Guigal, Ermitage Ex Voto

Guigal, Ermitage Ex VotoThe 2010 Hermitage Ex Voto continues to top out on my scale. This extraordinary Hermitage has more minerality and delineation than the 2009, as well as overflowing aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, graphite and wood smoke. Massively concentrated, full bodied, decadent, layered and sexy, it needs short term cellaring but should be just about immortal in the cellar.

but that is far from the case here

the wine is fresh

and more recent wines

full-bodied and with notable freshness and purity

It has a brilliant bouquet with incredibly well-defined red fruit laced with cedar and truffle

The wine shows great integration of the oak

This concentrated effort is very Chambolle in basic character

green apple

highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries

there is even a route to admire these old works of art

and I see that my notes don't make reference to overt oak descriptors

pepper and earthy scents