| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Hermitage |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn't get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it's going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It's an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years. 2032 - 2062
Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale, it's a mouthful of dark fruit flavors that gradually morph into something more savory on the long, silky-firm finish, adding notes of black olives and espresso. It's really impressive, as it maintains a sense of elegance all along its path. Drink Date: 2025 - 2045
Has that tell-tale touch of soy to the plum and blackcurrant fruit so reminiscent of this cuvée. Very fluid and juicy on the palate, this has great intensity and salinity without feeling heavy or overripe. Plenty of sweet, ripe tannins and balanced acidity. Only medium-bodied, there's a touch of pepperiness on the finish. Great freshness and balance. Perfect balance and so harmonious. Sometimes a wine seems a bit too easy, a bit too effortless, and it can lull you into a sense that it lacks seriousness. This wine tries to do that. But I'm not inclined to underestimate it.
Drinking Window 2030 - 2052
Patience, please, but in return for that you will be given the keys to Hermitage heaven. This is extremely concentrated, but also extremely refined. Incredible finesse for this level of power with extraordinary density of ripe black fruits. Somehow this manages to smell and taste unbelievably fresh. And that freshness just doesn’t want to stop at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
Another Hermitage that might top out the scale is the 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon, which comes from the western side of Hermitage and the Bessards lieu-dit. All destemmed and still aging in 15% new larger barrels, it has classic granite-influenced cassis fruits as well as graphite, liquid violets, scorched earth, and powdered stone. Full-bodied, dense, powerful, and flawlessly balanced, it has perfection written all over it.
Chapoutier's 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon shows a more chiseled, defined structure than the other 2020s, suggesting greater potential longevity. This full-bodied effort is loaded with purple raspberries and cassis, but it remains tight and taut, showing fascinating tension and elegance allied to great depth and length. Impressive!
