Hermitage 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
A supple and ample vintage on the hill of Hermitage, that favours whites over the reds, the latter offering early drinking potential.
The style of red Hermitage this year is relatively approachable, the structures are a little more rounded and less rigid than in some vintages.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today to read the Rhône Report and all Premium articles. Use the code RHONE2023 at checkout to get 20% off your first subscription
According to Jean-Louis Chave, ‘it’s quite supple in white and in red, with relatively low acidity, a bit lactic in acidity – they are wines of softness.’
He compares 2023 to vintages like 1997, 2000 or 2007.
There are some very good wines in 2023, that will drink relatively early but won’t last as long as some more structured vintages.
Guillaume Sorrel reached the maximum permitted yields in Hermitage for the first time in the past six years.
‘Both reds and whites were successful,’ he says, and he admits he has ‘a slight preference for the whites,’ this year.
I agree; they have real vibrancy, drive and intensity in 2023 and will likely last longer than the reds.
Rhône 2023 full report and top-scoring wines
Key Hermitage producers in 2023
- Domaine JL Chave
- Domaine Marc Sorrel
- Famille Garon
- M Chapoutier
Best-value Hermitage wines in 2023
- Cave de Tain, Au Coeur des Siècles, Hermitage Blanc 2023
- Domaine du Colombier, Hermitage 2023
- M Chapoutier, Chante-Alouette, Hermitage Blanc 2023
Under-the-radar Hermitage producers in 2023
- Domaine du Colombier
- Emmanuel Darnaud
- Famille Garon
Northern Rhône 2023: The connoisseur’s guide
Southern Rhône 2023: The connoisseur’s guide
Compare vintages: See our coverage of Hermitage from previous years
Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines
Hermitage 2021: Report and top-scoring wines
Hermitage 2020: Report and top-scoring wines
Top-scoring Hermitage wines in 2023:
Related articles
- Cornas & St-Péray 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
- St-Joseph 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
- Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
This has the classic Ermite aromatic markers of flint, spice, smoke and salt. Very full-bodied, there's ample flesh here, all wound around an intense, granitic,...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Marc Sorrel, Les Rocoules, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Slightly darker in colour than the domaine's classic Hermitage. Intense quince and pear, very rich and powerful, but has a dry, savoury, edge and a...
2023
Domaine Marc SorrelHermitage
M Chapoutier, Le Méal Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A little closed at the time of tasting, showing pear, honeysuckle and apricot fruit. Full-bodied, very powerful and rich, with intense salinity and moderate but...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine JL Chave, Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A tasting of the Péléat and Les Rocoules vineyards behind this wine points to an expressive, juicy, relatively soft and juicy style of white Hermitage...
2023
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
Famille Garon, Fossyl, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
<p>This is a great example of a white Hermitage that teams power with freshness. It has great impact, huge salinity, serious extract and drive. The...
2023
Famille GaronHermitage
M Chapoutier, De L'Orée, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
The 2023 has that characteristic De l'Orée richness, but it's not as massive or as opulent as some recent vintages, and feels all the more...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
This has beguiling smoky, flinty, petrichor notes. There's great energy, focus and salinity, it's straight as an arrow. The tannins are pure, fine and fully...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
<p>A tasting of constituent barrels suggests this will be a particularly approachable and supple vintage of Chave's Hermitage – it is a vintage without great...
2023
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Powerful, explosive, peppery mulberry fruit. Very smoky in style, with iodine notes and lots of dense, ripe tannin underneath driving fruits. Very fresh and focused,...
2023
Domaine Marc SorrelHermitage
Domaine du Colombier, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A lighter style of Hermitage, spicy and brisk, but the tannins are very fine and it has good concentration. Acidity is well balanced and there's...
2023
Domaine du ColombierHermitage
Emmanuel Darnaud, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
An earthy expression of Hermitage, with dried fruit notes to the blackberry and cassis. Has weight and power, is properly ripe, with quite warming alcohol...
2023
Emmanuel DarnaudHermitage
M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Beautifully perfumed, with violets and juicy black fruits. Very smooth in tannin, actually quite soft, it's approachable for Les Bessards. WIth its tangy plum sauce,...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
