2003 Chapoutier Ermitage le Pavillon - 100 pts - 750ml

The family's history in the Rhône dates back to 1808, but it wasn't until 1879 that Polydor Chapoutier transitioned the family from growing grapes to making and trading wine. In 1988, Michel Chapoutier took the company reins, and a push toward quality saw the Chapoutier label begin to gain international recognition.

Michel Chapoutier eschewed the use of traditional, large format chestnut foudres for aging, instead moving toward smaller oak casks with shorter aging periods. He also advocated keeping the wines unfiltered and unfined, and to work with only biodynamically or organically grown fruit across all of the vineyards.