Bernard Faurie, Hermitage Greffieux-Bessards, 2013

Bernard Faurie is the great under-the-radar traditionalist of Hermitage, and this cuvée draws on Les Greffieux at the base of the hill and Les Bessards, the granite stronghold Faurie insists makes Hermitage truly Hermitage. He works the old way: whole clusters, foot-treading, native yeasts, and long aging in demi-muids with little new oak. The 2013 was a cool, late, challenging vintage that pushed growers to pick early, and it produced more elegant, less concentrated wines that win you over with aromatic lift and bright acidity rather than mass. A graceful, savory Hermitage for those who love finesse over force.