M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2008
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Robert
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Spectator - Decanter
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Brilliant golden yellow. Intense aromas and very minerally, with notes of celery overtones and a slight, well-integrated hint of wood. Ample and well-rounded body, with fine exotic freshness and roasted almond notes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the coolest vintages in the decade, the 2008 Ermitage le Meal Blanc is a serious, full-bodied, ripe and textured beauty that has lively acidity in its honeyed fruits, buttered-citrus and caramel aromas and flavors. Defying the vintage stereotype and possessing ample ripeness and depth, it won't be as long-lived as some of the bigger, richer vintages, but will still drink beautifully for another 15-20 years.
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Wine Spectator
Gorgeous Jonagold apple and Cavaillon melon aromas and flavors form the core of this wine, while quinine, candied lemon peel, cherry blossom, quince and green fig notes all fill in the background and drive through the well-detailed finish. Best from 2011 through 2018.
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Decanter
This 100% Marsanne comes from a 2ha plot of 50-year-old vines on alluvial deposits and large stones. 2008 was a fairly average vintage in the Rhône, arguably the worst of the 2000s along with the dire 2002, but the whites are better than the reds, as this wine shows. It's a little skinnier and straighter than average, but still thoroughly enjoyable, with a little touch of vanilla pod to the poached pear and mango flavours. It has vibrant acidity and a more bitter finish than usual. Not a great vintage for this wine, but from a global perspective it's still very good. Drinking Window 2019 - 2023
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Wine &
Spirits
No name is more closely associated with the greatness of the Rhone valley than Chapoutier.
The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier's great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l'Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed — rightly — that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers’ already legendary estate.
A visionary and pioneer in biodynamic winemaking, his restless energy and unconditional commitment to quality have produced tremendous success, with the most 90+ point ratings of all Rhône producers and 16 "100 point" rated wines.
Sothis Gin is distilled from grapes and plants grown near the vineyards. This family domaine is cultivated using biodynamic practices in which plants play a central role. In their wild state they offer M. Chapoutier a better understanding of the soils. When used in vine treatments they help to nourish plant life and support plant growth. They have selected a few of these plants in order to offer a new perspective of their terroirs, the story of a gin originating from the Tain l’Hermitage vineyards and their floral heritage. They have been honing this recipe for many months under the watchful eye of Sothis, the star and also the ancient Goddess who teaches us that cultivating the land is a means of moving closer to the stars.