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 6x75cl 100/100 JS
Top Score: 100 points
“How can a wine with such gigantic concentration have such perfect balance?”
Price IN BOND
£1,470.00 6 x 75cl Bottles
10 in stock
| Colour | White |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône |
100 points James Suckling
98-100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Ermitage l’Ermite Blanc was tasted one month prior to bottling, hence the parenthetical rating. Scents of crushed stone accent notes of apricot, pineapple and lime on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied. In the mouth, this is straight, almost severe; it tells you when to jump and how high, with zesty, briny notes lingering long on the finish.
96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck
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 Jeb Dunnuck
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.
