Hermitage's Dinner

The plan had been to a dinner to really engage with the wines of the hill of Hermitage. Things coalesced into a two vintage comparison of three great producers. A relatively intimate dinner meant generous pours and the opportunity to truly engage with the wines. A treat.

The kitchen here is just singing these days. This was superb, and well judged for the wines.

• 2017 Domaine du Colombier Hermitage Blanc

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  13.5% abv. Some florality here, some grip too, and welcome acidity. Enjoyed this more than any white N Rhone of recent years, but it must be said that my enjoyment seems to be in direct proportion to how unlike other white N Rhone it tastes. Of the two whites, this is the one I could imagine buying.

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• 2017 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  14.5% abv. This feels more what I expect from N Rhone white - lovely richness in the mouth but an absence of acidity that leaves me trying to figure out how to orient myself. I feel I'm slowly being groomed into this style of wine - I can appreciate it for what it is but would not seek it out.

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• 2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  First red of the dinner. Garnet colour. Lovely nose, and fully in line with the palate - poise and grunt in alignment. My handwritten notes said "higher class???" - it's fully self confident but talks rather than shouts, there's fruit and structure but also a gentle herbaceousness. Some discussion at the table of stemminess - not sure, and indeed some of the reductive qualities I associate with stems - this had the least of of the wines of this flight.

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• 2001 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Gréal

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Some bricking - most advanced colour of the flight. A hint of campfire. This wine is more giving - I was educated (somewhat theatrically it must be said) on the more sensual qualities that the Méal vineyard imparts on this way, and I got it entirely. Did it end up seeming a little less refined, a little less precise than its flight mates? Perhaps, but this is an outstanding wine.

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• 2001 Bernard Faurie Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Purple colour, youngest looking of the flight. Served quite cool, which I think made it a little more restrained to start. Some of the camp fire on this one too. Someone said "digestible" and yes - this is the faintest of praise with which to damn such a lovely wine, but it did have that character to it. But my gosh the hits keep coming - the wine gods can't be smiling that kindly upon us can they?

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The Mac and Cheese! I had thought that the Hawksmoor version was the platonic ideal but no, a lightness of touch here, this is truly a Grand Cru among Mac and Cheese.

• 1999 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Good Lordy, as we cross the millennium we enter into an even grander territory. Some discussion as to whether this was as ready to drink as the 01s - my perspective (a minority I think) was that there was more bite here, more structure, but my gosh this is singing now. Just breathe it in - magnificent stuff.

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• 1999 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Gréal

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  A vigorous purple colour. Lots going on here - some discussion of rocks at the table, there's a kind of minerality but also an explosion of flavour - gentle popping candy perhaps? Truly engaging wine this draws you in.

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• 1999 Bernard Faurie Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Purple colour. Something floral on the nose - bluebells? A savoury wine but there's also a real delicacy to the structure here - light on its feet isn't the right way to describe it but - perhaps of this flight this is the wine taking the most direct route to its destination. If the Chave was my favourite of the 01s, this might pip it for the 99s. Or maybe not. Or maybe yes. How often to all the wines show at such a level - especially at this age?

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• 1999 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  When is a backup not a backup? When it's a cheeky little extra generously opened at the end of an exquisite evening. There's more funk here, more shrillness, more nervy energy. This type of wine really speaks to my soul. Very well served at this point, and did not give this wine the time to truly engage, but what a lovely end to proceedings.

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The reds all showed spectacularly. So odd for every single wine to be be just firing on all cylinders, especially at this age. In the firstest of all world problems, the continuingly high quality really demanded attention and engagement - there was work being done here I tell you, really solid work.