The estate
Established since 1808 in Tain-L'Hermitage, M. Chapoutier is an elite reference among fine Rhône Valley wines today.
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 region.
The vineyard
L'Ermite by M. Chapoutier is a plot-based wine that stems from a selection of old Syrah vines from Ermitage. Located at the top of the Hermitage hill, in a place called l'Ermite, these vineyards are over 80 years old and are planted on very nutrient-poor granite soils.
Vinification and ageing
The grapes are harvested by hand late in the season in order to obtain favourable natural degrees. The grapes are 100% destemmed and vinified in concrete vats. Maceration lasts about 4 weeks and is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 32°C in order to guarantee optimal extraction. Only free-run wine is used in the production of this wine. Following the run-off, the wine is placed in new barrels and one-year-old barrels for an ageing period of approximately 8 to 20 months.
The blend
Syrah (100%).
The tasting
With its finesse and minerality, M. Chapoutier's Ermite 2014 is the perfect expression of a vintage characterised by its freshness. This wine seduces with its youth, its vivacity and its delicate smoky notes.
The inky black/purple-colored 2014 Ermitage l'Ermite is more firm, backward and mineral driven than the sexier Pavillon, offering fabulous notes of scorched earth, wood smoke, crushed violets, and both blackcurrant and crème de cassis. An utterly profound effort, it defines the more charming nature of the vintage, displaying building tannin and one seriously long finish. Forget bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades.