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, baked cream and warm honey, giving the wine a brilliant sparkle, a glint of golden, ferrous minerality. Curry peaches; sweetness and earthy spices. Power and spectacular presence without heaviness. Honeysuckle finish. It's just beginning to come into its own and it's magnificent." (Jancis Robinson 2025)
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Eye
Shiny green-gold color
Nose
Complex and subtle, aromas of quince, walnut, honey, ginger, acacia with a hint of lime blossom.
Mouth
Frank attack, without aggressiveness, almond finish, very elegant and very long
Serve
At 12-14°C
Open
30 minutes before service
Drink before
2031+
Food and wine pairings
Enjoy with foie gras, lobster, fish, poultry in sauce, white meat, spicy dishes (excellent with curry), poultry cooked with mushrooms or truffles after aging...
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated estate (2024 guide) 5*Stars (Exceptional producers, representing the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and worldwide)
About the estate:
Michel Chapoutier is now ably assisted by his children Mathilde and Maxime in running the largest wine house in the northern Rhône, a long-standing specialist in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage wines. Chapoutier is not only a major wine merchant, but also produces high-quality estate wines, with the estate's vines having been cultivated biodynamically for many years. The single-vineyard selections, the top of the range, perfectly reflect the philosophy of the master of the house: single-vineyard, single-varietal and produced every year, they are above all a reflection of the terroir, in its good aspects and sometimes its excesses.
Decanter
Wine rated (2023 guide) 92/100
About wine:
Less rich and mature on the nose than a typical year, this wine offers hints of star fruit and yellow plum, with a subtle hint of flint in the background. The acidity is surprisingly low for a 2021 Hermitage blanc, but it is not unbalanced, thanks to subtle, noble, and bitter notes that compensate. The oak remains in the background and is discreet. With a full-bodied but tense finish, this is a silky and compact version of this cuvée. Not particularly grandiose or powerful, but already accessible.
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated estate (2023 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer's wines are regularly recognized by the guide)
About the estate:
This venerable (19th century) and unmissable winery, launched onto the international stage by Michel Chapoutier in the 1990s, offers a wide range of wines from its own vineyards (345 hectares, biodynamic) or purchased grapes, in most of the leading appellations of the Rhône Valley, as well as in Roussillon and Alsace. His children, Mathilde and Maxime, have recently joined the family adventure.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rating (2024 guide) 92/100 (Outstanding wine)
Rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About wine:
From a vintage that proved very fruitful for the region's white wines, Chapoutier's Hermitage Chante-Alouette 2021 offers aromas of beeswax, almond, melon, and mandarin. It is medium-bodied, round, concentrated, well-balanced, and harmonious, with a long finish featuring citrus notes.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Rated estate (2023 guide) Selected (Please note that this guide is a ranking and, as such, all the estates listed in it, even those without stars, represent, in our opinion, the excellence of French production.)
About the estate:
Under the Maison M. Chapoutier label, 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 very 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 even Australia), reflecting the dynamism of this family. While some vintages are impressive, others are much more ordinary. This inconsistency has led us to withdraw the star from the house this year.
Wine Spectator
Wine rated 93/100 (Exceptional wine)
Jancis Robinson
Wine rated (2025 guide) 17,5/20
Rated Recommended
About wine:
Rich, smoky nose, baked cream and warm honey, giving the wine a brilliant sparkle, a sparkling vein of golden, ferrous minerality. Curry peaches; sweetness and earthy spices. Power and spectacular presence without heaviness. Honeysuckle finish. It's just beginning to come into its own and it's magnificent.
James Suckling
Wine rated (2024 guide) 94/100
About wine:
At first glance, it is a little closed, but after a few moments in the glass, the aromas of ripe peach and mirabelle plum from the beautifully ripe Marsanne grapes reveal themselves. Excellent concentration and wonderful vitality despite moderate acidity. This is followed by 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 onwards.
Jeb Dunnuck
Wine rated (2022 guide) 92+/100
Rated Recommended
About wine:
Bottled just three weeks before this tasting, the Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc 2021 is made exclusively from Marsanne grapes, 65% of which are aged in demi-muids and the rest in stainless steel vats. It does not match the 2020 vintage, but don't be discouraged, as it has a typical Hermitage character, with medium body, good balance, well-integrated acidity, and a beautiful finish. It is 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 beautiful finish. It should benefit from 2 to 4 years of aging and will drink beautifully over the next 10 to 15 years.
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