2012 e. guigal, hermitage, ex voto rouge
Why We're Buying
Guigal Hermitage Ex Voto Rouge lives up to the billing. The syrah, which retails over $300 per bottle, has been the winemaking gold standard in the Rhône Valley for decades. Wine critic Robert Parker has given E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto three 100-point ratings, saying, "at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the 2010 Hermitage Ex Voto is as good as it gets." (Fun Fact: E. Guigal also produces a white version of Ex Voto, which Parker has given two perfect scores.)
Critics Scores
Wine Spectator
Tightly focused and still a touch closed, with roasted alder and juniper notes holding the core of crushed plum and raspberry fruit flavors in check for now. There's a lovely bolt of iron through the finish, along with dried anise and fruitcake tones, while energetic acidity adds length and class to the overall feel. Should settle in nicely with a touch more cellaring, as there's tons of fruit in reserve here. A beauty. Best from 2018 through 2035. 45 cases imported.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Hermitage Ex Voto (which I suspect won’t be produced again until 2015) was bottled in January of this year and it’s a big, voluptuous beauty that’s loaded with fruit and texture. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, crushed rocks and a touch of beef blood all soar from the glass of this beauty, which hits the palate with a wealth of sweet fruit, building, ripe tannin and blockbuster length. Liquid Viagra would suffice as a descriptor for this wine, and while it’s already impossible to resist today, it will age effortlessly for 25 or more years.