1998 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon

Mid crimson and quite rich though horribly dry on the finish. Tannins overdone. Too dry and sandy. This was showing much more fruit and life when tasted in May 2004 when it seemed to glow with life. This may have been a bad bottle. (JR)

The 1998 Ermitage Le Pavillon flirts with perfection ... again. Revealing a striking bouquet of violets, blackberries, smoke, licorice, and minerals, it is luxuriously rich, full-bodied, and layered on the palate. It is a wine with a finish that lasts beyond a minute. Remarkably, yields were a mere 10 hectoliters per hectare. There is plenty of tannin in the finish, but it is ripe and well-integrated. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000