"Now we take the monster out of his cage," Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

From Beaumes: Ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black cherry, gunflint and spices. Sweet and liqueur-like in the mouth, with an almost jammy ripeness. But this very powerful, lush sample saturates the palate and lingers impressively. From Peleat, with a bit of Rocoules due to the tiny volume in 2003: Saturated medium ruby. Currant, minerals, tar and black pepper, along with an animal aspect. Offers confectionery sweetness on the palate, with flavors of red berry jam and pepper. A sample of extraordinary power, not to mention alcohol (16+%). Explosive finishing flavor of spicecake. From Diognieres, with a bit of Beaumes: Ruby-red. Aromas of jammy fruit, leather, earth and iron. Quite tight and closed today, dominated by its huge structure. A much drier sample, with a finishing note of chocolate. From L'Hermite with Bessards: Bright ruby-red. Expressive aromas of currant, licorice, tar, smoked meat, gunflint and minerals. Juicy and tightly wound, with superb precision and sound acidity. Very minerally and imploded. Quite tannic and backward. A superb sample. L'Hermite on its own: Saturated medium ruby. Aromas of currant, minerals and licorice. Extremely dense and powerful, with wonderfully sweet dark berries and spices. A great combination of freshness and sheer confectionery sweetness. Explosive finish features huge but thoroughly ripe tannins. All Bessards: Full ruby. Knockout nose of blueberry, blackberry, licorice and gunflint: pure granite. Superconcentrated, palate-staining fruit shows a liqueur-like sweetness but also miraculously comes off as fresh. This has the flesh to support its huge, building tannins. The most staggeringly long sample of wine I put in my mouth on my recent tour of the Northern Rhone Valley. "A monster, but elegant," notes Chaves. From Meal (never racked): Medium ruby. Bright, multifaceted nose combines bitter cherry, licorice, pepper, flowers, bitter chocolate, tar and minerals. Voluminous and liqueur-like, with confectionery sweetness of fruit. Finishes hugely tannic but ripe, with palate-staining maraschino cherry flavor. The same juice from a new barrel showed much more torrefaction, but also a captivating note of violet and equal length. The ultimate blend in 2003 should make for a monumental Hermitage.

The first exceptionally hot year of the millennium. 'The vines didn't know what to expect,' says Jean-Louis Chave, and the wine is highly atypical. Decidedly full-bodied, with noticeably high alcohol, but thankfully there is ample acidity around intense confit fruits and strawberry jam, along with more developed, meaty aromas and rather leathery tannins.

Deep orange-gold. Big but not fat. Was a great match for a spicy St John Welsh rarebit. Full bodied and waxy with just enough acidity and a herbal cocktail. (JR)

Chave's 2003 Hermitage, like the most successful Burgundies from that anomalous vintage, somehow retains a sense of mineral freshness that balances this wine's remarkable concentration and massive fruit. Tasted at the domaine, it's even floral and perfumed on the nose, an incredible feat when faced with that summer's implacable heat. Full-bodied, massively rich and decadently creamy in texture, it delivers waves of mixed red and black fruits that avoid any overtly raisiny character, finishing vibrant, peppery and long.

The perfect 2003 Hermitage has acquired extraordinary minerality as well as definition since I first tasted it 12 months earlier. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by glorious aromas of creme de cassis, black cherries, licorice, crushed rocks, and flowers. Prodigiously rich and full-bodied yet elegant and fresh, this is a tour de force in winemaking. There are no overripe, scorched, pruny, fig-like notes in this extraordinary Hermitage. It will be drinkable young, yet evolve for 35-40+ years.

I’ve rated the 2003 Hermitage perfect on numerous occasions, and while sound bottles are still as good as it gets, I’ve also had some tired bottles here in the States, so provenance is critical with this vintage. Still youthfully colored yet just starting to show some maturity in its aromatics of blackberries, dark currants, licorice, spice box, and leather, this fabulously textured, opulent 2003 hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a wealth of sweet tannins, and a monster of a finish. Clearing 15% alcohol (and I think the pH is probably around 4), it should be a required tasting for all those touting the low alcohol nonsense. This singular beauty can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for another two decades, if you’re so inclined.