Ermitage l'Ermite Rouge, Maison M. Chapoutier 2014

The inky black/purple-colored 2014 Ermitage l’Ermite is more firm, backward and mineral driven than the sexier Pavillon, offering fabulous notes of scorched earth, wood smoke, crushed violets, and both blackcurrant and crème de cassis. An utterly profound effort, it defines the more charming nature of the vintage, displaying building tannin and one seriously long finish. Forget bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

The 2014 Ermitage l’Ermite is almost painfully backwards and tight, with a liquid rock-like character permeating its lead pencil, beef blood/iodine, liquid violets, and black and blue fruits. Possessing more concentration and depth than just about every other wine I was able to taste in the vintage, this full-bodied, structured, backwards beast of an Hermitage will need 5-7 years of cellaring and keep for three decades.