1996 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal
FRANCE / RHÔNE / HERMITAGE
International Wine Cellar | Rating: 91
Dark ruby-red. Kirsch, cassis, violet, smoke and spices on the sappy nose. Very bound-up in the mouth today, with strong acidity dominating. I don't currently get the sheer richness of Hermitage, but this is precise, very firmly structured and very young. Finishes with firm tannins and a note of vanillin oak. Should age slowly and well.Author: Stephen TanzerIssue: January/February 1999Wine Spectator | Rating: 95
Near-perfect balance brings appeal to this sumptuous, silky red. Think of crushed black olives mixed with spicy virgin olive oil, add cassis, mocha, spice and toasted bread. Think of a texture so suave and opulent as to bring a smile on your face and the glass to your lips again and again. Get the picture?Author: Per-Henrik ManssonWine Advocate | Rating: 92
The 1996 Hermitage Le Meal (Chapoutier calls it the Lafite-Rothschild of Hermitage) is a mineral-dominated, high acid, medium to full-bodied, high-strung, extremely intellectual wine. It exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as mineral-dominated aromatics with notes of cassis, kirsch, and underbrush. Made from 80-year old vines, it requires 10-15 years of cellaring. Although not the most charming, opulent, or viscous style of Hermitage, it does possess the strongest terroir character of any of Chapoutier's wines. I might call it the Ausone of Hermitage!Author: Robert Parker
Self | Rating: 90
good fruit,firm tannins but not astringent,drinking well now,prob not improvingAuthor: MarcelB
This firm, founded in 1808, is the proprietor of 175 key acres of vines in five Rhone Valley appellations. Since the retirement of Max Chapoutier in 1989, his son Michel has revamped the winemaking process, and in doing so has elevated the stature of Chapoutier wines to rival some of the greatest in the region. The firm farms its vineyards biodynamically, and believes in the concept of monocepage, or the idea that each wine is produced entirely from a single grape variety. Chapoutier believes that blending mutes, rather than enhances, the character he seeks from his wines. Today the Chapoutier wines are considered benchmarks for the region, and other producers have begun to borrow the techniques and practices that Michel has been perfecting for nearly two decades. Perhaps Robert Parker, in his monumental book The World's Greatest Wine Estates, sums up the Chapoutier firm best: "A true biodynamically run estate since 1989, the objective has been to produce the purest and most natural expressions of terroir possible. Every decision is based on enhancing the characteristics of a wine's terroir, varietal character, and vintage trademark. In short, it is the earth that inspires this firm."
See other similar producers:E. Guigal,Domaine Charvin
See other similar producers:E. Guigal,Domaine Charvin
Collector Data For This Wine
- 38 bottles owned
- 18 collectors
- Average collector rating: 90
(Out of 18 collectors)