1996 Ermitage L'Ermite
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Tasting notes
As granite as granite gets, with an almost liquid rock character that’s almost impossible to find outside of Hermitage, the sensational 1996 Ermitage l'Ermite offers a complex array of ripe dark fruits, olive, game and graphite in a full-bodied, fresh, incredibly delineated and focused style. Massively concentrated, structured, and rich on the palate, yet as seamless as they come, enjoy this utterly heavenly wine over the coming two to three decades. Once the tasting was over and the drinking began, this was the first glass drained, and I couldn’t imagine a wine being better.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
As granite as granite gets, with an almost liquid rock character that’s almost impossible to find outside of Hermitage, the sensational 1996 Ermitage l'Ermite offers a complex array of ripe dark fruits, olive, game and graphite in a full-bodied, fresh, incredibly delineated and focused style. Massively concentrated, structured, and rich on the palate, yet as seamless as they come, enjoy this utterly heavenly wine over the coming two to three decades. Once the tasting was over and the drinking began, this was the first glass drained, and I couldn’t imagine a wine being better. Sep 2016, www.robertparker.com
Deep ruby-violet color. Liqueur-like aromas of kirsch, smoked meat, licorice, minerals and cocoa powder. Great sweetness on entry, then completely wrapped up in its structure. But this wine is fat and packed with black fruit and violet flavor. Powerful tannins are a bit dustier than those of Chapoutier's '96 Ermitage Le Pavillon. At once large-scaled and quite refined. Impressive.