M. Chapoutier, Ermitage, Le Pavillon 2017

The inky colored 2017 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes from the biggest, baddest part of Hermitage and was brought up all in 20-25% new French oak barrels. Huge crème de cassis, crushed flowers, graphite, and liquid rock notes all dominate the bouquet, and this massively rich, powerful, yet pure and classic Hermitage builds incrementally on the palate, has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Showing the sexy, expressive style of the vintage, it has some upfront charm, yet I suspect it will close down (as has the 2015) with a few years of bottle age and require a decade or more of cellaring. There are just 894 cases of this magical elixir.

Cassis and crushed stone join on the nose of the 2017 Ermitage le Pavillon. More austere than les Geffieux or le Méal, le Pavillon is rooted more firmly in granite, with crisply defined edges and firm tannins. It's impressive for sure, full-bodied, loaded with extract and almost creamy across the mid-palate, but ultimately it needs time. Give it 10 years to soften and develop a bit more charm—it has the concentrated dark fruit to carry it the distance.

Brilliant purple. Highly expressive blackberry, cherry preserve, licorice pastille, exotic spice and potpourri scents are complemented by a strong mineral overtone. Seamless and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black/blue fruit liqueur, cola and candied violet flavors that become more energetic as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long with emphatic mineral, floral and dark fruit character, with youthful but well-knit tannins and superb tenacity.

This vintage is considerably more weighty and muscular than an average year. Fresh plum, with a touch of high-toned plum sauce notes. Some forest berries too on the nose and palate. Very full-bodied, but also pure, with amazing quality of fruit – piercing and polished. More tannic than usual, but what quality of tannin! Utterly silky and so fine. Very long, very straight, beautifully balanced and completely compelling. Made from over 70-year-old Syrah vines planted on a high granite slope, lieu-dit Les Bessards. Yields of 24 hl/ha. Totally destemmed, fermented in concrete; all matured for 18 months in large wooden tank, 25% of which is new oak.