M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2008

  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Decanter
Sold Out - was $219.99
OFFER undefined
Ships Thu, Apr 4
You purchased this 1/16/24
0
Limit Reached
You purchased this 1/16/24
Alert me about new vintages and availability
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2008  Front Bottle Shot
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2008  Front Bottle Shot M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2008  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2008

Size
750ML

Features
Collectible

Boutique

Green Wine

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

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

  • 95
    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.
  • 94
    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.
  • 93
    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

Other Vintages

2018
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2017
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 95 James
    Suckling
2016
  • 97 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 James
    Suckling
2015
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2014
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
2011
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
2009
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
2006
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2005
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
2003
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2001
  • 93 Wine &
    Spirits
M. Chapoutier

M. Chapoutier

View all products
M. Chapoutier, France
M. Chapoutier  Winery Video

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.

Image for Marsanne content section
View all products

One of the star whites of the Rhône Valley and ubiquitous throughout southern France, historically vignerons have favored Marsanne for its hardy and productive vines. It can make a fruity and delicious single varietal wine as well as a serious, full-bodied version with amazing aging potential. The best examples of Marsanne come from the northern Rhone appellations where it is also blended with Roussanne. Sommelier Secret—Some of the oldest Marsanne vines in the entire world exist not in France but in Australia, in the Victoria region. Settlers planted it in the mid to late 1800s, calling it “white Hermitage.”

Image for Hermitage Wine Rhone, France content section

Hermitage Wine

Rhone, France

View all products

One of the smallest and most important Syrah regions of northern Rhone, Hermitage is practically one single south-facing slope of crushed granite, thinly covered with varied, yet well-charted soil types. Many climats (well identified parcels) exist within Hermitage and while some smaller producers make single climat Syrahs, some larger ones blend to make one balanced expression of the appellation.

Though the AC regulations allow the addition of up to 15% white grapes to a red Hermitage, in practice it is usually made from Syrah alone. Winemaking is pretty traditional—or you might say historic—with hot fermentations and aging in older barrels of various sizes. The best wines, characterized by deep, dense and sexy flavors of black fruit, cocoa, licorice and tobacco, have massive textures and a solid 10-20 years aging potential.

The region of Hermitage is totally enclosed; the only place it could go really is to literally fall down its own hill into the city of Tain or the Rhone River. Soil erosion is a problem and terraces exist alongside the hill in order to keep the earth in place. Crozes-Hermitage encloses the region entirely to its north and south.

While Hermitage seems synonymous with some of the best Syrah on the planet, actually about one third of the wine produced here comes from white grapes. The full, lush and robust Marsanne or the less common, but almost more charming, Roussanne create wonderful whites in which the best have great potential for aging, like the reds.

NDY155640_2008 Item# 155640

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""