Wine Advisor
Domaine du Colombier, Hermitage Blanc 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Another terrific white from this estate, the 2012 Hermitage Blanc is all Marsanne that was brought up in roughly 20% new French oak. It offers plenty of white peach, honeysuckle, creme caramel and hints of white flowers to go with a full-bodied, decadent, yet pure and lively feel on the palate. Superb right now, feel free to drink it anytime over the coming decade.
About the Producer
The continuing elevation of this Domaine into the lofty heights of Hermitage greatness is testament to the hard work of the tall, spindly owner Florent Viale. He gives his wines a prolonged maturation of a year and a half which he believes removes the need for filtration and prefers using oak tonneaux for this process rather than the smaller 225 litre barriques so as not to dampen terroir and fruit. As a result, both the Cuvée Gaby and Hermitage are powerful and wholesome but not without a touch of class. The latter wine comes from several parcels on the hill of Hermitages including Les Bessards. The grapes are destalked and Florent never uses more than 20% new oak. The wines are therefore a surprisingly elegant example of Hermitages.
