Wine Advocate 96 points - The 2003 Hermitage Ex-Voto blanc is the quintessential white Hermitage, a blend of 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne with extraordinary honeyed licorice, quince, marmalade, and truffle notes, an unctuous texture, great purity and richness, and a profound mouthfeel and length. This is extraordinary wine and certainly one of the most profound dry whites I ever tasted. It seems to be set for an amazingly long life. (Apr 2007)
Wine Spectator 96 points - Shows the power of the vintage, with thickly layered flavors of dried tropical fruit, plus hints of date, candied citrus peel, paraffin, buttered brioche and bitter almond. The finish is long and structured. This will need some time to resolve itself fully. Best after 2015. 400 cases made. –JM (Sep 30 2007)
Wine Enthusiast 90 points - The 2003 Hermitage Ex-Voto blanc is the quintessential white Hermitage, a blend of 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne with extraordinary honeyed licorice, quince, marmalade, and truffle notes, an unctuous texture, great purity and richness, and a profound mouthfeel and length. This is extraordinary wine and certainly one of the most profound dry whites I ever tasted. It seems to be set for an amazingly long life. Score: 96. —Robert Parker, April 2007.
After 30 months in new oak, this needs some time to pull itself together. Right now, it’s dominated by oaky notes of vanilla and spice. There does appear to be plenty of old-vine material underneath—you can ferret out hints of apricot and almond skin—so this rating may look stingy in 10 or more years. Score: 90. —Joe Czerwinski, September 01, 2007.
