2008 Ermitage Blanc Le Meal (2018 Release)
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Tasting notes
One of the coolest vintages in the decade, the 2008 Ermitage le Meal Blanc is a serious, full-bodied, ripe and textured beauty that has lively acidity in its honeyed fruits, buttered-citrus and caramel aromas and flavors. Defying the vintage stereotype and possessing ample ripeness and depth, it won't be as long-lived as some of the bigger, richer vintages, but will still drink beautifully for another 15-20 years.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Bright gold. A complex bouquet offers pineapple, white peach and magnolia, with hints of vanilla and brown sugar in the background. Fleshy pit and tropical fruit flavors provide very good palate coverage and pick up smokiness and spiciness with air. The finish exhibits excellent persistence along with a refreshingly bitter note of pear skin.
Hazy gold. Deep, penetrating pit fruit and floral scents are complicated by anise, smoky minerals and white pepper. Broad, creamy poached pear and peach flavors are braced by zesty minerality that gains strength with air. Very lithe for a rich wine, with strong finishing thrust and lingering notes of white flowers, spices and sweet pit fruits. I'll bet that this will be very appealing in its youth.
There are 315 cases of the 2008 Ermitage Le Meal Blanc. Caramelized apricot, honeyed orange, white currant and quince notes intermixed with a liqueur of rocks characteristic are found in this dense, full-bodied, ripe, atypically powerful, rich wine. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate February 2011