Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
More honeyed and flamboyant, the 2012 Ermitage Le Meal Blanc dished out aromas and flavors of exotic spices, buttered citrus, licorice and serious minerality. Full-bodied, voluptuous, decadent and almost chewy-rich, it’s an incredible white that will also offer immense pleasure in its youth, yet be almost indestructible in the cellar. This was an incredible tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his second hand man, Pierre-Henri Morel. Certainly one of the success stories in wine, which Robert Parker does a fabulous job of detailing in Issue 204, this estate goes from strength to strength in just about every appellation in the Rhone Valley. Looking specifically at Hermitage, Chapoutier owns a massive 64 acres, mostly on the famed Bessards lieu-dit, yet also with significant portions on Le Meal, L’Ermite and Les Greffieux, with smaller portions in the Beaume and Murets lieux-dits. From this he fashions five reds (Monier De La Sizeranne, Les Greffieux, Le Meal, Le Pavillon and L’Ermite) and four whites (Chante Alouette, Cuvee de l’Oree, Le Meal Blanc and L’Ermite Blanc), all of which are brilliant wines, with the best ranking up alongside the top wines in the world. In addition, his Saint Josephs (Les Granits and Le Clos) are some of the leading wines of the appellation (along with Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice and a few others), and his Cote Rotie La Mordoree, which comes from his 12 acres (split between the roughly defined Cote Blonde and Cote Brune regions), is always a classic example of the appellation. I was also able to taste through a full lineup of his Languedoc and Roussillon releases, all of which were impressive. I’ll review those wines in my 2014 coverage on those regions. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
A wine that seems to pack more and more quality with each vintage, the 2012 Ermitage le Meal Blanc is borderline perfection, and didn't lose a beat being served beside the de l’Orée and l'Ermite. Flamboyant, ripe, honeyed and decadent, with thrilling white currants, buttered citrus, orange blossom and licorice, it too is a massive wine that will have decades of life. Make no mistake though, it's gorgeous even today.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Slightly more reserved now than on release, the 2012 Ermitage le Meal Blanc offers tons of honeyed minerality, caramelized peach, toasted bread and liquid rock-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, rich, vibrant and with terrific acidity, it's a sensational white that will have 3-4 decades of life.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Light gold. Poached pear, peach pit, honey and blond tobacco on the intensely perfumed, mineral-driven nose. Pliant, deeply concentrated pit fruit and melon flavors are complemented by succulent herbs and orange pith, with a stony element adding back-end cut. The mineral note reminds me a lot of Chablis, as strange as that may sound for an all-Marsanne wine. Suavely melds weight and vivacity, finishing with excellent clarity and length and a clinging note of candied orange.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Vivid gold. Powerful mineral-laced peach nectar and pear aromas, with complicating notes of vanilla, honey and musky flowers. Round, fleshy and expansive, offering potent pit fruit and anise flavors and a bracing lick of lemon zest. Nicely blends richness and vivacity and finishes with impressive clarity and outstanding spicy persistence.
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.
