2019 | Chapoutier | Ermitage Le Meal Blanc

The richest and most fruit loaded of the trio is the 2019 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, which comes from a warmer terroir. This killer Hermitage Blanc has a vivid gold hue as well as a crazy good nose of quince, honeyed currants, acacia flowers, spice, and orange marmalade. It doesn't have the minerality of the L'Ermite (and to a lesser extent, the De l’Orée) yet has a more opulent, fat, unctuous style that's still flawlessly balanced and remarkably pure. This is another magical Hermitage from Chapoutier that does everything right. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved with air.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2019 Ermitage le Méal Blanc was initially tasted and reviewed last year. While I retasted it, my impressions were essentially the same as last time (reproduced here for the sake of completeness): The 2019 Ermitage le Méal Blanc boasts remarkable complexity, ranging from hints of pencil shavings and crushed stones to a range of ripe, honeyed fruit (pear, melon, citrus) and then into slightly spicy-herbal, salty elements that bring celery seed and fennel to mind. It's medium to full-bodied, broad and mouth coating on the palate, yet retains a terrific sense of freshness that revolves around gentle citrus pith/zest and salted licorice on the lingering finish.

• Wine Spectator: Spectacularly complex nose of dried fruit (everything from pear to pineapple) with a whiff of smoke wafting through it. Very rich, but precisely contoured with a very impressive structure, the spiciness building towards the finish. Both succulent and refined at the fabulous, creamy finale. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.

Producer Information

Maison M. Chapoutier is one of the most recognizable – and sizeable – producers in the Rhône Valley. It is known for its wines from both the north and south of the valley, but in particular for its red and white Hermitage wines, made from Syrah and a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, respectively.The family's history in the Rhône dates back to 1808, but it wasn't until 1879 that Polydor Chapoutier transitioned the family from growing grapes to making and trading wine. In 1988, Michel Chapoutier took the company reins, and a push toward quality saw the Chapoutier label begin to gain international recognition.Michel Chapoutier eschewed the use of traditional, large format chestnut foudres for aging, instead moving toward smaller oak casks with shorter aging periods. He also advocated keeping the wines unfiltered and unfined, and to work with only biodynamically or organically grown fruit across all of the vineyards.

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