The name Chapoutier has been present in the Rhône Valley since 1808. Wine grower, wine maker and wine lover, Michel Chapoutier is one of France’s most dynamic wine producers, championing biodynamic viticulture and producing a consistent, impeccably high-quality range of wines from the prominent Northern and Southern Rhône Valley appellations.

Michel Chapoutier is one of the most highly regarded winemakers in France. Since taking over his family firm in 1990 at age 26, Michel Chapoutier has transformed the winery into the leading Rhône Valley producer. He combines the modern and the traditional: crusading for biodynamic winemaking, while expanding operations around the globe and experimenting with cutting edge winemaking techniques.

It is difficult to believe the intensity Chapoutier has achieved in the 1992 Ermitage Le Pavilion. The black/purple color is followed by a sweet, intense fragrance of licorice, peppery black currants, and spices. Full-bodied, powerful, and dense, with remarkable intensity, this is a supple wine that should be drinkable in 6-7 years, and last for 20-25 years. It is a remarkable achievement for the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2020. Robert Parker 95/100

Similar in style to the 1993, the 1992 Hermitage Le Pavillon offers an exotic, Asian spice, mineral, licorice, and essence of blackcurrant and black-cherry-scented nose. Amazingly rich and intense, with a finish that lasts for over a minute, this is another monumental effort. It is slightly lower in acidity than the 1993 and 1991, but wow, what intensity and length! Chapoutier is proud to boast that while he is now the largest vineyard owner in Hermitage (85 acres, or about one-fourth of the entire appellation), he is only third when it comes to wine production! In a short period of time (Michel's first vintage was 1989) Chapoutier's Hermitage Le Pavillon has become a wine of mythical proportions. Produced from extremely old vines, some dating from the mid nineteenth century, with yields averaging under 15 hectoliters per hectare, this is the richest, most concentrated and profound wine made in Hermitage. There are rarely more than 500 cases. Wine Advocate # 93; Jun 1994 Robert Parker (98-100)