M. Chapoutier - Ermitage Le Méal blanc 2015

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Richer and more powerful than the 2017 vintage, the fruit is overripe; in this sun-drenched vintage, the terroir itself—though sunny—may not be at its best, but with some aeration, its volume and fullness come through more clearly.

About the estate:

Michel Chapoutier is now ably supported by his children, Mathilde and Maxime, in running the largest wine house in the Northern Rhône, a historic specialist in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. Chapoutier is, on the one hand, a major wine merchant, but also produces top-tier estate wines, with the estate’s vineyards having long been cultivated using biodynamic methods. The single-vineyard selections, the top of the range, perfectly reflect the owner’s philosophy: single-vineyard, single-varietal, and produced annually, they are above all a reflection of the terroir, in its best aspects as well as, at times, its excesses.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This venerable (19th-century) and leading winery, propelled onto the international stage by Michel Chapoutier in the 1990s, offers a wide range of wines produced from its own vineyards (345 hectares, cultivated biodynamically) or from purchased grapes, across most of the Rhône Valley’s flagship appellations, as well as in Roussillon and Alsace. His children, Mathilde and Maxime, have recently joined the family business.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Another perfect wine is the 2015 Ermitage le Meal Blanc. The most decadent, creamy, and structured wine in the range, with irresistible notes of white currants, toasted nuts, celery seeds, and licorice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a massive mid-palate, and a refreshing, pure, and sensational finish that never seems to end. If I had to choose a white wine for a desert island, this might just be the one.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Under the Maison M. Chapoutier label, we feature wines from the wine merchant division of this two-century-old institution based in Tain-l'Hermitage. Michel Chapoutier, now joined by his daughter Mathilde, offers a very wide range of Rhône appellations here, with a production volume approaching one million bottles. But the Chapoutier name is also present in other regions (Champagne, Alsace, Languedoc, and even Australia), a testament to this family’s dynamism. While some vintages are compelling, others, on the other hand, are far more run-of-the-mill. This inconsistency leads us to remove the star from the house this year.

Wine Spectator

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

About the wine:

Intense golden yellow. Penetrating aromas of citrus and ripe stone fruits with mineral undertones are complemented by notes of chalky minerals, saffron, and chamomile. Juicy, smoky, and deeply concentrated yet supple on the palate, it offers dense flavors of peach nectar, pear liqueur, Meyer lemon, and buttered toast that display superb vibrancy and concentration. The mineral note recurs insistently on the incisive, smoky finish, which lingers with exceptional persistence.

Jeb Dunnuck