Looking first at his Crozes Hermitage, and a wine that will stand toe to toe with any number of Hermitages, the 2003 Crozes Hermitage Les Varonniers offers thrilling black fruits, saddle leather, spice and cured meat-like qualities to go with a sexy, full-bodied, and layered profile on the palate. It will continue to evolve gracefully, but there’s no reason to delay gratification and I’d enjoy this fabulous Syrah over the coming couple of years. Finishing harvest at the end of August, Michel Chapoutier produced a monumental lineup of wines in 2003, and enough can’t be said about the quality coming for this estate. To say I was blown away would be an understatement.