Ermitage Le Meal Rouge, Maison M. Chapoutier 2003

There are just over 300 cases of the 2003 Ermitage Le Meal, which tips the scales at 16% natural alcohol. Its dense purple color is accompanied by aromas of pen ink, graphite, scorched earth, creme de cassis, and beef blood. Full-bodied with great intensity, amazing freshness as well as length, this monumental Hermitage should hit its prime in 5-7 years, and last for 3-4 decades.

Moving to the Ermitage releases, Chapoutier's 2003 Ermitage Le Meal comes from the warmest terroir on Hermitage Hill and is always the most up-front, layered and sexy of his Ermitage releases. Checking in at 16% alcohol and a thrilling effort any way you look at it, it offers layers of licorice-tinged black and blue fruits, tobacco leaf and liquid violet-like aromas and flavors to go with a full-bodied, layered and thrillingly textured profile on the palate. Tasting like the essence of this fabulous terroir, with beautiful freshness and sweet tannin, it's a joy to drink now given its wealth of fruit and texture, yet will evolve gracefully over the coming couple of decades given its perfect balance.

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.

Terrific focus to this extremely dense 2003, with a massive core of raspberry and red currant fruit holding sway over mineral, mocha-infused toast, floral and truffle notes. Then the fruit just cascades over itself on the creamy, endless finish. Drink now through 2030

The 2003 Ermitage Le Meal’s inky/purple hue is followed by an explosive bouquet of white flowers, creme de cassis, melted asphalt, and black truffles. These characteristics follow through in the amazingly intense as well as persistent flavors. Even though this is an awesome effort, it is only the third finest of these 2003 Hermitages. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. As I have said so many times over the last 15 years, the top Chapoutier wines are meant for very long term drinking, and are not designed for immediate gratification. Everything Chapoutier is doing, from his bio-dynamically farmed vineyard to tiny yields, extended fermentations, indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration, is done to produce the essence of a vineyard and a vintage. His track record since 1989 and 1990 admirably proves that these are indeed remarkable wines made by a young genius who refuses to compromise. Michel Chapoutier has been misunderstood by some of his peers, and there is a lot of jealousy when someone this young is so incredibly talented, but it is an irrefutable fact that these are wines of singular greatness as well as longevity.