M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2018
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Winemaker Notes
Ideal pairings for this wine include lobster, fish, poultry in sauces, white meats, goat's cheese, blue cheese, spicy dishes and curry.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Is le Méal the most complex and complete lieu-dit on Hermitage, when considering both red and white wines? The 2018 Ermitage le Méal Blanc certainly makes a case for the white, offering honeyed, complex notes of mixed citrus, pineapple, pear and melon, structural notes of crushed stone, ample weight and richness on the palate and a long, vibrant finish. Just terrific. Range: 97-99
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another heavenly white from this estate is the 2018 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, which comes from a warmer, full south-facing vineyard. As with all the top whites here, it's brought up in larger format barrels, with around 25% new. It offers powerful notes of orange blossom, candied tangerines, flower oil, candle wax, and liquid rock-like minerality. These carry to a full-bodied monster of a wine that expands beautifully on the palate, yet still stays pure, balanced, and chiseled. Drink this blockbuster any time over the coming two decades or more.
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Wine Spectator
Lush and exotic, with creamed mango, peach and papaya notes that are nonetheless fresh in feel, glistening with verbena, chamomile and honeysuckle accents and backed by a mouthwatering swath of salted butter on the finish. Drink now through 2035.
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Spirits
Wine &
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.