L'Ermite 2003 - M. Chapoutier

The 2003 L'Ermite - M. Chapoutier is, according to Robert Parker (Wine Advocate), one of the best red wines he has ever tasted, with tremendous concentration and richness, but also with enormous aging potential that reaches 50+ years. That's the reason why he gave it 100pts, while Wine Spectator gave it 99pts. It's the absolut expression of the region’s terroir as the poor, granite soils withstood the high temperatures of the 2003 vintage and gave us a wine with incredible power and elegance, which is an investment piece that every collector should have in their cellar.

The grapes come from the lieu-dit L’Ermite, the majority of which consists of pre-phylloxera vines over 100 years old, located on the top of the Hermitage hill around the chapel and is been certified for biodynamic cultivation since 1991. Late, manual harvest when the grapes reach full phenolic maturity, so they can achieve better extraction of the compounds found in the skins.

Fermentation takes place in concrete tanks and the extraction lasts 4-6 weeks in order to obtain tannins that will give us greater aging potential. The wine matures for 20 months in new French barrels (20%), in 1-year-old barrels (20%), in 2-year-old barrels (30%) and in concrete tanks (30%).

Its color is deep, almost black and has complex and intense aromas of black fruits, creme de cassis, graphite, cocoa, tobacco, black pepper and minerality. Dense and rich in the mouth, with intense but well-integrated tannins, an abundance of black fruits, spices, graphite and minerality. Very long aftertaste.

Like most Chapoutier wines, this also remains young, after all these years that have passed since bottling and can easily age for many more. However, if you want to enjoy it now, you should decant it at least 2 hours before consuming it.

A truly great wine that you have to taste it in order to believe it!