M. Chapoutier : De l'Orée 2011
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Guaranteed provenance
The richness and aromatic intensity of an Ermitage white wine
The estate
Founded in 1808 in Tain-L’Hermitage, the Maison M. Chapoutier today embodies the elite of the biggest names in Rhône Valley wine.
Winemaker and wine merchant, Michel Chapoutier has successfully brought this family-owned business to the very top. The wines by Maison Chapoutier are renowned by the finest connoisseurs from all around the world for their refinement and high quality. A man of many talents, Michel Chapoutier holds the world record for 100/100 scores awarded by the American critic, Robert Parker. Mathilde, Michel Chapoutier's daughter, has taken over the running of this iconic house, which has over 350 hectares of vineyards in the most prestigious appellations of the northern and southern Rhône Valley.
The vineyard
M. Chapoutier's De l'Orée 2011 is a plot-selected Ermitage wine. This Rhône Valley white wine comprises grapes from the Murets plot, whose soil is composed of very old fluvio-glacial alluvium. These old vines, 60 to 70 years old on average, are renowned for their low yields, which produce high quality wines.
Winemaking and ageing
Manual harvesting at optimal ripeness. Pressing followed by cold settling of the must for around 24 hours. 50% of the wine is vinified in demi-muids with regular stirring of the lees and 50% in vats. This Rhône Valley wine is aged for 10 to 12 months, including 6 months on the lees with regular stirring of the lees.
The blend
Marsanne (100%).
M. Chapoutier’s De l'Orée 2011: Characteristics and tasting tips
The tasting
Colour
This wine is an intense golden yellow colour with subtle golden and green highlights.
Nose
Complex, the nose blends fragrances of caramel and lemon with floral notes (acacia, hawthorn).
Palate
A full attack precedes a complex palate that harmoniously combines aromas of ripe fruit and spices with toasted notes. The palate is seductive with its beautiful length and leads to a refreshing finish.
Food and wine pairing
De l'Orée 2011 by M. Chapoutier will complement an array of dishes, such as pan-fried foie gras, marrow on toast served with black truffles, farm capon with a cream sauce, veal filet mignon with morel mushrooms or Saint Félicien cheese with shavings of black truffles.
Storage
This Ermitage white wine can be laid down until around 2085.
Even better and always one of the top whites in any given vintage, the 2011 Ermitage Cuvee de l'Oree (first produced in 1991) comes from 80+-year-old Marsanne vines planted in the Les Murets lieu-dit. Gorgeously full-bodied and impeccably put together on the palate, with awesome texture and richness that's framed by vibrant acidity, it boasts off the hook aromas and flavors of flower oil, buttered citrus, dried pineapple and powdered rock. It will be even better in another year, and age pretty much forever. As I've said before though, there is no harm in drinking these beauties in their youth.