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Ermitage l'Ermite, Maison M. Chapoutier 2003

Tasting Notes

In terms of pure perfection and singularity, the black/purple-colored 2003 Ermitage l’Ermite is hauntingly perfect. A gorgeous perfume of flowers, black and blue fruits intermixed with a liqueur of rocks soars from the glass of this extraordinary wine. Full-bodied and multilayered, with magnificent concentration, and a stunning freshness and precision that are hard to believe given the frightfully low acidity, this is an extraordinary expression of terroir and vintage character that must be tasted to be believed. While it will be less approachable in its youth than some of its siblings, it will last for 40-50 years.

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (163), February 2006

More youthful and backwards, the 2003 Ermitage L'Ermite has additional minerality, as well as the focus and purity that's always imparted by this tiny lieu-dit. Inky purple in color, it offers up spectacular creme de cassis, blackberry, charred meats, graphite and toast as well as a full-bodied, massively concentrated profile on the palate. It's a prodigious, insanely good wine that should be given another 2-3 years in the cellar, and enjoyed over the following two to three decades.

Finishing harvest at the end of August, Michel Chapoutier produced a monumental lineup of wines in 2003, and enough can't be said about the quality coming for this estate. To say I was blown away would be an understatement.

100
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate (212), May 2014

This really shows the vintage's character, with a wall of cocoa, tar and bacony toast covering the exotically ripe plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit. Dense and muscular, with the power dial turned up to 11, but pulls it off thanks to exquisite balance and cut on the finish. Drink now through 2030.

99
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com, May 2006

One of the single greatest red wines I have ever tasted is the 2003 Ermitage l’Ermite. With 15.5% alcohol and a level of concentration the likes of which I have never before experienced, this wine has no historic reference point or precedent. Possessing off the charts richness and intensity, yet incredible vigor and refreshingness, it will require a decade of cellaring, but I’m sure bottles will be drunk with great pleasure circa 2099+. What an accomplishment! As I have said so many times over the last 15 years, the top Chapoutier wines are meant for very long term drinking, and are not designed for immediate gratification. Everything Chapoutier is doing, from his bio-dynamically farmed vineyard to tiny yields, extended fermentations, indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration, is done to produce the essence of a vineyard and a vintage. His track record since 1989 and 1990 admirably proves that these are indeed remarkable wines made by a young genius who refuses to compromise. Michel Chapoutier has been misunderstood by some of his peers, and there is a lot of jealousy when someone this young is so incredibly talented, but it is an irrefutable fact that these are wines of singular greatness as well as longevity.

99/100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (156), December 2004
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.