Chapoutier   Ermitage lErmite

2010 Ermitage l'Ermite

By Chapoutier

2010 Ermitage l'Ermite from Chapoutier, Rhone, Rest of the World

The 2010 Ermitage l'Ermite from Chapoutier is a testament to the profound potential that lies in the hands of a master vintner. This Rhonian gem, hailing from one of Europe's most respected wine regions, represents a confluence of purpose-driven vinification and climatic dictate—a tantalising glimpse into the captivating narrative that accompanies every drop, making it an alluring choice for the discerning wine investor.

 

A Stellar Vintage Year

The Rhone Valley's optimal climate and expansive terroir offered an exceptional foundation for the 2010 vintage. It was a year characterised by a cold start with adequate rainfall, followed by a warm ripening period. The year’s unique weather patterns emphasised subtlety and finesse over brute power, giving the 2010 Ermitage l’Ermite an elegant depth worth delving into.

 

The Chapoutier Mastery

Chapoutier's meticulous attention to detail is prevalent in this vintage, revealing sublime symphonies of flavour and balance. A prestigious moniker in the pantheon of quality wine production, Chapoutier’s unparalleled expertise conjures an exquisite tapestry of sensations with every bottle produced—making it an investable asset to any adept wine portfolio.

 

Tasting Notes of Distinction

The 2010 Ermitage l’Ermite encapsulates remarkable levels of purity and complexity beneath its opaque purple hue. Offering a symphony of cassis, black raspberry, graphite, and crushed rock-like minerality on the nose and palate alike, it is one of Rhône’s most impressive Syrah-based wines. Furthermore, a perceptible acidity underpins the entire experience, tying together waves of rich flavours and dense tannins in a way that suggests a promising ageing trajectory.

 

A Discernible Investment Prospect

In concert with their rarity and site-specific terroir, the unique attributes of the 2010 vintages such as this Ermitage l'Ermite make them attractions for those seeking growth in their wine investment ventures. Fine wine collectors will cherish this stellar representation of Rhone’s prestigious lineage—a distinguished wine that promises to age with grace for years to come.

Market price (CAD)

$5,590.00

12x75cl

Highest score

100

POP score

168

Scores and tasting notes

100

The 2010 Ermitage l’Ermite (454 cases produced) is another perfect wine. Completely different than Le Pavillon, l’Ermite is always slightly more austere. It comes from a 7.5-acre parcel of sandy, granitic soils at the top of the Hill of Hermitage that produces both red and white compelling Hermitages, somewhat unusual in this tiny appellation. The black/purple-colored 2010 l’Ermite exhibits a tight, more mineral-dominated set of aromatics offering up hints of blue and black fruits, charcoal, steak tartare and an unmistakable floral note. This full-bodied, more austere and tannic effort reveals extraordinary weight, palate penetration and purity. It represents the concentrated essence of a specific site as well as the Syrah grape planted in this magical appellation. Forgot it for 10-15 years, possibly two decades, and drink it over the following 50-75 years. In November of this year, Michel Chapoutier finally made the cover of The Wine Spectator. The accompanying article said essentially the same things I had written about over twenty years ago. More importantly, I am thrilled that Chapoutier received this attention because it has long been deserved. History will record that Michel Chapoutier is a revolutionary. He is also a highly emotional man whose infectious love of primitive art, historic books, classical music and, of course, terroir and winemaking are seemingly impossible to harness. Michel Chapoutier was among the first in France to embrace the radical biodynamic agricultural teachings, for which he was initially criticized, but is now praised. He was also the first to print all his labels in Braille, something that cynics considered to be a gimmick, but ask the National Association for the Blind what they think. Coming from a famous family, but moving in a direction unlike any of its previous members, Michel Chapoutier is self-taught. What he has accomplished over the last two decades or more is one of the great wine stories of the modern era. With all his outgoing, boisterous, machine-gun-speed prose that can sometimes sound shockingly cocky, and at other times reminiscent of the famous Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran, there is never a dull moment around Chapoutier., who makes comments such as “Filtering wine is like making love with a condom,” and “Acidifying wine is like putting a suit of armor on the vineyard’s terroir, vintage character and the cepage.” Don’t blame him if his brilliant intellect and shocking vocabulary put his visitors on the defensive. Michel Chapoutier has proven through his genius, the faith of his convictions and backbreaking attention to detail in his vineyards and in the winery that a once moribund negociant (yet with significant vineyard holdings) could become a beacon of inspiration and quality for the entire world. In short, every wine consumer in the world should admire his accomplishments. All of Chapoutier’s lower level 2010 whites and basic reds have long been sold out, so to keep the tasting somewhat limited during my visit, we focused on the more recently released 2010 white and red selections parcellaires and nearly all the 2011s. As for the 2010 selection parcellaire whites, they are spectacular. Le Pavillon, once called Rochefine and owned by Jaboulet-Verchere, consists of 10 acres of pure granite in the famed Les Bessards, which is considered by many to be the single greatest terroir of Hermitage. The Ermitage Le Pavillon, which is meant to age for 50+ years, is Michel Chapoutier’s legacy, and he is confident that history will support his belief in this extraordinary wine. Michel Chapoutier is not alone in believing the 2011s may resemble a more modern day version of 1991. That vintage was largely underrated by just about everybody (except yours truly) because all the accolades and hyperbole were largely bestowed on both 1989 and 1990 (deservedly), but in the Northern Rhone 1991 turned out to be a strikingly superb vintage for Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas and Condrieu. In the Southern Rhone, the vintage was largely a disaster. Following is an overview of what to expect with the inexpensive 2011 whites and reds. Most of these wines do not have the weight, power or tannic structure of the 2010s, but they are by no means diluted or wimpish wines. They tend to be charming, fruit-forward and seductive, and thus may be preferred by consumers looking for immediate gratification. Although the first few wines reviewed are Southern Rhones, they need to be covered because they are in bottle, and I did not review them in issue 203. Along with several other producers, Michel Chapoutier has helped increase the world’s attention to the long-forgotten, microscopic appellation of St.-Peray. Chapoutier produces a bevy of St.-Perays under his own name as well as in partnership with two three-star chefs, Sophie Pic, of the Restaurant Pic in Valence (as well as several culinary branches in Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland), and Yannick Alleno, the brilliant chef at the Hotel Le Meurice’s in Paris. The red 2011 selections parcellaires are already fruit-forward and seductive. Readers should love them as they are much more evolved than the more structured, powerful, dense, tannic 2010s. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 26 December 2012

Vintage performance