Estimate
Lovely aromas of cedar, baking spices and cherries appear on the nose of the 2015 Hermitage. Purists may object to the polished-oak veneer, but this full-bodied wine wears it well, balancing it with rich tannins, a creamy-supple texture and a long finish.
Powerful black and blue fruit, licorice, smoky bacon and floral pastille aromas are complemented by building vanilla and olive nuances. Sappy and impressively concentrated, offering bitter cherry, cassis and fruitcake flavors sweetened by a suggestion of vanilla... Shows outstanding detail and spicy lift on a very long, smooth, gently tannic finish.
The nose of this wine is initially subdued but opens to reveal intensely ripe, almost preserved notes of black plum and cherry.
...lots of ripe plum and cassis fruits intermixed with notions of beef blood, pepper and graphite. Ripe, full-bodied, concentrated, and voluptuous on the palate, with plenty of underlying tannin...