2012 Hermitage Le Greal
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Tasting notes
First year using 100% whole bunch. Gorgeous stemmy note. Black fruit alongside. Long, profound palate with nuanced, piquant spice and a long, leathery, tarry note with a touch of chilli spice. Just starting to balance now, with chalky tannins and fresh acid. (RH)
Critic scores
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Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Coming mostly from the limestone soils of the Meal lieu-dit, the 2012 Hermitage le Greal is fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged mostly in older barrels. It's a classic, old-school Hermitage that gives up lots of smoked herbs, meat juice, gravel, pepper and assorted dark fruits. Full-bodied, fleshy and beautifully ripe, with no shortage of texture, it has solid underlying structure and will have upwards of two decades of longevity.