May 5, 2024 - Hermitage's Dinner (Noizé): 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.
December 26, 2022 - Boxing day wines at Empire: My contribution. I opened this three hours before dinner expecting that it needed time, but it was singing with all the markers of a top northern Rhone - deep dark red fruit, subtle spice and a sauvage feel to the wine. At dinner a couple of people found this to have excessive VA but I didn't get that, though I agreed that the nose was flat. Another taster said it might have been corked (which I usually am sensitive to) but the palate was still remarkably vibrant with sweet red fruit that almost verged on alcoholic, so most people guessed Italian. When tasted at home unfortunately it was definitely corked, albeit barely perceptibly so. Shame because if it had continued showing as it did when I first opened the bottle this would have been my best ever northern Rhone.
December 26, 2022 - Very strong VA on the nose. The palate is silky and well-integrated with strong acidity. I was more in Italy with Sangiovese rather than in Rhone. Good wine but would prefer a fresher bottle.
July 15, 2021 - Corked.
October 7, 2018 - Cd5 - Hermitage vs Côte Rotie à l'aveugle
La teinte et le dépot laissent deviner son âge avancé (15/20 ans), puis son nez fin, évolué et complexe: Olive, tapenade, huitres, et cuir, poivre, épices, vin chaud, fruits confits, cerise macérée... Le tout avec une belle intensité, signant lévolution sans aucune fatigue! On pressent le beau millésime mûr et frais (99?2001?)
En bouche, il arbore un profil fin et frais, salin, élancé (belle longueur), avec une tension minérale qui me fait aller sur Hermitage.
93/94
September 28, 2018 - Northern Rhone WIMPS (La Trompette, Chiswick): Lovely pure, ripe dark fruit on the nose, touch of black olive, medium/full, spicy, lightly smoky dark fruit on the mid-palate, fine but still pertinent tannin, long, fresh finish. Lovely, still with plenty in hand ****1/2.
July 13, 2018 - The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), toast, cedar, vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper, meaty and game.
August 5, 2016 - Perfect cork, reasonable amount of sediment.
Deep burgundy red, medium weight, nice lustre.
Rich deeply scented red berries with a gentle darker spicy edge. Very fragrant, light and airy, very clean, with a cherrystone sourness at the end adding zest.
Fresh palate, light-medium weight, good length and with excellent acidity. Has a youthful feel, flavours are red berry, damson, hints of blueberry, light licorice and ink and a little dark tar. Classic Hermitage. Very fine, refined tannins and a smooth long finish. Delicious.
October 10, 2012 - dmalcom below really nails it. Will benefit from more time but nice enough today.
February 11, 2012 - Fantastic aromas of blackberries, dark cherries, white pepper, and earth. On the palate it is still quite tannic with medium bodied, softer dark and red fruits, old leather, pepper and iron.