2017 Ermitage Les Dionnieres
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Tasting notes
Opaque ruby. Highly expressive aromas of black/blue fruit preserves, exotic spices and incense pick up a smoky nuance as the wine opens up. Seamless and broad in the mouth but distinctly energetic as well, offering intense, mineral-inflected black raspberry, bitter cherry and blueberry flavors and a hint of candied violet. Finishes seamless and extremely long, with an echo of juicy blue fruit and harmonious tannins that add gentle grip. This wine is an especially lively example of the vintage; no way I would have guessed that it came from a hot year. (20% whole clusters and 25% new oak)
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Hermitage Les Dionnières is more deep, structured, and serious, with killer notes of crème de cassis, graphite, ground pepper, and inky notes. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and with both tannins and acidity to burn, give bottles 5-6 years and enjoy over the following 20+ years. This tiny Northern Rhône estate continues to produce a colossal lineup of wines. While they pull from top estate terroirs around Hermitage and the Northern Rhône, they also have a large négoçiant line that’s loaded with values.
The 2017 Ermitage Les Dionnières reveals scents of maple syrup, mocha and ripe cherries. It's full-bodied and creamy-supple but dense and concentrated, with a long finish that hints at bitterness and brine—just enough to provide a welcome balance to the lush fruit.
Brilliant purple. Highly expressive red/blue fruit scents are complemented by suave floral pastille, baking spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily on the back half. Shows outstanding clarity and spicy cut on the tenacious, wonderfully persistent finish, which features fine-grained tannins and resonating florality. (aged in oak barrels, 25% of them new, for 18 months)