dark, plum red robe. Big, bold, soaked raspberry air in a deep and wide bouquet that has a generous instinct, shows brambly fruits with liqueur notions. This is plush, rich in style, is quite a high octane Hermitage red. It develops a more precise touch as it goes along, a good feature. It ends with good running and a texture that is oily, lip smacking. It is child-like now, but is promising. It is exuberant now, will close from 2019 for a good start and variety of maturity. 4.5 stars

Coming mostly from the limestone soils of the Meal lieu-dit, the 2012 Hermitage le Greal is fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged mostly in older barrels. It`s a classic, old-school Hermitage that gives up lots of smoked herbs, meat juice, gravel, pepper and assorted dark fruits. Full-bodied, fleshy and beautifully ripe, with no shortage of texture, it has solid underlying structure and will have upwards of two decades of longevity. 94 points