Hermitage, Rouge,

Tasted in components, as usual. #1, from Peleat: spice-accented cherry and blackberry, with a vibrant mineral note in the background. Taut and sharply focused, showing strong tension to the bitter cherry and red berry flavors. The mineral note comes back strong on the back. #2, from Les Beaume: deep-pitched cherry and cassis qualities, plus a spicy nuance and a touch of dark chocolate. Rich but lively on the palate, offering densely packed bitter cherry and black currant preserve flavors and a touch of licorice. #3, from Ermite: extremely suave and expansive aromas of ripe red and blue fruits and exotic spices, along with a sexy floral touch. Deep yet energetic, showing excellent clarity and floral back-end thrust. #4, from Meal: distinctly powerful, displaying an array of black and blue fruit qualities and hints of olive, licorice and exotic spices. Seriously deep and sharply focused, showing bitter cherry, blackberry and fruitcake flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality. For all its power, there's real life here as well. #5, from Bessards: intense, mineral-driven cherry and dark berry character, with exotic floral and spice topnotes. Pure and incisive, showing impressive depth as well as fine definition and seamless texture. It’s still early days for this wine, but the ingredients are seriously formidable, with an emphasis on richness but no lack of energy either. This is shaping up to be a stunner.