2010 Cave de Tain l'Hermitage Epsilon

A brilliant offering that could easily compete with the best growers’ Hermitage is the 2010 Hermitage Epsilon. Perhaps the greatest wine I have ever tasted from a cooperative, it flirts with perfection. An inky/black/purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of blackberries, creme de cassis, camphor, charcoal, white flowers and toasty oak. Packaged in a heavy duty glass bottle with a wax capsule, this wine should be reasonably drinkable in 7-10 years and should last for 25-30 years. Kudos to this coop. This cooperative located on the outskirts of the village of Tain l’Hermitage is one of France’s finest coops, producing some of the Northern Rhone’s most astonishing wines. They are reviewed below in the order in which I tasted them. I was knocked-out by the quality of their two cuvees of 2010 Hermitage. The Crozes-Hermitage selections are very strong in 2010 and above average to good in 2011. The 2010s rachet up the level of richness and intensity. The St.-Joseph cuvees are all strong efforts. No known American importer.

A brilliant offering that could easily compete with the best growers’ Hermitage is the 2010 Hermitage Epsilon. Perhaps the greatest wine I have ever tasted from a cooperative, it flirts with perfection. An inky/black/purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of blackberries, creme de cassis, camphor, charcoal, white flowers and toasty oak. Packaged in a heavy duty glass bottle with a wax capsule, this wine should be reasonably drinkable in 7-10 years and should last for 25-30 years. Kudos to this coop. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, December 2012.