Guigal Hermitage 2019

95 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Glass-staining ruby. Powerful, mineral- and smoke-accented black and blue fruit, potpourri, olive and vanilla aromas acquire a spicy nuance as the wine opens up. Offers densely packed cherry-cola, cassis and blueberry flavors that show excellent clarity and a smoky top note. Finishes impressively long, youthfully chewy and spicy, with building tannins and a suave, lingering candied violet note. 50% new oak. Drink: 2027-2038. (Dec 2022)"

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Where the 2018s lead with their fruit, the 2019s lead with their tannins, and that's readily apparent with the 2019 Hermitage. A deep purple-hued effort, it boasts terrific notes of darker fruits, smoked meats, graphite, and crushed stone. Powerful, structured, and full-bodied, it's a brilliant Hermitage in the making, although not for those looking for instant gratification. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, and it will have two decades thereafter of prime drinking. Drink: 2030-2050. (12/15/22)"

93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Guigal family’s 2019 Hermitage is another big boy from this vintage, tipping the scales at a full fifteen percent octane. The bouquet is deep, black fruity and youthfully brooding, offering up scents of cassis, black raspberries, grilled venison, pepper, coffee bean, a fine base of soil, woodsmoke and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is ripe, full-bodied and broad-shouldered, with a rock solid core of fruit, good mineral undertow, ripe, firm tannins and excellent focus and balance on the long, youthfully complex and promising finish. Though this wine is fifteen percent alcohol, it is really extremely well-balanced and shows virtually no heat on the backend. It will need an extended period of hibernation in the cellar before it starts to drink with generosity, but it will prove to be an excellent bottle of Hermitage. 2037-2075. (Sep 2023)"

93.3 points CellarTracker.com community score.