2010 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal
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Tasting notes
A deep thick purple wine with a lifted nose of cool, red and black fruits, a touch of creaminess and even a truffle note. Refined and balanced, medium to full bodied but not OTT rich. Almost creamy, blackcurrants glide over the palate. Very smooth tannins, but also finishing a little dry. FINE+RARE
Critic scores
FINE+RARE
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
More structured and focused than the 2009, the 2010 Ermitage Le Méal is another tour de force from this tiny appellation that delivers the goods. As with the 2009, it's ruby/purple-hued and offers an essence of Hermitage-like style in its black and blue fruits, flowers, graphite, scorched earth, and liquid rock-like minerality. This full-bodied, concentrated, layered effort has building yet ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and incredible persistence and length. It will be a 40- to 50+-year wine.
Tasted blind. Dark blackish ruby. Heady, liquorice nose. Savoury and dry on the finish. Very competent and correct. Lean and polished. Well done, though far from opulent. Bracing! (JR)
One of the stars of the retrospective was the 2010 Ermitage le Meal. This classic vintage yielded concentrated, fresh and structured wines and the 2010 has all of these traits in spades. Giving up a massive array of liquid rock, graphite, spring flowers, cassis and black raspberries, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a tight, structured, tannic mouthfeel and bright acidity, all while still showing incredible polish and elegance. It will certainly flirt with perfection at maturity, but is all about minerality and structure at the moment. Give this incredible effort 3-5 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following 2-3 decades.