Ermitage Le Pavillon, Maison M. Chapoutier 2017

The inky colored 2017 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes from the biggest, baddest part of Hermitage and was brought up all in 20-25% new French oak barrels. Huge crème de cassis, crushed flowers, graphite, and liquid rock notes all dominate the bouquet, and this massively rich, powerful, yet pure and classic Hermitage builds incrementally on the palate, has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Showing the sexy, expressive style of the vintage, it has some upfront charm, yet I suspect it will close down (as has the 2015) with a few years of bottle age and require a decade or more of cellaring. There are just 894 cases of this magical elixir.

Cassis and crushed stone join on the nose of the 2017 Ermitage le Pavillon. More austere than les Geffieux or le Méal, le Pavillon is rooted more firmly in granite, with crisply defined edges and firm tannins. It's impressive for sure, full-bodied, loaded with extract and almost creamy across the mid-palate, but ultimately it needs time. Give it 10 years to soften and develop a bit more charm—it has the concentrated dark fruit to carry it the distance.

Cask sample. Well-defined black cherry fruit with floury tannin and a ferrous, bloody tone on the finish. Liquorice and juniper too – this is a potent and foursquare style, but there is elegance and charm to balance. Impressive floral fragrance on the finish.

Potentially perfect and quite likely a 30-year wine, Chapoutier's 2017 Ermitage le Pavillon makes a strong case for the vintage. From its compelling aromas of crushed stone, cassis, licorice and chocolate and the incredibly intense notes of salted licorice to the full-bodied, concentrated, chewy palate and tremendous length, there's absolutely nothing to find fault with. 2025 - 2045