Reminding me of the 2005 (albeit with less concentration) with its classic, straight and focused personality, the 2001 Ermitage le Meal offers lots of gamy meats, olive, bacon fat and dark fruits to go with a medium to full-bodied, seamless, silky and elegant style on the palate. Shining for its purity, elegance and freshness - all of which make it hard to resist today - it's a great choice for readers looking for a classic, mature Hermitage that's drinking at point. It should hold for another 10-15 years.

The dense purple-colored 2001 Ermitage Le Meal reveals aromas of blackberry liqueur, smoke, licorice, and toasty oak. While rich, it is neither as expansive nor as broad compared to the 2000. The 2001 possesses good acidity and delineation in addition to a tight, pinched but impressive finish that lasts for 40-45 seconds. It is certainly an outstanding, even profound effort, but not as compelling as previous vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. These uncompromising offerings from a young genius are not meant for consumers who want something to drink immediately. They are the essence of bio-dynamically farmed vineyard sites cropped incredibly low, given extended fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and rarely touched until they go into the bottle unfined and unfiltered. In most vintages, the wines are not even racked off their lees, which only adds to their natural style. These are truly remarkable wines, but for most readers, patience is the operative rule as they generally need a good 8-10 years to strut their stuff.Once moribund, over the last 12 years, this firm has become one of the reference points for nearly all the Rhone Valley appellations since the brash yet immensely talented Michel Chapoutier took over in the late eighties. The single vineyard offerings are as good as Rhone Valley wines can be. Moreover, Chapoutier continues to upgrade the quality of those wines offered in more significant quantities than the 500 or so cases each of the single vineyard offerings.Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Big and burly for a Hermitage, with lots of bacony smoke, tobacco and bittersweet chocolate up front. Plenty of fruit here though--plum, black currant--along with game and mineral notes as well. Brawny finish needs a touch of cellaring to smooth out. Best from 2005 through 2011. 450 cases made.??–JM??Region: France / Northern Rh?ne / Ermitage Select to Add