Ferraton Ermitage Le Méal 2017

From south-exposed vines in lieu-dit Le Meal, the fruit is all destemmed and fermented in concrete, then aged for up to 18 months in barrel, on average around 40% new. This wine is dark and brooding in style, with charcoal-laced blackberry fruits. It's full-bodied but not massive, with real energy and drive. It's highly spiced and overly oaky, but rapier-like acidity helps to keep things dynamic. It's almost unbearably powerful at this stage, but not stodgy, and it has a long, tapered finish.

The star of Ferraton's 2017s is the 2017 Ermitage Le Méal. A rich, full-bodied offering, it features cedary accents and savory notes of earth and black olives layered over black cherries. Creamy and supple on the palate, it finishes long, picking up hints of dark chocolate. Approachable already, it should drink well through 2035.

In the same ballpark, the sensational looking 2017 Ermitage Le Méal offers a huge blast of sweet blackberry jam, black raspberries, new saddle leather, incense, and dried flowers. This is backed up by a deep, rich, full-bodied barrel sample that has sweet tannins, a layered, powerful mid-palate, terrific purity, and a great finish. The Le Méal release is always destemmed and the 2017 will spend 18 months in 40% new French oak.

Polished and stylish, with a velvety feel to the waves of plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit that glide through, carried by well-embedded notes of loam, ganache and tobacco. Solidly built, showing ample grip for the cellar, but seamlessly integrated, with the fruit holding the upper hand through the finish.

Une palette qui se montre bien mûr avec une boisé de qualité. La bouche est sérieuse, présentant une belle sève longiligne. Une bouche qui séduit par sa finesse et son étoffe. Il a du potentiel et déjà de la finesse.