2009 Henri de Lanzac Côtes du Rhône Clos de l'Hermitage Henri de Lanzac

No doubt a worthy successor the fantastic ’07, the 2009 Henri de Lanzac Côtes du Rhône Clos de l'Hermitage is a blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre that’s aged mostly in 1-year-old barrels, with just 5% in new oak. The wine sports a dense, black color to go with full throttle aromatics of smoky cassis and blackberry fruits, black licorice, tapenade, and meaty notes that are framed by vanilla, wet stone, and charred earth undertones. Full and rich on the palate as well, this stays light and balanced with good acidity, a focused, clean texture, and a ripe, dark chocolate-laced finish. Give this beauty a year or three to integrate its parts and then drink over the following decade or longer. This bottle continued to improve with air, showing best on the second and third day after opening.

Although expensive, one of the top wines of the Cotes du Rhone appellation is the 2009 Clos de l’Hermitage. A wine that consistently over-delivers, this stunningly concentrated wine, made from equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre aged nine months in oak barrels, has a dense ruby/purple color and a big, sweet kiss of black truffle, blackberry, cassis, licorice, and subtle barbecue smoke. Even a note of graphite seems to make an appearance in this wine, which comes close to being internationally styled but holds back as its Provencal typicity of spice box, herbs, lavender and kirsch emerges. This full-bodied beauty is powerful, rich, and capable of lasting a decade or more. Wines from this well-known estate of nearly 110 acres continue to go from strength to strength. The new releases from proprietor Henri de Lanzac are all impressive. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228