Ferraton Père et Fils, "Les Dionnières" Ermitage Rouge 2016

95 points Jeb Dunnuck
"Coming all from sedimentary soils on the eastern side of the hill and brought up in 20% new barrels, the 2016 Ermitage Les Dionnières is a gem in the lineup. Blackberries, currants, roasted herbs, cured meats, and spice notes all emerge from this opulent, powerful, yet also pure and precise Hermitage. It's rich and full-bodied on the palate yet holds onto a fabulous sense of purity and elegance. It will keep for 2-3 decades."

94 points Decanter
"A very appealing nose, with intense, expressive and lively dark fruits among woodsmoke and herbs. It's a very full, large-scale Hermitage, expansive in the mouth and very tannic with a very long finish, but crucially, although dry and savoury, it's also ripe. This will take time for the tannins to soften."

94 points Vinous
"Brilliant purple. Deeply perfumed dark berry liqueur, violet pastille, smoky bacon and exotic spice aromas show outstanding clarity and mineral lift. Alluringly sweet, palate-coating black raspberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Rich but energetic, finishing with powerful mineral thrust, sneaky tannins and building floral and spice qualities. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged for 18 months in oak demi-muids, 25% of them new."

Jancis Robinson
"More tannic than their Miaux, with plenty of black fruit and liquorice flavour giving powerful intensity on the finish too. Lovely meaty character just emerging, and some medicinal notes too. Accomplished, sophisticated and fearsomely intense. 17.5/20 points. (RH)"