Getting to know red Hermitage

Wow – immediately as you lift the glass it's clear that this is the essence of Hermitage. Smoky berry fruits soar from the glass, joined by notes of perfumed cigar box, smoky bacon, bonfire smoke, star anise and incense. It's full and cooling on the palate, with no excess weight despite its breadth and depth of flavour. Lovely sappy berry acidity runs through it, leading to a long, weightless, saline finish. A really precise and fine wine, highly complex, well balanced and classically Hermitage.

The subtle smokiness of cured speck is mellowed on the nose by a touch of balsamic sweetness, edged with earthiness and a hint of juniper. The palate is intense, almost inky, with that smoky meatiness that carries a sense of well-hung game and undergrowth. All is framed by superb acidity and vivid juiciness, still holding a wealth of vibrant blueberry fruit. The finish is all lingering gamey savouriness. Matured for 15-18 months in 20% new French barriques.

1990 is rightly touted as one of the greatest Rhône vintages, but it overshadows the excellent preceding year. Chave's 1989 is masterful. Still with a little blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, this has spicy, savoury faces and a gruff, grunty element. It's still full in body but the tannins are fading now, whereas fresh acidity remains, and it's sinewy in texture, reminiscent of an old man's musculature. It's rounded and fruity on the palate, with plenty of nutmeg, cinnamon, burning fireworks and woodsmoke, joined by a little truffle and cheese rind with some air. It's saline on the finish, showing spectacular length still with some sweet raspberry and kirsch. Highly complex and utterly authentic: unmistakable terroir.

From the free-draining soils of lieu-dit Les Bessards and hand-harvested very early - on 18 August - the grapes were fermented in open concrete tanks following a two-day cold maceration, for 20 days of maceration in total. The wine was then transferred to barrel, a combination of new and one-year-old, for 14 months. It has a deeply spicy and very smoky aroma, with lifted red fruits. The palate is very intense and bloody, fresh and driving with huge impact. Searching, saline tannins lead to a long finish. It has raised alcohol, but still - what a wine! Remarkably fresh and structured considering the vintage.

The 1989 was an exceptional vintage, slightly overshadowed by the historically great 1990. From 40- to 60-year-old vines from Les Bessards, Le Méal and Les Rocoules, this is lighter in aroma than the 1990, with dark chocolate, cigar box and bonfire smoke, slightly more perfumed than the meaty 1990, showing some lighter, more aerial spice notes. It's medium-bodied with superfine tannins, still so vibrant, with a little blackcurrant note on the long, dry, savoury finish. Highly complex, it's becoming lighter now but is still exceptional.

From lieux-dits Le Greffieux and Le Méal, the fruit is 50% destemmed. This is beautifully fragrant, starting to take on a little sous bois, with notes of raspberry, violet and dried flowers. It's full-bodied, juicy and rich, with powerful acidity running through it: powerful and very long. A well balanced, complex wine that's just about ready to drink, but will improve.

Sourced from 4ha of 65-year-old vines on granitic soils in the lieu-dit of Les Bessards. It's mature now, showing a very gamey character on the nose along with some leaf mulch and cigar tobacco. It's still very full and richly fruited on the palate, with furry tannins which are perhaps just a little dry - not the most elegant tannic texture. There's a saline, searching finish of good length. It's a little gruff compared to the sleeker incarnation of today's Le Pavillon but nonetheless is very Hermitage, and full of interest.

The 1985 vintage brought a lot of people back to the region', says Jean-Louis Chave, and this wine demonstrates why. It has a strong sense of sweet decay to the aromatics, with earthy raspberry and kirsch. It's full-bodied with intense acidity just poking out a little now, but helping to hold it up where the tannins have started to fray. It's still bright and juicy with intense raspberry on the palate along with autumn leaves. Impressive.

Principally from the lieux-dits of Péléat, Beaume, Les Bessards, L’Ermite and Le Méal, this is fresh and lifted with accessible berry fruits. The oak (10% new) is in the background, aromatically lending just a little spice. It's very vibrant on the palate, with a crisp, saline tannic structure and a long, tremulous finish. There's a remarkable sense of energy, tension and finesse allied with depth and minerality. A remarkably aerial Hermitage, its style is one of precision and clarity rather than bulk and muscle. It's dangerously delicious already and can be enjoyed now for those that can't wait, but this will really start to come into its own around 2028.

Laurent Fayolle is a talented vigneron whose wines deserve to be better known. He makes wines of great finesse and drinkability, resisting any urges to supercharge any of his wines, which are all the better for it. His Hermitage is from lieu-dit Les Dionnières, a site with better availability of water than most in Hermitage, low on the slope, which can be useful in hot, dry vintages. The soils here are relatively young, with some galets and clay. This has spent 12 months in one- and two-year-old barriques. It's a very spicy style, bright and detailed with notes of cinnamon, cedar and star anise. The palate is medium-bodied, with a touch of dried blood and iron and a long finish. The straight, bright, mineral style has a really lovely sense of inner tension. Brilliantly balanced and expressive. It's nicely mature now but there's no rush to drink it.

Olive and dark cherry aromas with a touch of oak. Full bodied, with firm tannic grip and good fruit concentration. Long finish.

Best known for his exceptional Crozes-Hermitage, Yann Chave also owns two small plots in Hermitage in lieux-dits Beaume and Péléat, towards the east of the appellation. The grapes are destemmed, then the wine is aged for 12 months in new and one-year-old demi-muids, then for a further six months in vats before bottling. It’s an under-the-radar, relatively affordable Hermitage that can offer immense pleasure with a decade’s bottle age. Matt Walls: Young still, but starting to open up. New leather, cedar, berry fruit. Has good amplitude on the palate and the oak still needs some time to integrate, but fresh, classic stuff. Gearoid Devaney MS: Ripe red fruits, perfumed cherry, pretty. A lovely frame, charming, with fine tannins and great length. Fiona Hayes: Layers of spice and leather, along with hints of pepper and dark plum. Structured and focused with plenty going on.

From 40-year-old vines in lieux-dits Beaume and Péléat, hand-harvested, with no pigeage, just déléstage, then matured in new and one-year-old demi-muids for 12 months. It then spends a further six months in tank to settle and meld before bottling. This has all the classic meaty spice of the Yann Chave style, perhaps slightly brisker and less thick than in a typical year. It's vibrantly red-fruited, tense and saline, rich, driving and pretty epic.

2015 is the first vintage of this cuvée, which replaces the Petite Chapelle. There's a certain meaty aspect to the nose, a savoury note that brings aged Pinot Noir to mind. It has a minty freshness, crisp and well-defined with a fine acid thread. A medium-bodied, balanced and contemporary expression of Hermitage.

Just beginning to take on some tertiary undergrowth notes after eight years, this wine has smoky scents of bramble fruit, blackberry coulis and a hint of truffle. It's full-bodied, rich in flesh and succulent. There's smoked charcuterie character and a touch of cedar coming through on the palate. The tannins are fibrous and sinewy still, leading to a powerful, fresh, mineral finish. The alcohol is just a little noticeable. Just emerging now, but hold off until 2022.

There's no destemming here, and the difference between previously part-destemmed years is marked: this is drier and more savoury, with slightly grainier tannins. Abundant peppery oregano notes to the aroma lead to a very well balanced palate with a slightly rustic edge to the tannins. Saline and herbal, it's fresh and bright with a long finish, and is just starting to come round to drinking now.

A measured and elegant medium-bodied style, firm, fresh and mineral. It has very fine tannins and a spark of juicy acidity which frame the brisk, incense-tinged berry fruits. This is very much at the finer, slimmer end of the Hermitage spectrum. Excellent control, poise and drinkability.

This has a reductive edge at the moment, but it's not distracting - in fact it's really vibrant and crisp, with a tempting note of smoky bacon. Silky on your tongue, the palate is juicy, strict and mineral, delightfully drinkable and buzzing with energy.

A single-vineyard wine from 70-year-old vines in lieu-dit La Beaume, this spends 14-18 months in demi-muid before bottling. Aromas of coffee bean, hung game, crushed raspberries and a touch of spice lead to a palate that's fully mature but still sappy in a deeply savoury, complex style. Mouth-coating and still tannic, it's tight, tense and intense with a long, saline finish, showing a good sense of power and thrust.

There's a bloody note to the gamey, smoked duck aromas, but also a touch of floral. Cooling fruits bring a nice sense of freshness to the palate. It's not overly full and is pleasingly mature, but the acidity is quite tart, even a little unripe. It's a touch rustic, but has the natural complexity and interest of the terroir, with good length on the finish.

Unsurprisingly, at this early stage the oak here is easily perceived, but it's a balanced wine and the rich, concentrated fruits will harmonise in time. It's a thunderous Hermitage that makes a big statement, resonating long with a good sense of energy. It's spiced and lifted on the finish and has bold, ripe, textural tannins. This will be good.

2012 was a very successful year for Yann - a vintage with real zest and excellent balance. Dark in colour still, this is starting to take on some hung game aromas with a little touch of enlivening VA to the sticky berry compote and plum sauce aromas. Dense and intense on the palate, it has great impact and drive, the textural tannins still tight, joined by a refreshing saline edge. Just coming into its drinking window, but will continue to improve.

Ferraton Père & Fils was established in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton and his son, Michel. Working with Michel Chapoutier, they have used organic and biodynamic viticultural techniques since 1998, with all of their vineyards now certified. This wine is 100% Syrah from 30-year-old vines on granite soils, situated on the south-facing slopes of the Le Méal vineyard in Hermitage. Aged in 50% new oak for 18 months, less than 200 cases of Le Méal are produced each vintage. Christian Honorez: Lots of sweet dark fruit. Lovely richness and voluptuous palate. Modern style, not for the faint hearted; a winter wine. Tanguy Martin: Open and ripe fruit. The palate is concentrated, intense and powerful; well balanced and full on. Matt Walls: Very oaky, marked by cola and cinnamon spice. Good freshness and bite on the palate, with monolithic tannins. Incredible length but still way too young.

Fairly full and deep for what tends to be a slightly lighter vintage for Hermitage, this is deeply coloured, with ripe, brambly fruit aromas. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced. It's beautifully smooth and rounded, with sweet tannins. Long, harmonious and satisfying, it's not hugely complex but is well sculpted.

There are lifted, perfumed red berry notes to this medium-bodied vintage of Colombier's Hermitage. It has a good sense of energy, crispness and bite, with taut tannins. It will bring real pleasure in the early to mid-term, but lacks the weight of fruit to really drive it on into the long term.

This was almost unbearably gamey on opening, almost to a fault; after an hour in a decanter, it really came together. Outrageously expressive nose of rare smoked duck, bonfire smoke, blood and cardamom. Full-bodied, rich, still with rich, juicy firm tannins - no sign of this drying out. Really powerful on the palate, explosively flavoursome, with serious smoky length. Proper Hermitage, and the perfect time to drink it. Undeniably a serious, regal, muscular wine of great impact and strength. Thanks to P.O. for sharing this bottle.

This has sappy, dense and slightly jammy fruits, ripeness combining with sweet oak. The palate is full-bodied, rich, and still full-fruited, and the tannins are sweet and a little blocky. It has good length and benefits from time in the glass. A powerful and flamboyant style with sweet fruit, sweet spices, and slightly warming alcohol.

Ripe black fruits, plum and bramble are intertwined with cola and clove notes from the oak - there's quite a strong oak influence to the aromatics, but the wine is still very young. The palate is full-bodied but lifted, with sweet, spicy oak on the finish. A generous and polished Hermitage that will last fairly well.

A very ripe vintage for this cuvée, with bramble and plum aromas pushing towards currant and fruitcake. A bold, intense, fruit-forward Hermitage with plenty of impact, but not the most persistent. A juicy, fruity, early-drinking style with a smooth, sensuous texture.

Remarkably mature already, this has an earthy side to its dense black fruits, with a touch of sweet leaf mulch. It's very full-bodied, lush and thick, with piercing acidity and noticeable alcohol. It leans towards overextraction in 2011 and certainly makes an impression.

From lieu-dit Les Murets, this is a cuvée that’s often generous in oak, and the 2011 is no different. Distracting oak note of cocoa and roast espresso overlay very ripe berry fruits. A floral hint of rose brings complexity, and there's a good sense of tension on the palate. It's tightly tannic, with a slight bitter twist on the red berry finish.

This has a blackberry coulis character, reduced and melted down with age, mature now. The palate is very full, rich and dense, with forthright oak influence, while the tannins are furred and downy. The alcohol is beginning to show through a little now.

Darkly coloured, with savoury, brambly aromatics, measured and precise. A medium-bodied wine with a very dry impression on the palate and balanced acidity. Good, but not the most obviously Hermitage.

This is robustly oaky on the nose, lacing the fruit coulis flavours with clove and plum sauce. In the mouth it's very thick and full-bodied, with acidity that doesn't feel entirely harmonious. The tannins are sweet and melted, but this is hard to drink as it's somewhat over-extracted and over-oaked, lacking freshness and drinkability.