Marquise de la Tourette Hermitage Syrah

Ruby tawny color, bright in the glass. Mostly transparent. Great Hermitage nose. Notes of black cherry and black currants, red raspberries, menthol, slate stone, some smoked meat, some ripe plums and some blueberries. Great mouth feel. Long finish. In a great window for consumption.

Fruit-led nose, with some alcohol and herbs. On the palate, nice tannins and acidity to keep it kicking. A bit of animal, leather and black cherries, black pepper, dried herbs. Will have a steak and reassess.

Oddly this tasted past it’s prime... but it’s color was still vibrant and it had some acidity upfront and tannins on the back. I almost wondered if it were in midlife crisis as I’ve had hermitage older than me that was in better shape than... me. It had a carmelized licorice wet olive leaf mid palate. I fought through it and enjoyed the experience.

Ruby with pronounced aromas of ripe dark fruits and exotic spices. On the palate ripe cherry and plum with rustic spices and some tea notes. Fine ripe tannins, with slight grippy edge, hints of oak on medium+ finish ending with fruit and slight mineral tones. Nice Hermitage.

Tawny and translucent. Great nose right away. Notes of black cherry, slate, blueberries, iron and a little menthol. Rich and silky in the mouth. Some structure but soft and delicate too. Balanced and has a nice sweet fruit element. Just missing a little oomph in the finish. At peak and won’t benefit from more age.

Lively fruit with softened tannins, harshened by too much VA on the finish. Overt oak shines through even after nearly 33 years.

Started slow, not showing a lot on the nose, but giving attractively tart red fruit on the palate, with black pepper spice and some Brett complexity.

Heat of the vintage showing.

Smokey bacon-y savory. But hey, we can still party like its 1999, right?

Very sweet fruit on the mid palate. The nose is lovely with floral notes. Good just not what one would expect from hermitage.