Even inkier in color than the 2010, the 2009 Ermitage le Meal is as good as Hermitage gets. Locked and loaded with phenomenal notes of jammy black raspberries, creme de cassis, crushed violets, smoked earth and spice, it's thick and unctuous on the palate, with incredible density, a huge mid-palate and a layered, multi-dimensional, seamless, elegant texture that just keeps you coming back and begging for another sip. More hedonistic and voluptuous than the 2010, it should still evolve for just as long, yet have even a broader drink window.

This red almost gushes with ripe plum, cassis, blackberry and black currant fruit, but stays harnessed, with spice-tinged grip, a tarry spine and a piercing cassis bush– and iron-inflected finish that will need cellaring to fully unfurl. The better of two bottles tasted. Best from 2016 through 2030. 625 cases made, 30 cases imported.??–JM??Region: France / Northern Rh?ne / Ermitage Select to Add

You might think it sacrilege to broach this so young but it was extremely welcoming even at this young age. Dark ruby, dusty and dry and savoury but with great fruit concentration and rigour. Long and jewelly with so much noble fruit you are quite confident it has a great future. Rich and peppery. Serious stuff with great tannin handling. Lots of tannins here but not aggressively so. Very well made with a reverberant finish.