2013 Domaine Michelas St Jemms Hermitage Terres d'Arce 750 ml

Hermitage Worth Seeking Out? We Did, For You

The Michelas family, owners of Domaine Michelas-St Jemms, have holdings in each of the four most prestigious appellations in the Northern Rhône: Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, and Cornas. The 2013 Hermitage Terres d’Arce was grown from their most prized vineyard, a tiny parcel of 60-year-old Syrah planted in the calcareous soils of Hermitage. Laden with quartzite pebbles and granitic crystalline, these famed soils express themselves in the glass as wonderful crushed-rock minerality. The wine’s finesse is pure Hermitage terroir, translating as wonderful blackcurrant and violet aromas. Hailed as “a classic Hermitage” by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which explicitly says these wines are “worth seeking out,” called it “fresh and elegant package. Not to be outdone, Wine Spectator just dropped a 93-point glowing review in its Insider spotlight. Just 240 bottles are available exclusively on Wine Access — in perfect condition, and provenance from the cellars in Hermitage. $120 elsewhere. Just $89 per bottle — and compared to Spectator’s other top 2013 Hermitage wines, this one’s a winner through and through.

This small, family-owned estate is no stranger to praise from critics. Parker’s Advocate has written: “Michelas Saint Jemms makes powerful, rich, relatively modern style of wine … that ages beautifully and never loses its Northern Rhône soul.” Moreover, as The Advocate concluded, “prices are extremely reasonable.”

Founded in 1961 by Robert and Yvette Michelas, the estate is now run by their four children, Sylvie, Florence, Corine, and Sebastian. Simplicity and authenticity are the guiding values here, which have led the estate to its greatest heights yet. Spearheading a portfolio which The Wine Advocate called “high quality and worth seeking out” is the Hermitage Terres d’Arce. Don’t miss this.