E. Guigal Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge 2020 750ml

97-100 While I think 2019 slightly surpasses 2020 in Côte Rôtie, it might be the inverse in 2020, and the 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto is certainly fuel on the fire. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this merit a triple-digit rating, and it has incredible class in its cassis and black raspberry-like fruit as well as notes of saddle leather, savory flowers, smoked tobacco, and ground pepper. This deep, powerful, full-bodied Hermitage has awesome tannins, a silky, layered mouthfeel, and boatloads of tannins. It’s going to need upwards of a decade of bottle age, but this is heavenly stuff.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Hermitage
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red
• Alcohol by Vol: 15.5%

Varietal

Syrah

Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet’s most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn’t easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.