Still a youngster, the blockbuster 1995 Ermitage le Pavillon is a quintessential Hermitage in every way. Full-bodied, powerful, thick and unctuous, with tons of smoky, black, black fruits, tar, saddle leather and peppery herbs, this perfect wine is massively concentrated, rich and stacked, with masses of ripe tannin hiding under its still lively and fresh fruit. And while it’s a brilliant drink today, it’s still not yet fully mature. This tour de Force beauty will see its 50th birthday in fine form!

The 1995 Ermitage Le Pavillon is magnificent. The wine is more accessible than the 1996 (due to lower acidity and more immediately accessible glycerin and fruit), with a magnificent black/purple color, and layers of cassis fruit, smoky, roasted meat, and mineral characteristics that are the result of barrel fermentation and high extraction of fruit. It is huge, but not heavy, gorgeously proportioned, and dazzlingly well-defined. A monster Hermitage of immense proportions, it somehow manages to keep everything in balance. This backward Pavillon will require 10-12 years of cellaring. It should age well through the first half of the next century.

Beautifully defined and characteristic flavors of black cherry, spice, licorice and violets shine through this medium-bodied, perfectly focused red. Not a blockbuster, but it's firm and crisp, and completely true to the appellation, marrying international-quality winemaking with authentic local character. Drink now through 2005.??–null??Region: France / Northern Rh?ne / Ermitage Select to Add