Wine List

OBERT PARKER: 93

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition was cropped at 23 hectoliters per hectare (overall it was a small crop in 2010), and is a blend of mostly Grenache and 20% Syrah, with 80% aged in old wood foudres and 20% in small barrels. The alcohol level came in at 15.5%. Classic black raspberry, black cherry, garrigue, and lavender notes hit the palate with considerable authority. The Syrah component provides a slightly deeper purple hue to the color than is apparent in some other vintages. The extra level of concentration due to the tiny yields has resulted in a full-bodied, rich wine with super purity. It is already accessible, and should keep for 10-15 years. ||This branch of the Usseglio family left their home in Italy following the Great Depression in 1929 to make a new start producing wine in southern France. This estate has been on “fire” qualitatively since 1998. The cellars of brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio, who own approximately 60 acres of vines, are located adjacent to the ruins of a pope’s palace on the northeastern side of the village. In top vintages, such as 2010, 2009 and 2007, three Chateauneuf du Pape cuvees are produced. These include a traditional cuvee, the old vine, tank- and foudre-aged Mon Aieul and the more modern-styled Reserve des Deux Freres. Lirac is on the acquisition list of many Chateauneuf du Pape proprietors for a number of reasons: (1) they live close by; (2)the terroir is not dissimilar from that of Chateauneuf du Pape; and (3) the land is relatively cheap. The 2010 Chateauneuf du Papes are superb. Wine Advocate.October, 2012

The 2006 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé is one of the most open, accessible vintages of this wine I can remember tasting. But it's still Roagna, which means the wine is powerful and structured, but less so than is typically the case. Iron, smoke, incense, tobacco, autumn leaves and a host of ferrous, savory notes are some of the signatures. As is sometimes the case here, extended time in barrel has dried out the fruit a bit. This is a style that personally gives me less pleasure, although, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary.

-- Antonio Galloni

Tasting note: The brooding nose is compositionally similar to that of the Charmes-Chambertin but the earth component is more pronounced. The big-bodied and imposingly-scaled flavors exhibit plenty of punch and muscle on the mouth coating, mocha-infused, youthfully austere and strikingly persistent finish thanks to the copious amounts of dry extract. Despite the impressive size and weight this is not a rustic wine though it's certainly going to require patience.

Rating

99+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

NA

Reviewed by

 Joe Czerwinski

Issue Date

29th Dec 2017

Source

234, The Wine Advocate

When in the course of a tasting session one is confronted by a wine that stands above the others, I find it impossible to give more than a single perfect score. So the 2015 Ermitage le Meal gets a "consolation prize" 99+ rating. Full-bodied and intense, loaded with blackberry fruit that pushes the limits of ripeness and richness, this incredible wine retains such fine details as hints of crushed stone, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Unless it shuts down, it should be drinkable by 2025 and give pleasure for many years to come.

The thickest, most unctuous, full-bodied and sexy white of the vintage is the 2014 Ermitage de l’Orée. Coming all from the sedimentary soils of the Les Murets and aged mostly in demi-muids (only 15% new), it offers a sensational perfume of caramelized peaches, campfire, honeysuckle and white flowers that literally come soaring from the glass. Possessing uncommon density, a stacked mid-palate, loads of sweet fruit and a blockbuster finish, this hedonistic effort can be drunk with incredibly pleasure today, or cellared for a decade or more. It will have three or more decades of overall longevity.

Score: 98+ Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate (222), December 2015

Rating

97

Release Price

$420

Drink Date

2021 - 2041

Reviewed by

Jeb Dunnuck

Issue Date

30th Dec 2016

Source

228, The Wine Advocate

The inky black/purple-colored 2014 Ermitage l’Ermite is more firm, backward and mineral driven than the sexier Pavillon, offering fabulous notes of scorched earth, wood smoke, crushed violets, and both blackcurrant and crème de cassis. An utterly profound effort, it defines the more charming nature of the vintage, displaying building tannin and one seriously long finish. Forget bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Not enough can be said about the quality that consistently comes from this estate. From the top to the bottom of the range, you can’t go wrong. And while the prices at the top are frightfully expensive (they’re out of my zip code), there are incredible values from St Péray, St Joseph, Cornas and Crozes Hermitage that should be snatched up by readers. Looking at the 2014s reviewed here, these shine for their elegance and purity, and are certainly some of the most concentrated wines in the vintage. Readers shouldn’t forget that while 2014 was a complicated vintage for the reds, the whites are gorgeous. As to the 2015s, these massive and concentrated wines are going to demand patience, but at the top end, I suspect will be as good as wine gets.