2005 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Les Greffieux

The 2005 Ermitage Les Greffieux is a beauty, but it has to take a backseat to the 2006. It has an admirable creme de cassis note, an inky purple color, plenty of meat, smoke, steel, and black fruits in a dense, fleshy style. It is by far the most forward of the 2005 Ermitages. That’s not to say there’s any deficiency in tannin lurking underneath the wine’s density and richness. It should evolve for 20-25 years. With twenty vintages under his belt, Michel Chapoutier and his impressive winemaking staff go from strength to strength. These are among the world’s greatest wines, especially the single vineyard wines, many of which will last 50 or more years.The 2006 reds from Chapoutier display good acidity and freshness. If they lack the powerful tannic structures of the 2005s, and perhaps some of that vintage’s density, they are certainly not light wines. It is a vintage of finesse and concentration, but with considerable up-front charm. Again, 1991 is a useful historic reference. They are the perfect foil for those buying 2005s, which will require deferred gratification. The single-vineyard, or as Chapoutier calls them, the “Selections Parcellaires” wines, are all aged in small barrels, often 100% new oak, and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. Production is relatively small, with the tiniest cuvee, the Crozes-Hermitage Les Varonnieres usually 200-325 cases, and the rest of the single-vineyard wines averaging around 480-625 cases. The largest is usually the St.-Joseph Les Granits or the Ermitage Le Pavillon, which can be as high as 1,000 or so cases in an abundant vintage. Again, the 2005s all exhibit the vintage’s density, tannic structure, and long-term aging potential. At the same time, the 2006s at Chapoutier remind me of 1991, initially an underrated vintage of wines with ideal balance. If they lack the pure power and structure of 2005, they are well-served by their purity and equilibrium. There are four single-vineyard cuvees of Ermitage. Production is small, running from about 275-300 cases of Les Greffieux, 480-500 of Le Meal, 800-1,100 for Le Pavillon, and 200-600 for L’Ermite Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

From the earlier-maturing foot of the hill and vinified in cement, matured in some new and some second-fill oak. Deeper crimson than most. This cask sample may have suffered more than most on the nose; it is thoroughly evolved and rusty-nail like. Tar, rubber, then a little light on the finish. Somehow a little cooked. This may be the sample rather than the wine. Positively brulée. (JR)

The 2005 Ermitage Les Greffieux is a beauty, but it has to take a backseat to the 2006. It has an admirable creme de cassis note, an inky purple color, plenty of meat, smoke, steel, and black fruits in a dense, fleshy style. It is by far the most forward of the 2005 Ermitages. That’s not to say there’s any deficiency in tannin lurking underneath the wine’s density and richness. It should evolve for 20-25 years. Feb 2008, www.robertparker.com