2014 Ermitage Les Greffieux

Full bottle 1,394 g. From a site at the bottom of the Hermitage hill, a glacial, alluvial-deposit terrace composed of shingles and clay. Hand-picked, 100% destemmed, vinified in concrete with a long maceration and only free-run juice. Aged for 14 to 18 months in casks, one-third new. Natural clarification and unfined. Certified biodynamic. Mid shaded ruby. Meaty, pungent, classic black-pepper north Rhône nose with a hint of tar and, still, quite a bit of tannin obvious on the palate before a very long finish. Serious wine that's much less expensive than its fellow Ermitage rouges. It's only just approachable, I'd say. Full of beans and potential but not aggressively alcoholic. (JR)

The 2014 Ermitage Les Greffieux offers a big mouthful of fruit as well as a more gamey profile in its black olive, beef blood, smoke and ripe dark fruits. This cuvée comes from the middle of the slope (which is slightly higher up in the Greffieux parcel) and is aged in 20% new oak. Drink this full-bodied, meaty, rich and unctuous beauty anytime over the coming two decades.

Dark purple. A highly perfumed, complex bouquet evokes dark fruit liqueur, smoky minerals and pungent flowers, complemented by notes of olive and anise. Stains the palate with juicy black and blue fruit flavors given bite by zesty acidity and a peppery element. Clings with fantastic tenacity on the sweet, dark fruit-dominated finish, which is framed by velvety, slow-building tannins.