CRITIC REVIEWS
Jeb Dunnuck
The inky colored 2017 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes from the biggest, baddest part of Hermitage and was brought up all in 20-25% new French oak barrels. Huge crème de cassis, crushed flowers, graphite, and liquid rock notes all dominate the bouquet, and this massively rich, powerful, yet pure and classic Hermitage builds incrementally on the palate, has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Showing the sexy, expressive style of the vintage, it has some upfront charm, yet I suspect it will close down (as has the 2015) with a few years of bottle age and require a decade or more of cellaring. There are just 894 cases of this magical elixir.
Matt Walls
This vintage is considerably more weighty and muscular than an average year. Fresh plum, with a touch of high-toned plum sauce notes. Some forest berries too on the nose and palate. Very full-bodied, but also pure, with amazing quality of fruit – piercing and polished. More tannic than usual, but what quality of tannin! Utterly silky and so fine. Very long, very straight, beautifully balanced and completely compelling. Made from over 70-year-old Syrah vines planted on a high granite slope, lieu-dit Les Bessards. Yields of 24 hl/ha. Totally destemmed, fermented in concrete; all matured for 18 months in large wooden tank, 25% of which is new oak.