Maggie Harrison

9.7

2022, figgy, plum with undertones of bacon at first open. very elegant and soft on palate. beautiful. about 4 hrs later- decanted. change? more mineral, tannins are showing more now than at opening. dried fig, meaty. bolder fruit on back end of palate thru the finish. iron on finish. drinking great but more time would certainly be better. — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Another great one — 4 months ago

Marta Jackowska

9.6

New Years Eve dinner - which red wine to drink?! 🤔
Finally settled on an old favorite - Paul Jaboulet Hermitage.
Did not disappoint - smooth, concentrated fruits, with a hint of earthy, charcoal, tobacco.
Nice way to end our wine drinking for 2025, here’s to more great wines in 2026! 🥂 — 6 months ago

with Neville

Gene Chow

9.0

Nice spice, great Syrah. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2018 vintage. Last bottle of three and the best of the batch. Pity it’s gone. Great balance, fruit, structure and sense of wonder. Dense and world-destroying where necessary, lithe and playful filling in the rest. — 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.2

Another great vintage for this wine. Brilliant whites in St. Joseph in 2018. Nose is super granitic with yellow fruits, superbly refined and defined. Palate is ripe and dense with superb finesse, yellow fruits and old vine sap. Juicy with great mineral freshness and clarity. Long finish. Always such a great wine. — 6 years ago

Michael Greene

9.0

Open and ready. Great savory finish. — 7 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.7

1985. 40 years young. Gave it an hour to open up before dinner (paired orange ginger glazed duck with pistachio apricot farro). Thankfully my partner is a master of the Durand. There’s very little for me to compare this too - most aged whites are preserved by acid; Chave relies on glycerol here. It gives the wine gravitas but also life and freshness. Pleasant wood veneer/wood shop notes, dried apricots at first (become fresher with time), yellow plum, truffled earth. Salty poached apricots and timelessness. In a perfect world, we’d be sharing this with my dad. Strange & sensational. — 3 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.6

Great right out of the gate. But fades fast… — 4 months ago

Michael Dierberg

9.3

Still dark and strong tannin but great nose and should develop elegance with time — 6 months ago

with JiaMin

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Meaty, minty and peppery nose. Wow. So gamey and bloody. Pedal to the medal St. Joseph. Ultra traditional stuff here. Lots of olive and all on a serious granitic background. Palate is elegant and so refined but also has a wild side in that it’s super gamey, olivey and very supple and has good red berry sweetness. Really clean. These wines get cleaner every year without losing their feral edge. Very fine tannin. Also some youthful austerity. Needs air. I will be back. As this opens up exotic tea scents. Maybe oolong and Puer-eh. Great concentration and super silky and long. This is so good. 19 is also best vintage since 15. — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.6

A wow of a wine. The nose is spectacular. Sour cherry, dark gamey undertow, blood, dried herbs, and that brightening kick of viognier. Tastes age appropriate with more soft forest floor, oak subsumed, more savory than sweet. Glorious stuff but not OTT in any way. A super well-stored and fresh bottle. Very long. Over a couple of hours it lost intensity and the fruit dimmed a bit. Great. — 4 years ago

with Bex and Lindsay

Pooneet K

9.4

Was very excited to try this and it did not disappoint. Needs a 1-2 hour decant for sure, still has plenty of years left (though no need to wait). So pure with lots of dark red fruit and earth. Finish is several minutes. Great acid provides lift and precision at the end. Perfect with some good pork chops. Really nice. — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.8

M. Chapoutier “Le Pavillon” Ermitage Rouge 2011, Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A legendary single-parcel Hermitage Syrah from the Le Pavillon vineyard, planted on granite soils with vines averaging more than 65 years old. Production is extremely limited, with only a few thousand bottles produced.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry, raspberry, smoke, licorice, and dark chocolate with subtle notes of spice and tobacco.

Mouthfeel
Deep, powerful, and velvety with extraordinary structure and aging potential.

Food Pairings
Game meats, lamb, venison, or slow-braised beef.

Verdict
One of the most iconic Syrah expressions of Hermitage, combining power, precision, and immense aging potential.

🍷 Personal Pick
An incredibly subtle yet deeply structured Syrah that reminded me why tasting great wines is such a joyful experience. Sophisticated, intense, and beautifully balanced without ever becoming overwhelming. The aging potential is extraordinary.
— 4 months ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.3

Really great. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2019 vintage. Last tasted 3.8.25 (9.6) and 8.19.23 (9.5). Excellent fill and great cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 minutes. Small amount of chunky sed. Medium-heavy body but starting to slowly thin out. Excellent colo(u)r. Alongside the roasted nuts and smoked meats flavors, this drops a current cola-nut driven finish. Smooth and harmonious. Love this producer along with a nod to consumers/wine trade for keeping these ridiculous pricings down. 10.10.25. — 9 months ago

Mark Eastom

9.0

Love this wine and producer. Boysenberry, crushed rocks, fennel, pepper and great acid. — 4 years ago

Jalyn Warren

9.0

Delicious! — 4 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Papas @ great american — 7 years ago

Nico

9.3

Full bodied, nose of very ripe fruit. Fairly acidic, not too oaky, still get hints of leather. Great with steaks, and even better with cheese (comté, taleggio). — 8 years ago