Rhone Royalty
M.Chapoutier
Selections Parcellaires Private Dinner
A Unique Event to taste some of the Rhone Valley Best Wines Ever. The wines in this tasting have been given Eight Perfect 100 Points and Six 99 Points scores by world best known and most respected wine critics!
“Michel Chapoutier produces some of the world’s greatest wines from single parcels of old vines spread throughout the
northern and southern Rhone…He also has an impressive portfolio of value-priced wines that are often over-looked when this impressive
producer is discussed.”
Robert M. Parker Jr.
”…he has a global perspective that's probablyunmatched in the Rhône.”
Joe Czerwinski
“History will record that Michel Chapoutier is a revolutionary.”
Robert M. Parker Jr.
“This estate goes from strength to strength in just about every appellation in the Rhône Valley… From the top to the bottom of the range, you can’t go wrong”
Jeb Dunnuck
Tuesday 8 April
M. Chapoutier Ambassador, Damien Agnel hosts
Blackwell Room (Private Dining Room) Exclusive Dinner
6.30pm, 14 Wines & 4 Courses, $995
(Limited to 14 Guests)
An Estate that nurtures its vineyards with the greatest respect for natural balance and terroir since 1808. The family motto “Fac et Spera” – do and hope – says it all. Two words that sum up all the patience and care that this art demands: patience in relation to nature which presides; care from the winemaker, who observes, chooses and assists. The wine will be the faithful expression of this alchemy. Michel Chapoutier manages an exceptional Estate, a land rich in history and tradition. Passionately interested in expressing the character of the soil, Michel has found the means to give free rein to his convictions.
M. Chapoutier Context
“This estate goes from strength to strength in just about every appellation in the Rhône 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.
Not enough can be said about the quality that consistently comes from this estate. From the top to the bottom of the range, you can’t go wrong. And while the prices at the top are frightfully expensive (they’re out of my zip code), there are incredible values from St Péray, St Joseph, Cornas and Crozes Hermitage that should be snatched up by readers.
Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate
“Michel Chapoutier produces some of the world’s greatest wines from single parcels of old vines spread throughout the northern and southern Rhone… he also has an impressive portfolio of value-priced wines that are often over-looked when this impressive producer is discussed.”
Robert M. Parker Jr.
9 of his wines were awarded a perfect 100 points score by Robert Parker in 2015…A huge Record!!
The Wine List and Menu
Ermitage 'De L’Oree ' Blanc 2021, Our Price $395
A refined, textural and vibrant Ermitage white with so much restrained power. There is a saltiness here. Dried lemons, quince peel, grilled almonds, white peaches, wet stones, wild herbs and white flowers mingle successively on the nose. It’s medium-bodied yet it has a gigantic dimension. It’s all contained, restrained and funneled into the precise, highly textural and tense palate. Succulent, with baked lemon character and a long, long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.
99 Points Stuart Piggot, jamesssuckling.com (May 2024)
Ermitage 'De L’Oree ' Blanc 2020, Our Price $461
A breathtaking and expansive bouquet of mirabelle tart with a wide spectrum of candied citrus aromas, fresh almonds, plus fresh tarragon and shiso leaf. Fabulous concentration and interplay of creamy richness with mineral freshness. The intensity and purity of the stony finish must be tasted to be believed! A pure marsanne from the eastern part of the appellation with a soil of glacial deposits. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
99 Points Stuart Piggot, jamesssuckling.com (April 2023)
Ermitage 'De L’Oree ' Blanc 2019, Our Price $506
Moving to the three single vineyard Hermitage Blancs, these are all perfect wines yet offer distinct characters. The 2019 Ermitage De L’Orée comes from more limestone soils in the Les Murets lieu-dit, on the eastern side of the appellation and was brought up in 15% new demi-muids. It reveals a vivid gold hue to go with gorgeous honeyed peach, white currants, quince, crushed stone, and white flower-like aromas and flavors. This full-bodied white has terrific concentration, a rich, layered mouthfeel, beautiful acidity, and a finish that just won't quit. Offering more fat and opulence than the L'Ermite and more minerality than the Le Meal, this pinnacle Hermitage Blanc needs a year or three of bottle age, then should drink nicely for 5-7 years, at which point it's best forgotten in the cellar for another decade. It should last for 20-30 years.
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck (November 2020)
Ermitage 'De L’Oree' Blanc 2018, Our Price $477
A superb, harmonious, textured and layered Ermitage blanc. On the nose it shows notes of bergamot, dried orange peel, mild spices, raw almonds and hints of quince peel. It’s medium-bodied, yet it has so much volume on the palate. Seductive with a caressing texture. Wisely oily, yet it remains aerial, agile and lively. There is minerality here, with a vertical dimension at the center bringing vitality to the coating palate. Enveloping and irresistible. Subtle, lingering finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.
98 Points James Suckling (November 2024)
1st Course
Ermitage 'L'Ermite' Blanc 2021, Our Price $931
The nose is like an essence of Mirabelle plums that pulls you into its tight inner orbit like a huge yellow star. This starts so quietly, but expands and expands as it flows over your palate in a way that’s not quite like any other white Rhone I can remember. How can a wine with such gigantic concentration have such perfect balance? The most amazing thing is the way the toasty richness interacts with the primal stony side of the wine: two faces of the same coin. Limited production. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
100 Points Stuart Piggot Jamessuckling.com (April 2024)
Ermitage 'L'Ermite' Blanc 2019, Our Price $1170
Incredibly dense elderberry fruit with raw-meat, smoked-bacon, balsamic-vinegar, mushroom and tar aromas. But there are plenty of other nuances in this astonishing Hermitage! Gigantic fine tannins support the wide-screen palate that’s packed to the brim with richness, yet remains so bright and clean. Stunning stony minerality at the almost endless finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
100 Points James Suckling (February 2022)
Ermitage 'Le Meal' Blanc 2019, Our Price $477
At first very leathery and animal in the nose, then the smoke wafts in and is followed by candied-orange, tobacco-leaf and coffee notes. Very concentrated, but focused and elegant for this appellation. Invigorating freshness at the long, stony finish. So dynamic! From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.
98 Points James Suckling (February 2022)
2nd Course
Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Barbe Rac’ Rouge 2021, Our Price $184
A remarkable 2021 Chateauneuf with fantastic balance between creamy richness and mineral freshness that enables it to feel way lighter than this full-bodied wine really is. Deep red fruit and subtle spice fill out the ample and well-structured palate, the fine tannins building very nicely at the long, complete finish. From the extreme west of Chateauneuf, where it grows on the galets-cobblestone soil. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
95 Points Stuart Piggot, jamessuckling.com (April 2024)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Barbe Rac’ Rouge 2020, Our Price $180
One of the gems in the vintage is the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac, a 100% Grenache that was destemmed and brought up all in concrete tanks. Darker berries, ground pepper, graphite, and savory garrigue are just some of its nuances, and this beauty is full-bodied, has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and an awesome finish. It's a brilliant bottle of wine that readers will love. It deserves 3-4 years of bottle age and will shine over the following two decades. Bravo.
98 Points Jeb Dunnuck (November 2022)
3rd Course
Ermitage 'L'Ermite' Rouge 2021, Our Price $787
Descend into this labyrinth of spices and you may never return. The black fruit and the most perfect violets will take you prisoner and never release you. Absolutely astounding tannin structure, not from the quantity, but from the finesse and the beauty. Then the explosive finish that pulls you up in the direction of syrah nirvana. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
100 Points Stuart Piggot Jamessuckling.com (May 2024)
Ermitage 'Le Pavillon' Rouge 2021, Our Price $714
Welcome to the seductively dark and smoky heart of Hermitage. Enormously rich and spicy, with great blackberry fruit plus a touch of red beets, then the very bright and pure tannins charge through, followed by the mineral acidity that sets the sky alight at the extremely long and linear finish. How could you resist this beauty that is simultaneously so deep and playful? Great aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
99 Points Stuart Piggot Jamessuckling.com (May 2024)
Ermitage 'Le Pavillon' Rouge 2020, Our Price $689
The 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn't get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it's going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It's an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years.
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck (December 2022)
Ermitage 'Le Pavillon' Rouge 2019, Our Price $726
The star of the show as well as one of the wines of this great vintage, the 2019 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes all from broken granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit and was all destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and brought up in just 15% new French oak, with a tiny amount in a small foudre as well. The level of new oak continues to plummet at this estate, which around a decade ago or more was utilizing 100% new barrels. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it’s a perfect example of the Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove saying and has incredible opulence paired with precision and finesse. Giving up both blue and black fruits as well as powdered stone, violets, scorched earth, and subtle smoke, this is pure Hermitage magic and Syrah doesn’t get any better. It needs at least 7-8 years (a decade would be better) of bottle age and will be a 50-year wine.
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck (February 2022)
Ermitage 'Le Pavillon' Rouge 2018, Our Price $685
Coming all from the pure granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit, on the western side of Hermitage, the 2018 Ermitage Le Pavillon is 100% Syrah that was all destemmed and aged 18 months in just 15% new French oak. This beauty has closed down since bottling and will need considerable bottle age, but it’s a beauty. Deep purple-hued, with a meaty, gamey bouquet of black and blue fruits, crushed rock, liquid violets, olives, and acacia flowers, this sensational wine hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a tight, backward mouthfeel, present tannins, and a great finish. As I wrote last year, this isn't for those seeking instant gratification and a solid 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted, but I suspect it will earn a triple-digit score at maturity and should have 40-50 years of longevity.
98 Points Jeb Dunnuck (November 2020)