2005 Ermitage Le Meal
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Tasting notes
Much more open knit, textured and sexy than a bottle tasted earlier in the year, the 2005 Ermitage le Meal is one fruit-loaded, rich and full-bodied beauty that offers classic notes of black raspberries, charcoal, peppery herbs and licorice. Possessing a voluptuous, layered mid-palate, ripe tannin and beautiful purity, this is a sensational Hermitage that can be enjoyed today with considerable pleasure, yet will keep for another two to three decades.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Bright red. Intensely floral, room-filling bouquet of strawberry, raspberry and smoky minerals. Deep and sweet but incredibly focused and pure, with luscious red berry preserve flavors, silky tannins and terrific mineral lift. Seems to gain depth on the finish, with the sweet red fruit qualities echoing. This is all about the fruit today. (JR)
Bright red. Intensely floral, room-filling bouquet of strawberry, raspberry and smoky minerals. Deep and sweet but incredibly focused and pure, with luscious red berry preserve flavors, silky tannins and terrific mineral lift. Seems to gain depth on the finish, with the sweet red fruit qualities echoing. This is all about the fruit today.
Dark red. Explosive red berry aromas are accented by exotic sandalwood, cinnamon and potpourri. Wonderfully textured, with creamy cherry-vanilla and raspberry preserve flavors, very soft tannins and a subtle hint of smoky bacon. Takes on a bright mineral tone on the finish, which features very sweet red fruit tones and impressive length. This should be a beauty with eight to ten years of cellaring. (The 2005 Ermitage Les Greffieux had just been racked and was impossible to assess with confidence.)