I friend of mind wanted a nice Syrah for dinner so this was an easy choice.. Wine was reasonably smooth with enough tannin and not to strong to go with the Chinese Dumplings we ate

Allow it to breathe and open up to a lovely, fruity and floral young rhone syrah. Soft body yet aromatic and flavoursome.

This Shiraz has all the qualities of what should be a good wine however the nose and bouquet are betrayed by the taste which is best described as bland or insipid. It is a very expensive bottle of non discernible taste. Understanding that a judge might be fooled because of the spittoon that is at the end of the tasting table and rather should likely have swallowed and compared the actual wine resulting in a different measure but rather this wine is fools gold as it has all the appearances of a decent drop however the proof is in the tasting and swallowing which is of course what wine is designed for. The colour and grape variety are betrayed by the end result. I would never buy another bottle of this Hermitage as there are plenty of better drops out there to be explored.

Chapoutier's recent efforts have been nothing short of outstanding. The value offered by this Crozes-Hermitage clearly outstrips anything in the same genre. Maybe it's Michel's experience in the new world that has given his wines a little more approachability and fruit-forwardness. Supremely concentrated with an abundance of ripe, purple fruit. Quite like the accent of pepper and small goods which lends itself to food matching easily. Bargain!

After hearing such great things about M.Chapoutier I was rather disappointed to have this wine been the first from the winery I have tried. It is overly vegetal in both aroma and taste and wasn't enjoyed by any within a group of 4 friends whom I shared this with. It is probably going to be acceptable if drank with food but on its own, as I had it, one glass was enough. I have read that 2008 was a poor vintage for the region so I would try another vintage.