2011 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne

Saturated ruby. Ripe cherry, blackcurrant, olive and woodsmoke on the deeply scented nose. Broad and fleshy on entry, then more tightly coiled in the middle, offering an array of juicy red and dark fruit flavors and a touch of licorice pastille, The smoky quality comes back strong on the clinging, incisive finish, which features silky tannins, peppery spices and a hint of cola.

Moving to the reds, the 2011 Ermitage Monier de la Sizeranne doesn’t pull any punches and dishes up sexy, voluptuous levels of black cherries, raspberry, spice, dusty rock and crushed flowers. Medium to full-bodied, textured and with low acidity, it is distinctly delicious and hard to resist. This was an incredible tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his second hand man, Pierre-Henri Morel. Certainly one of the success stories in wine, which Robert Parker does a fabulous job of detailing in Issue 204, this estate goes from strength to strength in just about every appellation in the Rhone Valley. Looking specifically at Hermitage, Chapoutier owns a massive 64 acres, mostly on the famed Bessards lieu-dit, yet also with significant portions on Le Meal, L’Ermite and Les Greffieux, with smaller portions in the Beaume and Murets lieux-dits. From this he fashions five reds (Monier De La Sizeranne, Les Greffieux, Le Meal, Le Pavillon and L’Ermite) and four whites (Chante Alouette, Cuvee de l’Oree, Le Meal Blanc and L’Ermite Blanc), all of which are brilliant wines, with the best ranking up alongside the top wines in the world. In addition, his Saint Josephs (Les Granits and Le Clos) are some of the leading wines of the appellation (along with Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice and a few others), and his Cote Rotie La Mordoree, which comes from his 12 acres (split between the roughly defined Cote Blonde and Cote Brune regions), is always a classic example of the appellation. I was also able to taste through a full lineup of his Languedoc and Roussillon releases, all of which were impressive. I’ll review those wines in my 2014 coverage on those regions. Looking at the 2011 whites, these were all tasted by Robert Parker last year, but since I tasted through the lineup, I opted to include reviews here as well. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Opaque ruby. High-pitched aromas of black raspberry, cherry and fresh flowers, with deeper anise and olive nuances in the background. Juicy and precise, offering taut dark berry flavors that show a refreshingly bitter edge. Closes with strong cut, dusty tannins and lasting spiciness.