M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite 2004 750ml

Deep red garnet with violet highlights, black fruits with spice and ink notes.The tannins are not only very powerful but also mellow. Smoky notes and pepper wonderfully highlight the Syrah variety on granite soils.

Wine Enthusiast 95 points Wonderfully aromatic and complex, blending floral notes with mineral scents, bold cassis fruit and cracked pepper. This is full-bodied and muscular on the palate, the only one of Chapoutier’s 2004s that really demands cellaring. Drink 2010–2020. (2004). Wine Advocate 93 points All of the single vineyard Ermitages turned out as good as I had hoped, possibly even better. In short they are among the strongest wines one could hope for in this vintage. The 2004 Ermitage l Ermite exhibits blueberry and floral notes with that undeniable minerality lurking beneath the surface. It is full-bodied, which is rather remarkable in this vintage, with serious concentration for a 2004 and sweetness to the tannin. This wine might well be the most approachable of these wines, and drink well young yet last for 15 or more years.