“Between 900 and 1,000 cases are normally made of the luxury cuvee, the Hermitage Les Bessards. An astonishing wine for the vintage, the 2011 is a candidate for the wine of the year in the entire Rhone Valley. Its black/purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of pen ink, licorice, blackberries, cassis and crushed rocks, huge body, sweet tannin, and extravagant, nearly over-the-top richness and density that nearly defy the vintage character. This is a remarkable achievement from an outstanding terroir and one of France’s finest winemaking teams. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 2-3 decades. “96-100 points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
With an impressive female winemaker, Claire Darnaud, at the helm since 2010 (though with experience there dating back to 1996), and considerable investment in the cellar to move to the historic town centre, the wines here are some of the more refined in the region. Careful never to use more than 40% new oak, Claire is a master of her craft.
Maturity Ready 2021 - 2029
Prices shown in bond
Maturity Ready 2023 - 2034
Maturity Young 2025 - 2029
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