Les Varonniers (3 L)

Crozes Hermitage excelled in 2015 and all three of these releases from Chapoutier are more than notable. The 2015 Crozes Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from a cool, west-facing parcel just beside the Bessards lieu-dit of Hermitage. My money is on this being the finest Crozes of the vintage. It has beautiful notes of crème de cassis, black currants, wood smoke and charcoal in a full-bodied, massive, rich and concentrated style. It will have two decades of longevity — I know, because I just tasted the 1996 this year and it was gorgeous.