Ferraton Ermitage Les Dionnieres 2009 (750ML)

96 RP

There are fewer than 200 cases each of the 2009 Ermitage Les Dionnieres and 2009 Ermitage Le Meal. Both are spectacular efforts boasting a blue/purple color along with notes of creosote, acacia flowers, beef blood, blackberry liqueur and licorice. Le Meal reveals greater intensity, but both are spectacular wines capable of lasting 30-40 years.

If the turn around in quality of the Paul Jaboulet-Aine wines is the biggest good news story of qualitative improvement in the northern Rhone, what Michel Chapoutier has accomplished with Ferraton is a close second. This is definitely a name to be taken seriously, as Chapoutier has expanded the portfolio and continues to upgrade the quality across the board. Ferratonªs 2009s and 2010s are the finest wines made to date. There appears to be three levels of quality now being produced, beginning with the generic bottlings, to the single vineyard (or lieu-dit) offerings, followed by the top of the line, more expensive, limited production efforts called selections parcellaires. - RP