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Red
750ml
Bottle: $90.00
Deep ruby. Dark fruit preserves, olive, woodsmoke and a hint of incense on the powerfully scented nose. Intense,...
12 FREE
VM
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $83.94
In spite of the dark forest berry fruit this has so much floral and mineral freshness, it is uplifting! Concentrated...
12 FREE
JS
95
W&S
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $146.16 $162.40
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $429.94 $435.60
Rated 98-100 - As always, the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is all Syrah that was not destemmed and will spend four...
12 FREE
WA
100
VM
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $392.04 $435.60
Rated 97-100 - The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a bigger, richer Côte Rôtie. Co-fermented with a solid chuck of...
12 FREE
VM
98
JD
98
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $399.94 $435.60
Rated 98-100 - I was blown away by the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Turque, which comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune...
12 FREE
VM
99
JD
99
White
750ml
Bottle: $229.00
95-97+ Showing tight and focused, the 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc has full-bodied aromas and flavors of peach and...
12 FREE
JD
97
DC
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $468.95
Rated 97-100 - A barrel sample that just about made my eyes roll back in my head, the 2019 Ermitage Ex Voto has...
12 FREE
VM
97
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $88.95
Sleek and polished, with a bold cascade of blackberry confit, singed garrigue and warm fig, this is delicious and...
12 FREE
WS
94
WA
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $345.95
6 bottles: $340.00
Similar to the '12 and showing the generosity and warmth of this site, the 2011 Ermitage le Meal is another sexy wine...
12 FREE
WA
98
WS
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $669.00
6 bottles: $655.62
Even better and a prodigious effort that hits all my sweet spots, the 2011 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes from one of the...
12 FREE
WA
100
WS
96
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $97.56 $108.40
Brilliant all the way, the 2020 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc is a white readers should snatch up. All Marsanne...
12 FREE
JD
96
DC
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $74.51
6 bottles: $73.01
12 FREE
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $48.95
Dark and alluring yet also pretty, with expressive violet, dried lavender and blackberry paste built atop an...
VM
94
WS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $119.90
96-98 Lastly, the tiny production 2020 Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines comes from 80-year-old vines on granite soil....
JD
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $254.57
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $53.13
A prospective blend assembled from several barrels for my tasting, the 2020 Cote Rotie Amethyste—a blend of five...
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $98.95
96-98 Dark, bright-hued purple. Heady black and blue fruit, violet, incense and smoky mineral aromas are complemented...
VM
98
JD
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.95
93-95 Glass-staining violet color. Pungent black raspberry and cherry-cola scents are complemented by suggestions of...
VM
95
JD
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $83.95
95-97 Inky ruby. A highly aromatic bouquet displays ripe red and blue fruits, pungent flowers, exotic spices, olive...
VM
97
JD
93

2011 2020 France Rhone Valley Cornas Cote Rotie Hermitage 750ml

Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.

The Rhone Valley of southern France is a particularly fascinating wine region, with a history that stretches back to at least six hundred BCE, when the ancient Greeks first began cultivating vines there. The region itself is split into two distinct sub-regions, with the northern sub-region being famed for its production of exceptional Syrah, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier wines, packed full of interesting character and expressing the terroir found there. The southern sub-region is home to an enormous variety of grapes, and produces red, white and rosé wines, and some of the world's most famous and adored blended wines. The continental climate of the region is ideal for growing grapes, and the winds which blow from the Central Massif help temper the heat in the vineyards, leading to very ripe fruits holding plenty of flavor.

One of France's most exciting red wine appellations, lies in the far north of the northern Rhone, well beyond the town of Tain where the major negociants and Hermitage is located. Some believe it is the site of the first vineyard cultivation in ancient Gaul. Vineyards have been carved into the steep hillsides here since the time the Romans settled the nearby town of Vienne. Viticulture is difficult here, with vines planted in schist banked high above the Rhone River to maximize sun exposure.


Hermitage is the northern Rhone's most famous red wine appellation. A small district, Hermitage produces remarkably rich, deeply-colored, aromatic red wines made only from Syrah, and complex white wines blended from Marsanne and Roussane. In the 18th and 19th century, Hermitage wines commanded prices akin to First-Growth Bordeaux.
Hermitage is located on a granitic hill of about 311 acres, with southern exposure, and a number of different soil types divided into various climats within the vineyard. The granite and exposure encourage optimal ripening of the grapes. So closely is the variety Syrah identified with the appellation that in Australia, Hermitage is sometimes used as a synonym for Shiraz (the Australian name for Syrah).