When in the course of a tasting session one is confronted by a wine that stands above the others, I find it impossible to give more than a single perfect score. So the 2015 Ermitage le Meal gets a "consolation prize" 99+ rating. Full-bodied and intense, loaded with blackberry fruit that pushes the limits of ripeness and richness, this incredible wine retains such fine details as hints of crushed stone, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Unless it shuts down, it should be drinkable by 2025 and give pleasure for many years to come.

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