Ermitage 'Le Pavillon'..... Richebourg.....

2/2003. Bought at auction Apr-97 for $190 (current market price $260).
The first vintage in which this Parker-100 famous Hermitage was produced by Michel Chapoutier.
COLOR: Medium-dark violet-red, some clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Penetrating nose of raw meat with sweetish cassis aromas around it. The dominant "blood sausage" Syrah element make the nose almost one-dimensional. An excellent, impressive and very deep "one-dimensional" nose at that...
TASTE: Very concentrated on the palate, with black-fruit sweetish-spicy flavors. Extremely tasty with wonderful winyness and superb grip. Very round and soft tannins that were hardly noticeable with the yummy chestnut soup. Mature and really wonderful!
LENGTH: Very very long and pleasurable aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied wine with impressive concentration and focus. Velvet chewy texture. Perfectly mature and harmoniously balanced.
OVERALL: Outstanding!. An exemplary Hermitage. A point now but will hold for years.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

2/2003. Eli brought this one. Thank you my friend!
One of the rarest and among the most hard-to-get (B) wines.
I have tasted a bottle of this gem more than five years ago and have been telling its glory ever since.
COLOR: Light, almost transparent brownish ruby. I wish it would sell by its unimpressive color!
NOSE: A rare glimpse into the heaven of smells. Pure perfume sprouting out of the glass. Light, ethery, evocative aromas that totally engulf the senses. I could mention the delicate red fruit, the sublime 'Bourgogne Nose' and even the hints of sesame seeds on the nose. But this would be futile. Every sniff simply forces you to close your eyes and be totally transformed. Out of this world nose!
TASTE: On the palate the combination of richness and delicacy is again undescribable. Multi-dimensional, multi-layered and ever evolving in the mouth. This wine should be sipped, not drank! The smaller the sip the more it does to you. The breadth, the depth, the flavors and above all the harmony of this nectar will all linger in my memory for years to come.
LENGTH: This one simply never ends. The tiniest sip generates an ever-lasting and reverberating aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium bodied in the alcohol and winyness sense, but full thrust of nuances and harmony. Delicate yet wonderfully structured. Perfection in all respects. Fully mature now but I wouldn't hold it much longer in case it will lose some of its magic.
OVERALL: Extraordinary!. There are many great wines in this world, but few sing for me as a truly great (B) does.
MARK: 19.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.