2002 Ermitage Le Pavillon
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Tasting notes
Beautifully leathery nose, with all the magisterial richness of Hermitage. The palate is soft in texture, with black pepper, and you can find a slight thinness in the balance that reveals the dilute nature of the vintage, but there is no compromise on the integrity of the flavours. In fact, this has a certain dignity about it, in an understated yet still typically Syrah sort of way. (RH)
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Good red-ruby. Discreet aromas of black fruits, menthol and licorice. Sweet and suave, with riper flavors of currant, licorice and pepper. Rather stylish young Hermitage, powerful for the vintage but with a fine-grained texture. Finishes with very good length.
As extraordinary as the 2003s are, I was also blown away by the 2002s produced by Chapoutier, some of which are among the top wines of this challenging vintage. As I have said so many times over the last 15 years, the top Chapoutier wines are meant for very long term drinking, and are not designed for immediate gratification. Everything Chapoutier is doing, from his bio-dynamically farmed vineyard to tiny yields, extended fermentations, indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration, is done to produce the essence of a vineyard and a vintage. His track record since 1989 and 1990 admirably proves that these are indeed remarkable wines made by a young genius who refuses to compromise. Michel Chapoutier has been misunderstood by some of his peers, and there is a lot of jealousy when someone this young is so incredibly talented, but it is an irrefutable fact that these are wines of singular greatness as well as longevity. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900
As extraordinary as the 2003s are, I was also blown away by the 2002s produced by Chapoutier, some of which are among the top wines of this challenging vintage. As I have said so many times over the last 15 years, the top Chapoutier wines are meant for very long term drinking, and are not designed for immediate gratification. Everything Chapoutier is doing, from his bio-dynamically farmed vineyard to tiny yields, extended fermentations, indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration, is done to produce the essence of a vineyard and a vintage. His track record since 1989 and 1990 admirably proves that these are indeed remarkable wines made by a young genius who refuses to compromise. Michel Chapoutier has been misunderstood by some of his peers, and there is a lot of jealousy when someone this young is so incredibly talented, but it is an irrefutable fact that these are wines of singular greatness as well as longevity. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 156.