2020 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Chante Alouette
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Tasting notes
Vinified from certified biodynamic grapes, the 2020 Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette checks in at 14% alcohol. Offering up flintstone, yellow apple, pear and quince, it impacts the palate with excellent flavor concentration and lifting freshness. Ending with a sapid finish, the medium- to full-bodied 2020 should drink well over the next ten years.
Critic scores
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Brilliant all the way, the 2020 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc is a white readers should snatch up. All Marsanne from a mix of both granitic sites and more loess sites, brought up a mix of demi-muids and tank, it has a gorgeous perfume of honeyed peach, quince, crushed stone, and toast. With bright acidity, medium to full body, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep for 15+ years or more. It’s a quintessential Hermitage Blanc.
Chapoutier's blended Hermitage blanc is the 2020 Hermitage Chante-Alouette, which was bottled at the end of August 2021. Almost entirely Marsanne, it boasts scents of gently toasted marshmallow, pear and citrus on the nose. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied and less concentrated than the selections parcellaires wines, but it’s charming and nicely focused, finishing long, vibrant and refreshing.
100% Marsanne. Lively and fresh on the nose, quince, citrus and confit fruit notes. Palate fresh but ripe with a confit edge. Adequate fruit but not at all heavy. Some drive on the pristine finish. (JL)