I suspect the wine of the vintage will be the 2015 Ermitage le Pavillon, and while it’s normally a more forward, sexy wine than the l’Ermite, in 2015 it’s easily the most concentrated, structured and mineral driven of the lineup. Its inky purple/blue color is followed by to-die-for notes of blackcurrants, crème de cassis, graphite, liquid smoke and a liqueur of rocks-like profile that could come from nowhere else in the world than this steep hillside of pure broken granite. Full-bodied, concentrated, structured and tannic, forget bottles for a decade and enjoy over the following half century.

Score: 99-100 Robert Parker (RP), The Wine Advocate (WA), December 2016

Super, exotic fruit in the blood-orange, blood-plum and ripe-peach spectrum. A plethora of spices, coal smoke and a deep-set, dark, stony edge. Very succulent, powerful and long palate, where sheer, shimmery tannins glisten with deep, black-fruit flavor. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2021.

Score: 97 James Suckling (JS), JamesSuckling.com, December 2018

Surely a 100-point wine in nearly any other context, the 2015 Ermitage le Pavillon is a terrific wine. Full-bodied and intense, it offers tremendous notes of crushed stone, mocha and ripe plum given shape and texture by powerful yet ripe tannins. The finish is nearly endless, oozing with essence of granite and balanced by bright acids. Wow.

The dynamic Michel Chapoutier is a man in continuous motion. It must be difficult for him to stay in one place long enough for me to taste through his exhaustive lineup of Northern Rhône wines, not only those under his own label but also the Ferraton Père et Fils collection, plus joint ventures with chefs Yannick Alleno and Anne-Sophie Pic. Those are listed under their own headings, but the M. Chapoutier reviews are all here, ranging from his entry-level Crozes Hermitage La Petite Ruche all the way up to the various sélections parcellaires from Hermitage (or Ermitage, as it´s spelled on those labels). With all of the various parcel selections, Chapoutier is clearly a great believer in terroir. "In the great terroirs," he said, "the terroir tames the power of the variety." Chapoutier considers 2016 to be "very interesting" for whites in the north, saying, "We had enough yields to avoid overripening." But the real stars this year are his 2015 red wines, several of which flirt with or achieve perfection.

Score: 99+ Joe Czerwinski (JC), The Wine Advocate (WA), December 2017

Bright purple. Assertive, highly complex aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, licorice candy and potpourri carry an exotic spice overtone. Stains the palate with concentrated blueberry, cassis and cola flavors, while a suave violet pastille nuance builds steadily with air. Velvety tannins shape a strikingly long, chewy, mineral- and spice-tinged finish that shows outstanding power and energy.

Score: 96 Josh Raynolds (JR), Vinous Media (VM), April 2018