The Hermitage Vin de Paille 1990, M. Chapoutier S.A. (white grapes,
14% alcohol by volume, 1/2 bottle) was bought shortly after release and stored properly by me since. The long cork was extremely compressed and difficult to remove, but it finally came out whole on trying 3 corkscrews. The fill was only a few mm below the cork. This was the first Hermitage Vin de Paille that I have tasted. I was guessing that it would have a bit of sherry character, be rather dark, have considerable acid and some caramel taste. That guess was completely wrong.The wine is bright with a moderate yellow color that is not as intense as many good sauternes. The bouquet is extreme- no need to fret about type of glass here. A saucer likely would not hide much bouquet. The wine reeked of something much like honeysuckle with hints of white fruits,very ripe grapes, and spice nearly hidden by the "honeysuckle". The taste was of very ripe white fruit and especially very ripe grapes. The wine was extremely sweet and had only moderate acidity, But the combination of moderate acidity and very intense fruit balanced the wine well. The after taste was very long. I am not sure how long this wine may keep. It is quite ready now.
I have never read that a red Hermitage Vin de Paille has ever been made, but since Hermitage wine has been made for many hundred years, it would not surprise me if there were once a red version. I do not know what grapes were used for this wine in what ratio. Some white grapes have been allowed in Hermitage for a long time, and in the past they often were added to the red grapes to give a bit more freshness, especially when the wine was young.