The nose is like an essence of Mirabelle plums that pulls you into its tight inner orbit like a huge yellow star. This starts so quietly, but expands and expands as it flows over your palate in a way that’s not quite like any other white Rhône I can remember. How can a wine with such gigantic concentration have such perfect balance? The most amazing thing is the way the toasty richness interacts with the primal stony side of the wine: two faces of the same coin. Limited production. From biodynamically grown grapes.
2021
M. Chapoutier, Ermitage Blanc L’Ermite 2021 3x150cl 100/100 JS
Top Score: 100 points
“How can a wine with such gigantic concentration have such perfect balance?”
Price IN BOND
£1,935.00 3 x 150cl magnums
3 in stock
| Colour | White |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône |
100 points James Suckling
98 points Decanter
Piercing intensity on the nose, there’s mango, candied citrus peels and salt. Only medium-bodied, but it’s an athletic, precise and hugely energetic Ermite, with really driving, focused acidity and immense salty minerality. Straight, long, and intense. Rather than the extract and concentration of some recent warmer vintages, this has immense drive.
96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck
Not yet bottled (this cuvée always sees a slightly longer élevage), the 2021 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc comes from a mix of limestone and granite soils and is still resting in 25% new demi-muids. If there’s a white of the vintage, this might be it. Honeyed lemons, quince, mango, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality all define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and pure, with an undeniable salinity on the finish. As usual, this tight, focused, and backward Hermitage needs at least 3-4 years of bottle age.
