2022 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon

A profound and utterly gorgeous wine, the 2022 Ermitage Le Pavillon reveals notes of ozone, graphite, asphalt, ripe black fruits, and leather. Full-bodied, concentrated, and rich on the palate, it has plenty of ripe tannins and a blockbuster finish. Coming all from the Les Bessards lieu-dit located on the western side of Hermitage, this beauty was 85% destemmed and spent 18 months in a mix of demi-muids and puncheons. It has riveting purity, depth, and length, and certainly tops out my scale. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy through 2062. Drink 2032-2060 This was another standout tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his team, and the range continues to be among the most extensive and consistently high-quality in the region. The lineup covers every major appellation in the Northern Rhône, with a continued emphasis on finesse, vibrancy, and site expression. Starting around 2017 or 2018, there's been a clear move toward a lighter touch, and whole cluster fermentations are now used more selectively across the range. On the white side, the team is picking earlier, working with lower alcohols, more reductive winemaking, and aiming to hold onto more CO? in the finished wines, part of an effort to limit early oxidation. Still, I remain unconvinced that the shift will yield better aging potential, or better wines for that matter. Looking back, it is often the richer, more powerful vintages like 2009 and 2010 that have aged best and are still youthful, while livelier, more acid-driven years such as 2001 already show clear signs of oxidation. More importantly, even if these leaner styles age longer, they tend to remain lean, linear wines without the texture, layers, richness, and depth that define the best whites of the Northern Rhône. Hermitage, and to a degree the entire region, remains one of the few places where Marsanne and Roussanne can reach true ripeness and bring incredible richness while still staying pure and light on their feet. Early harvesting risks losing that identity, and taken to the extreme, these fresher, more linear wines could come from almost anywhere. The 2022s show the estate's modern style at its most refined, with purity and balance as well as plenty of depth and structure. The 2023s are already showing finesse and class, with solid depth of fruit. From entry-level values to the top Sélections Parcellaires cuvées, there's certainly something here for every Rhône lover.

Crafted from vines planted on the east part of the lieu-dit Les Bessards on granite soils with some quartz, named granite de Tournon, the 2022 Ermitage Le Pavillon unwinds in the glass with aromas of flowers, dark cherries, ink and lilac mingled with carnal/animal-like notes. Medium to full-bodied, dense and structured, it's firm and rich with stringy tannins and a rustic, almost dry finish.

The pristine 2022 Ermitage Le Pavillon stands tall next to both the 2021 and 2023 vintages. Vividly displaying ripe black fruit, licorice, pencil shaving, crushed violet notes and a flicker of mocha, the full-bodied and concentrated 2022 shows even more richness on the palate than the Le Méal from the same vintage. Round and generous, this is a Le Pavillon for the hedonists, gracefully winding down with a long and savory finale.