Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage de L'Oree Blanc 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright yellow. Expressive aromas of nectarine, ripe citrus fruits, fresh fig and pungent flowers, backed by a building suggestion of smoky minerals. Sappy, densely packed, mineral-laced citrus and pit fruit and honeysuckle flavors show excellent concentration and become more energetic with air, picking up a hint of iodine as the wine opens up. The floral and mineral qualities carry emphatically through a strikingly long, focused finish that shows outstanding definition and tension.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright yellow-gold. Powerful scents of white peach, pear skin and Meyer lemon, picking up floral, honey and mineral nuances with air. Broad and fleshy but sharply focused on the plate, offering intense, mineral-laced orchard and pit fruit flavors and a refreshingly bitter suggestion of citrus pith. Minerally and nervy on the penetrating, seamless and extremely persistent finish, which leaves behind honeysuckle and pear skin notes.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
The thickest, most unctuous, full-bodied and sexy white of the vintage is the 2014 Ermitage de l’Orée. Coming all from the sedimentary soils of the Les Murets and aged mostly in demi-muids (only 15% new), it offers a sensational perfume of caramelized peaches, campfire, honeysuckle and white flowers that literally come soaring from the glass. Possessing uncommon density, a stacked mid-palate, loads of sweet fruit and a blockbuster finish, this hedonistic effort can be drunk with incredibly pleasure today, or cellared for a decade or more. It will have three or more decades of overall longevity.
About the Producer
Founded in 1808, M. Chapoutier owns 175 hectares of vines in five appellations in the Rhone Valley and is now run by the energetic and brilliant Michel Chapoutier. Since Michel started running the estate, the quality of the winemaking has improved very quickly and the philosophy of winemaking has changed considerably. Michel Chapoutier's achievements caused an instant sensation in the winemaking world and he completely changed the way Chapoutier wines were made and the winemaking process, eventually making wines to rival those made by Marcel Guigal, one of the best winemakers in the Rhone Valley. The vineyards of Château Sapoutier range from the Rhone Valley to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a number of quality vineyards planted with Syrah, Grenache, Marsanne, Roussanne and other major grape varieties. The winery is "mono-varietal" (i.e. making wines from a single variety), for example, all Syrah for the Châteauneuf-du-Rotie wines, all Marsanne for the Hermitage whites and all Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines. The wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are all Grenache. Château Sapoutier has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of its wines, even though each single vineyard produces far more than the 500 cases of fine wine. Since 1989, Château Sapoutier has been using biodynamic farming and winemaking methods with the aim of producing wines that are the purest and closest to the natural terroir. Every decision, every step of the viticultural and winemaking process is designed to add to the terroir, varietal character and vintage identity of the wines. Only wild yeasts are used for fermentation and the wines are made in small oak barrels. The best red and white wines are not clarified or filtered before bottling.
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