2013 Hermitage Rouge (Magnum, signed by Pascal Fayolle), Domaine des Martinelles

“The Gentle Giant”

Deep garnet fading to brick at the rim, this mature Hermitage whispers rather than roars. The nose is beautifully evolved with red plum, black cherry, and bramble layered with violets, pepper, and a touch of tobacco leaf. After more than a decade, the palate has softened into graceful balance: ripe fruit and spice framed by silky tannins and a savoury, mineral core. Long, poised, and quietly powerful, it glides into a finish of truffle, spice and stony elegance.

For when: the candles are low and the decanter’s earned its keep.
Pairs with: roast lamb, venison, or wild mushroom ragù.
If this wine were a voice, it’d be a deep baritone - rich, smooth, and endlessly assured.

This cuvée blends fruit from two exceptional south-facing parcels — La Beaume and Pierrelle - where forty-year-old Syrah vines root deep into clay-limestone and pebble-strewn sandy soils. The combination yields structure, fragrance and mineral depth in equal measure. Crafted by Pascal Fayolle, whose family history in the northern Rhône stretches back generations, this limited magnum release bears both his signature and his stamp of quiet mastery. With 12 years of age, it shows the graceful evolution of great Hermitage - refined power, seamless texture, and a finish that lingers like memory.

Drink: Now – 2030