M. Chapoutier Ermitage Les Greffieux Rouge 2008

Ermitage Les Greffieux Rouge 2008
M. Chapoutier

$234.99 US Low VERY LIMITED

Don’t let the low scores below fool you, this is in prime time right now.  2008 was a tough vintage but from the best producers and sites the wines are great and give you a window into what a 2010 might taste like at age 30, but here at age 15.  We got a nice taste of this yesterday and the wine was everything you’d want in a mature Hermitage Syrah, the tertiary notes were on fire with dried red fruits, smoked meats, bacon fat, fall leaves, dried spices galore, with cassis, green and black peppercorns, then olive tapenade, smoke, and dried tobacco leaf.  The body on this is mostly medium, edging just slightly into med+ with the tannin structure mostly evolved.  Fresh acidity is perfectly integrated here too, you just barely notice the mouthwatering sensation as the flavors fan out over the finish. So much fun and delicious to drink now!

91 pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Much more peppery, spicy, perfumed and open, the 2008 Ermitage Les Greffieux is Cote Rotie like with its olive tapenade, game, white pepper and cured-meat aromas and flavors. Elegant, seamless and silky, it doesn’t have the back-end concentration of a top vintage, yet it still has plenty of sweet tannin and will dish out loads of pleasure over the coming 7-10 years.

91 pts Vinous Media
Bright ruby. Sappy and tightly focused raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by notes of cinnamon and allspice. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, which offers sexy red berry preserve and floral flavors, with a seamless texture and very good clarity. Brisk and spicy on the finish, which echoes the raspberry note. There's a very appealing pinot-like quality here