Deep, rich and full-throttle, yet still elegant and focused, the 2005 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree is 100% Marsanne from the Les Murets lieu-dit and was brought up all in demi-muids. Offering off the hook notes of quince, honeysuckle, liquid rock, orange blossom and sautéed peach, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, notable freshness and purity, and a crazy long finish. White wine doesn’t get much better, and this beauty will have another two to three decades of longevity.

An amazing effort is the 2005 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. This should flirt with perfection given its nose of white peach liqueur intermixed with quince, acacia flower, hazelnut, and honeysuckle. This amazingly full-bodied, powerful wine has zesty acidity and a tannic structure which is exquisite. It will be a 50+-year wine. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/02/2008 Chapoutier’s line-up of single vineyard white Ermitages, all from mid- to upper slopes of that small appellation, are prodigious wines. I have been following them since he first introduced L’Oree in 1991, and they are sensational to drink in their first 4-5 years, then seem to go into a rather bizarre oxidized stage that can last for 7-8 years, and then they re-emerge as something even more complex. The one thing I never understand is how the color sometimes actually lightens as they age, which makes no sense to me whatsoever, although I suspect there must be some scientific explanation. The 2005 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree is a spectacular wine, with notes of nectarine, quince, honeyed hazelnuts, honeysuckle, and an almost exotic note buttressed by excellent acidity and no notice of any oak. The wine has prodigious richness and a full-bodied intensity that needs to be tasted to be believed. This is stunning stuff that should drink well for 50 or more years, but you can drink it over the next 4-5 years or forget it for 12-15. My aging curve on all of these single-vineyard wines is pretty much the same, and these are very strong vintages with higher acidity than 2005.

A very pale lemon/creamy colour. The nose is even more subdued than the Saint Joseph "Granits" '05. Just faint hints of white flowers and a touch of melted candle-wax. The palate is very well balanced, powerful with racy acidity. An attractive creamy texture yet it maintains its delineation and focus. Very long, waxy, musky finish but I wish to find a little more character and elegance. Very fine all the same. Tasted October 2006. Drinking 2008-2020

Marsanne of 60 to 70 years old on alluvial deposits from the old glacial era . Floral, blossomy aromas with real muskiness underneath – the most obvious Marsanne of these three white Ermitages, surely Marsanne at its most glorious? Smoky tension too but this wine is already quite advanced on the nose with a lovely fine skein of structure and chewiness underneath. Long and powerful. Pretty yummy and open. (JR)