M. Chapoutier - Hermitage Chante-Alouette 2021
17,5/20
Jancis Robinson
94/100
James Suckling
93/100
Wine Spectator
92+/100
Jeb Dunnuck
92/100
Robert Parker
92/100
Decanter
"The quintessence of Hermitage Blanc
"Rich, smoky nose of baked cream and warm honey, giving the wine a brilliant sheen, a glistening vein of golden, iron minerality. Curried peaches; earthy sweetness and spice. Spectacular power and presence without heaviness. Honeysuckle finish. It's just beginning to enter its orbit and it's magnificent." (Jancis Robinson 2025)
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Eye
Bright green-gold colour
Nose
Complex and subtle, with aromas of quince, walnut, honey, ginger, acacia and a hint of lime blossom.
Mouth
Straightforward attack, without aggressiveness, almond finish, very elegant and long.
Serve
At 12-14°C
Open
1/2h before service
Drink before
2031+
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with foie gras, lobster, fish, poultry in sauce, white meat, spicy dishes (excellent with curry), poultry cooked with mushrooms or truffles after a period of cellaring...
Bettane & Desseauve
Domaine rated (guide 2024) 5*Stars (Exceptional producers, those who represent the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and the world)
About the domain :
Today, Michel Chapoutier is ably supported by his children Mathilde and Maxime, to run the most important wine house in the Northern Rhône, and a long-standing specialist in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. Chapoutier is not only a major wine merchant, but also a producer of top-flight domaine cuvées, as the estate's vines have long been cultivated biodynamically. Sélections parcellaires, the top-of-the-range wines, perfectly reflect Chapoutier's philosophy: parcel-based, single-varietal and produced every year, they are above all a reflection of the terroir, in all its good aspects and sometimes its excesses.
Decanter
Wine rated (2023 guide) 92/100
About the wine:
Less rich and ripe on the nose than a typical year, this wine shows hints of star fruit and yellow plum, with a subtle flinty note in the background. Acidity is surprisingly low for a 2021 white Hermitage, but it's not unbalanced, thanks to subtle, noble, bitter notes that compensate. The oak work remains in the background and is discreet. With an ample but taut finish, this is a silky, compact version of this cuvée. Not particularly grandiose or powerful, but already accessible.
Guide Hachette des vins
Domaine noté (guide 2023) Award-winning wines (The wines of this producer are regularly awarded by the guide)
About the domain :
This venerable (19th c.) and unmissable house, brought into international orbit by Michel Chapoutier in the 1990s, offers a wide range from its own vineyards (345 ha, biodynamic) or purchased grapes, in most of the Rhône Valley's leading appellations, as well as in Roussillon and Alsace. His children, Mathilde and Maxime, have recently joined the family adventure.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rated ( 2024 guide) 92/100 (Great wine)
Domaine noté Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
From a vintage that proved very fruitful for the region's white wines, Chapoutier's Hermitage Chante-Alouette 2021 presents aromas of beeswax, almond, melon and tangerine. It is medium-bodied, round, concentrated, well-balanced and harmonious, with a long finish of citrus notes.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Domaine noté (guide 2023) Sélectionné (We remind you that this guide is a prize list and as such, all the estates that appear in it, even without a star, represent, in our eyes, the excellence of French production).
About the domain :
Under the Maison M. Chapoutier address, we bring together wines from the trading activities of this two-hundred-year-old institution in Tain-l'Hermitage. Michel Chapoutier, now accompanied by his daughter Mathilde, offers a wide range of Rhône appellations, with a production volume approaching one million bottles. But the Chapoutier name is also present in other regions (Champagne, Alsace, Languedoc and Australia), a testament to the family's dynamism. While some cuvées are convincing, others are far more unspectacular. This heterogeneity has led us to withdraw the star from the house this year.
Wine Spectator
Rated wine 93/100 (Exceptional wine)
Jancis Robinson
Wine rated (2025 guide) 17,5/20
Recommended area
About the wine:
Rich, smoky nose of baked cream and warm honey, giving the wine a brilliant sheen, a shimmering vein of golden, ferrous minerality. Curried peaches; earthy sweetness and spice. Spectacular power and presence without heaviness. Honeysuckle finish. It's just beginning to enter its orbit and it's magnificent.
James Suckling
Wine rated (2024 guide) 94/100
About the wine:
At first, it's a little closed, but after a few moments in the glass, the ripe peach and mirabelle plum aromas from the magnificently ripe Marsanne reveal themselves. Excellent concentration and wonderful vitality despite moderate acidity. Then comes the saline minerality, which combines with a touch of bitter almonds in the long, structured finish. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. Will be at its peak from 2025.
Jeb Dunnuck
Wine rated (2022 guide) 92+/100
Recommended area
About the wine:
Bottled just three weeks before this tasting, Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc 2021 is composed exclusively of Marsanne, aged 65% in demi-muids and the rest in stainless steel tanks. It's no match for the 2020 vintage, but don't let that put you off, as it has typical Hermitage character, with medium body, good balance, well-integrated acidity and a fine finish. It's still tight and slightly reserved (no doubt due to its recent bottling), but offers impressive aromas of stone fruit, quince and honeyed minerality, the purity and freshness of the vintage, and a fine finish. It should benefit from 2-4 years of cellaring, and drink well over the next 10-15 years.
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