M. Chapoutier - Saint-Joseph Les Granilites blanc 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

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

About wine:

Very spicy nose, with elegant oak framing the pineapple aromas. It is quite full-bodied, certainly flavorful, but not heavy, as it retains liveliness, salinity, and drinkability. So, overall, it's a fairly intelligent wine. Very well balanced for a hot year, it has the intensity of a hot year, but without excess fat or alcohol. Charming. Fermented in demi-muids and aged 25% in barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

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

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

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.

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

Slight reduction on the nose, clean and fresh, with a toasted almond character. On the palate, there is a sensation of maturity, apple skin, and a hint of toasted nuts. Fresh and spicy notes as well. Good freshness, well-balanced—and has good weight—with a slight spicy note on the finish.

James Suckling

About wine:

Very fresh and delicate nose for such a hot and dry vintage, but with a little aeration, a lovely aroma of lemon curd develops, followed by a hint of caramel with a little more aeration. The palate is concentrated, medium-bodied, with a pronounced stony character on the finish. From the vineyards of Tournon and Mauves with a mixture of granitic and sedimentary soils. Made from organically grown grapes. Enjoy now or keep.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

The Saint Joseph Les Granilites Blanc 2022 is showing clear progress and displays beautiful richness and great depth. Quince, orange blossom, and spicy notes blend together in a medium-bodied white that is round, supple, and well-balanced, with well-integrated acidity, good depth on the mid-palate, and exceptional length. This is a lovely, pure, high-class white that will evolve over 5 to 7 years.