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100 RP. "A perfect wine, the 2009 Hermitage Le Pavillon (1,093 cases) boasts a black/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of acacia flowers, blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, creme de cassis, truffles, graphite, powdered rock and new saddle leather. Extremely dense, noble and pure, this monumental Hermitage is built for 50-100 years of cellaring. As I have written many times, all of these wines are produced from rigidly cultivated, bio-dynamically managed vineyards. That has been the rule since Michel Chapoutier first took over this firm in the late 1980s. Now, with over 20 years of biodynamic viticulture under his belt, Chapoutier remains committed to this rather radical style of organic farming . . . . Moreover, he has observed that after 10 to 15 years of biodynamic farming, the natural acids tend to be more vivid and the overall pH of the soils (as well as the wines) has dropped. Controversial, outspoken and brutally candid, Chapoutier, who suffers no fools, continues to admirably produce wines that are among the finest in the world and potentially the longest lived. Refusing to acidify, chaptalize, or touch the wines in any way, he clearly wants every wine to capture the very essence of its terroir and vintage personality. In this, he succeeds remarkably . . . . 2009 is a combination of pure power, concentration and great potential longevity. Michel Chapoutier considers the 2009s, which are all in bottle, to be among the greatest wines he has ever produced, equaling his finest wines of 2006, 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1989 (his debut year)." Wine Advocate #198, Dec 2011 |