Bernard Faurie Hermitage Bessards Méal 2018

Bernard Faurie Hermitage Bessards Méal, the gold capsule bottling, blends fruit from the two most celebrated lieux-dits on the hill of Hermitage.

Les Bessards holds the steep granite western flank and gives structure, tannin and length; Le Méal, on the central section, sits on stonier alluvial soils over granite and brings breadth and flesh. The combination of the two is the classic Hermitage recipe, and Bernard Faurie has built his reputation on it, working a few hectares from a small cellar in Tain and identifying his cuvées by the colour of the capsule rather than by any wording on the label. His methods are unchanged and deliberately plain: whole-bunch fermentation in old wooden vats, ageing in used barrels and demi-muids, no fining or filtration, and hand bottling in very small lots. Faurie has since handed much of the work to his son-in-law, but the wines remain made as they always were.

A wine to keep, best from ten years and lasting decades. Serve at 16-18°C with roast beef, hare or a well-hung steak.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.