Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 18
Cask sample. Tasted blind. Dark blackish ruby. Firm, succulent fruit on the nose. Very polished tannins. Just the right side of overworked. Lots of well-managed tannin. Bone-dry finish. Very sincere; within the Hermitage idiom. But a very long-term wine.
Anticipated maturity: 2028-2042
Robert Parker 99+
“When in the course of a tasting session one is confronted by a wine that stands above the others, I find it impossible to give more than a single perfect score. So the 2015 Ermitage le Meal gets a “”consolation prize”” 99+ rating. Full-bodied and intense, loaded with blackberry fruit that pushes the limits of ripeness and richness, this incredible wine retains such fine details as hints of crushed stone, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Unless it shuts down, it should be drinkable by 2025 and give pleasure for many years to come.”
Vinous 95-97
Bright magenta. A complex, hugely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, incense, candied violet and Moroccan spices, and a subtle vanilla flourish emerges as the wine opens up. Energetic, palate-staining raspberry liqueur, cherry pie, floral pastille and spicecake flavors show impressive depth and vivacity. Supple, even tannins build steadily on the penetrating finish, which eventually leaves behind notes of star anise and red fruit preserves.
