The 1997 Hermitage La Sizeranne possesses huge amounts of tannin, some of which is vegetal and green. The wine is dry and structured, with a tough finish. Michel Chapoutier feels it is the finest La Sizeranne made since 1990, but my tasting notes are at odds with that position. The color is impressively saturated, but the wine is pinched and compressed, particularly in the finish. I would like to have another look at this wine after it has been bottled. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900