Alvaro Palacios - L'Ermita - Priorat
100 points - The Wine Advocate
98 points - The Wine Advocate
98 points - The Wine Advocate
Alvaro Palacios - L'Ermita - Priorat
100 points - The Wine Advocate
98 points - The Wine Advocate
98 points - The Wine Advocate
Regular price12.38300 kr
12.383,00 kr
/
- In stock
- Inventory on the way
The bottled 2021 L'Ermita has lower alcohol than usual, 13.9% (the lowest ever!) and a pH of 3.31 with 5.62 grams of acidity. It fermented with 55% full clusters with indigenous yeasts in oak vats, with punching down of the cap and a maceration of 41 days. The wine matured in oval French oak foudres for 12 months. They had snow in January and then some rain in late August, and the ripeness was very slow. It's a very subtle year; surprisingly, it can be born from such arid and dry slate soils. It has delivered what the wine has always promised. It has a lot of energy and subtleness, and there's something ethereal about it, contained strength, harmonious, with watermelon freshness, notes of Mediterranean herbs and rockrose; and it has more elegant tannins than Finca Dofí. It's a velvety wine, with very contained wood (unnoticeable), very clean and precise. After one hour in the glass, it showed a lot more depth and complexity than Aubaguetes. This is another legendary vintage for l'Ermita. 2,925 bottles were filled the 13th of February 2023.
There is even more Cariñena in this warm vintage, and the varietal breakdown of the 2017 L'Ermita comes to a majority of Garnacha but with a notable 20% Cariñena and some 2% of white grapes. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats and matured in oak barrels of different sizes for 16 months. The grapes were picked on the 18th of October, which is extremely late considering that 2017 was their earliest harvest ever! It has a surprisingly high percentage of Cariñena, the highest ever for L'Ermita, yet the wine feels like the essence of a Mediterranean Garnacha—floral, expressive, open, insinuating, refined and elegant. It has great depth and refined tannins and feels light on its feet, yet it's full of inner power, intense and persistent. It's detailed, nuanced, clean, transparent, focused and pure. The flavors are very precise and clean and the aftertaste extremely long. A truly great L'Ermita, again, transcending the conditions of the vintage.
The 2013 vintage was a very hard act to follow, as for me it was the best vintage ever, but the 2014 L'Ermita is also extremely impressive. The grapes from the mixed varieties found in the old vines (mostly Garnacha with around 8% Cariñena and 1% white grapes) planted in that north facing, cool amphitheater of Gratallops achieved amazing parameters, 14.8% alcohol with a pH of 3.16 (very low) and 6.3 grams of acidity. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes always ferment in an oak vat with their natural yeasts followed by malolactic in barrique and an élevage of some 16 months. The grapes were harvested on October 28th, extremely late, but not as late as 2013, which was a record. But, 2014 was not as healthy as 2013 and there was some botrytis. Álvaro Palacios told me he had two guys at l'Ermita vineyard removing rotten grapes from the vines with tweezers for the last twenty-something days before they harvested it. It clearly paid back, as there is no trace of rot; in fact, the wine is ultra clean, floral and subtle, and despite not being light, the high acidity makes it feel a lot more ethereal than it really is. This time I really felt a descriptor Palacios often uses for this wine, pink grapefruit. Its acidity makes you salivate, but there is a silkiness in the texture like no other wine in the collection. Pit fruit, cherry and peach, pomegranate, dried roses, pink peppercorns, wet slate and acid berries. This is a l'Ermita for the long haul and at the helm with the very best vintages, flirting with perfection. Sheer class. 1,440 bottles were filled the 1st of April 2016.
The 2006 L’Ermita has a pure bouquet of lifted wild strawberry, raspberry and crushed stone aromas and crisp delineation. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannins and incredibly pure, dark cherry and raspberry fruit laced with orange rind. The challenging growing season means that it does not possess the same harmony and weight on the finish as other vintages, although it demonstrates fine persistency.
Local Delivery
We have a fleet of vans that deliver throughout the French and Italian Riviera, rates calculated based on distance at cart stage. Option to book time and date.
For deliveries further afield, please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
France / Monaco
1 - 2 working days delivery in France, for orders placed before 2pm.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
EU - Mainland
1 - 3 day delivery throughout mainland EU, for orders placed before 2pm. Allow an extra day for islands.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
Rest of the World
Please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
