Ermitage l'Ermite Rouge, Maison M. Chapoutier 2016

Also inky colored, the sensational 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite boast a phenomenal bouquet of crème de cassis, liquid rock, burning embers and graphite. Utterly compelling, with a multi-dimensional texture, full-bodied richness, fine, fine tannin (yet masses of them), it's a tour de force in wine. While it should be just as good as the Pavillon, the L’Ermite cuvée always shows a more mineral-driven, focused, structured style, and this 2016 is going to need 5-7 years of bottle age at a minimum.