chassis displays beautiful harmony and roundness while remaining long and crisp on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA blend of equal parts Marsanne and Roussanne, the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Mule Blanche Blanc has a rounded, medium-bodied, nicely textured style that carries plenty of pear, citrus blossom, and sappy herbs notes as well as a touch of salty minerality. A fleshy, undeniably delicious, balanced white, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years, if not longer. It would be a great introduction to the white wines of this appellation.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

The 2019 Condrieu Chery is always a more steely, mineral-driven example of this appellation, but it packs a punch in 2019 and has powerful notes of buttered citrus, pineapple, honeysuckle, and a liquid rock-like minerality. These carry to a rich, full-bodied Condrieu with an opulent texture, moderate acidity, and a great finish. As with most 2019 Condrieu (and 2018s), it’s not going to be the longest lived, but who cares? Drink this brilliant wine over the coming 4-5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFrom 70-year-old vines, the 2016 Condrieu Chéry is a bit more concentrated than Niero’s Les Ravines bottling, but otherwise, it’s similar in its aromas of crushed stone and pineapple. Like the other wines at this estate, it’s aged 12 months in a mix of stainless steel (60%) and oak barrels (40%), giving it a rich, slightly oily texture. It’s harmonious and long, with pineapple and melon flavors giving way to gingery spice on the finish. (JCRobert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP

Lovely peach, pear and yellow plum notes form the core, with well-inlaid acidity for support and light verbena and shortbread accents gilding the lush finish. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2024. 300 cases made, 10 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBeautifully pure quince, ripe peach, and caramelized citrus notes emerge from the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, which shows a more medium-bodied, clean, vibrant style. It doesn’t have the richness of the Saint-Joseph releases, yet I love its purity of fruit as well as its balance. It’s going to gain depth with a year of bottle age and keep for 7-8 years, probably longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDVery good - this is a fairly rich style of white Crozes, the oak is quite lovingly applied, but it works well. Lacks a bit of focus, but it’s enjoyable with concentrated pear and melon flavours. Drinking Window 2021 - 2022.Decanter | 90 DEC

In the same qualitative ballpark as the Pavillon, the 2020 Ermitage L’Ermite is even tighter and more chiseled. It too is perfectly proportioned and insanely pure, with notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, blueberries, camphor, charcoal, and crushed stone. While the soils here are less granitic than from the Bessards, this cuvée always seems to show even more minerality in every vintage I’ve tasted. Incredibly concentrated, full-bodied, and yet still flawlessly balanced and elegant, it needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for 10-15 years and should have 50 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIf you ever wondered why Hermitage had such a special reputation then you need to taste this towering masterpiece of this appellation. Spectacular mountain freshness as well as enormous concentration and underplayed tannic power. The spicy complexity of this wine needs some time to unfold, but that is the best invested time I can imagine. Fabulous mineral freshness at the finish that you don’t ever want to let go of. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSCompelling scents of roasted meat, espresso and blueberries roar from the glass, joined by a hint of vanilla on the nose of the 2020 Ermitage l’Ermite. A huge behemoth of a wine in the mouth, it’s nevertheless an elegant beast that should easily be tamed by a few years in the cellar. Fans of all-out power might prefer this to the Le Pavillon in 2020, but for me, it’s a just a neck behind, nipped at the wire.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis densely packed red has it all, from a brooding base of smoked blackberry, ganache, plum puree and fig paste flavors to textural intrigue and a long finish. Offers muscular tannins that are nicely burnished to give this a substantial yet not too grippy frame, while notes of dark chocolate, black licorice and generous grilled garrigue cruise alongside a steely ballast of iron. Hints of dried flowers and savory orange peel acidity perk up the concentrated core. Best from 2025 through 2045. 317 cases made, 8 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSFresh, flinty aroma with blackcurrant underneath - an enlivening nose. Great harmony, incisive freshness and remarkable drive, the fruit is fresh, pure and concentrated. Totally seamless on the palate, with incredible textural finesse and length. A profound Hermitage in the making, perhaps not one of great weight and authority, but one of incredible tension, freshness and precision. If 2019 was Thor, 2020 is Loki. Like all of the 2020 reds, its fruitiness and approachable structure will make many want to drink this young. You can, but this has serious ageing potential.Decanter | 98 DECGlass-staining violet color. Intensely perfumed ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices, potpourri, olive and incense aromas are sharpened by a smoky mineral flourish. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, displaying alluringly sweet blueberry, cherry preserve, fruitcake and mocha flavors, along with hints of licorice and candied flowers. The floral and spice notes reverberate on a fabulously long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and an insistent mineral note. For me, this looks to be the best (ever so slightly!) of a truly stellar group of single-site Hermitages here in this vintage. The 2011 version of this wine is showing exceptionally well right now, with eerily Burgundy-esque finesse and intense blue fruit, floral, spice and mineral character. I wish that I had some, or even just one!Vinous Media | 97-99 VM