Wine Advisor
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Les Greffieux 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Saturated violet color. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, potpourri, exotic spices and olive. Stains the palate with sweet black raspberry and cherry liqueur flavors that take on licorice, allspice and smoky mineral accents on the back half. Rich yet impressively lively in style, showing sharp precision on the wonderfully persistent, youthfully tannic and floral-driven finish.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, Moroccan spices, incense, candied flowers and licorice. Alluringly sweet and penetrating in the mouth, offering intense, mineral-accented cherry, black raspberry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors underscored by a core of juicy acidity. Hangs on with superb tenacity on the youthfully tannic, penetrating finish, which leaves behind sappy dark berry and floral notes.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Chapoutier's 2018 Ermitage les Greffieux features faint herbal notes and red raspberries on the nose. The most precocious of the 2018 Ermitage samples, it's full-bodied yet silky—almost lush and creamy on the palate, with a long, peppery-spicy finish.
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.
