Tightly-knit and herbal, the 2001 Ermitage Mure de Larnage is dominated by tart acidity. Although short, it possesses good crispness, purity, and freshness, all hallmarks of this cold climate vintage. It should drink well for a decade. 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

The 2000 Ermitage Mure de Larnage is fashioned from the lesser lots culled from the Sizeranne cuvee. An attractive, juicy, up-front effort, it displays sweet cassis fruit intermixed with notions of plums, underbrush, and earth. Drink this medium-bodied, compact red over the next 10-12 years. 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

In order to improve the quality of his Ermitage La Sizeranne, Chapoutier is declassifying the young vines into a separate cuvee called Ermitage Mure de Larnage. The delicious 1999 Ermitage Mure de Larnage offers aromas of cassis, smoke, fennel, and earth. This up-front, supple, medium-bodied, sexy, approachable wine will drink well for 7-8 years. With respect to Chapoutier's red wines, 2000 was a very fine vintage. Interestingly, this offering revealed more fat and flesh than many of his northern Rhone peers.Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000