M. Chapoutier - Les Vignes de Bila-Haut blanc 2018

Michel Chapoutier, a prominent and prolific figure in the Rhône Valley wine industry, has invested heavily in his estate in Latour de France (with more than 100 hectares of vineyards, extending into other villages such as Lesquerde, as well as a few plots on the Côte Vermeille). True to his reputation for perfectionism, he produces affordable wines that offer good value for the price.

Les Vignes de Bila Haut Blanc 2018 Côtes du Roussillon includes small amounts of Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier, giving it a more floral and fragrant character than previous vintages. Notes of lime, mandarin, and peach round out the intense palate, which finishes fresh, tart, and briny.

Michel Chapoutier’s outpost in Roussillon is a worthy extension of his operations in the Rhône Valley. The focus is on the same grape varieties—Grenache and Syrah, in varying proportions depending on the terroir—and the overall quality is very good, with the single-vineyard selections particularly notable for their excellence and limited production volumes. “My view is that Roussillon is like the northern Rhône within the Languedoc-Roussillon region,” Chapoutier said during our February tasting in the small village of Latour-de-France. He and the rest of his team are very optimistic about the prospects for the 2017 and 2018 vintages, which they describe as excellent. It should be noted that while Chapoutier primarily produces dry wines in Roussillon, he has not abandoned traditional styles.