2012 M. Chapoutier, Hermitage, Monier de la Sizeranne

(20% new oak): Opaque ruby. Intense, mineral-driven aromas of ripe blackberry, smoked meat and incense. Pliant, supple and sweet, with a distinct smokiness to its dark berry and spicecake flavors. Finishes with slow-building tannins, repeating smokiness and strong floral persistence. A very strong showing for this bottling.

The top end 2012 reds commenced with an outstanding barrel sample of the 2012 Ermitage Monier de La Sizeranne. The backbone/workhorse of the Hermitage releases, it offers loads of raspberry, black cherry, wild herbs and ground pepper to go with a medium to full-bodied, pure, sexy and textured profile. It is an impressive effort that will be ready to go on release, yet evolve gracefully for upwards of a decade. This was an incredible tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his second hand man, Pierre-Henri Morel. Certainly one of the success stories in wine, which Robert Parker does a fabulous job of detailing in Issue 204, this estate goes from strength to strength in just about every appellation in the Rhone Valley. Looking specifically at Hermitage, Chapoutier owns a massive 64 acres, mostly on the famed Bessards lieu-dit, yet also with significant portions on Le Meal, L’Ermite and Les Greffieux, with smaller portions in the Beaume and Murets lieux-dits. From this he fashions five reds (Monier De La Sizeranne, Les Greffieux, Le Meal, Le Pavillon and L’Ermite) and four whites (Chante Alouette, Cuvee de l’Oree, Le Meal Blanc and L’Ermite Blanc), all of which are brilliant wines, with the best ranking up alongside the top wines in the world. In addition, his Saint Josephs (Les Granits and Le Clos) are some of the leading wines of the appellation (along with Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice and a few others), and his Cote Rotie La Mordoree, which comes from his 12 acres (split between the roughly defined Cote Blonde and Cote Brune regions), is always a classic example of the appellation. I was also able to taste through a full lineup of his Languedoc and Roussillon releases, all of which were impressive. I’ll review those wines in my 2014 coverage on those regions. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Syrah, 12-14 months in oak barrique. A blend of different vineyards: Les Bessards (granite), Le Méal (ancient fertile alluvial terraces), and Les Greffieux (limon soils with a lot of cailloux roulés). Some warmth on the nose and friendly build but still very embryonic. (JR)