As a négociant, Guigal made – and still makes – sensational red Hermitage. Finally, about 25 years ago when Guigal purchased the de Vallouit Domaine and the J.L. Grippat Domaine in the early 2000s, they acquired vineyards in various lieux-dits on the Hermitage hill. In the best years, Guigal makes this Ex Voto red Hermitage from them. In lesser vintages, the wine goes into Guigal’s “regular” Hermitage, so in those years, savvy consumers have an added incentive to snap up that bottling. Philippe Guigal, who currently oversees the estate, describes two philosophies for making Hermitage: Blend from several lieux-dits or focus on just one. He notes that Chapoutier, a top producer, focuses on wines from single plots, while Chave and Jaboulet, two other excellent producers, prefer to blend from parcels spread over the hill. Guigal falls in the blending camp, blending Ex Voto from Bessards, Greffieux (30% each), L’Hermite, and Murels (20% each). (I wonder how much of the “philosophy” is a matter of where a producer owns vines.) Ex Voto is riper, more muscular, and tannic, compared to even La Landonne, the heartiest of the LaLa’s, because of the south-facing exposure on the Hill of Hermitage. That said, the 2022 Ex Voto explodes on the palate. For all its power and structure, its elegance and freshness is impossible to miss. As it sits in the glass, it gains complexity with hints of pepper accenting its meaty minerality. If you can afford it, you are young and have a decade or two of patience, find a place in your cellar for the 2022 Ex Voto.
97 Michael Apstein – June 17, 2026