2006 Ermitage, Le Méal, Michel Chapoutier
About Producer
The modern history of Maison Chapoutier started in 1989 with the creation of the first 'Sélections Parcellaires' by Michel Chapoutier. In 1990, Michel began biodynamic viticulture to eventually convert all his vineyards in 1995. Since 1996, all Maison Chapoutier’s wine labels are in Braille as a tribute to Maurice Monier de la Sizeranne, inventor of the first abridged form of Braille, whose family estate was bought by Marius Chapoutier in 1928.
Varietals
Syrah.
About Appellation
According to legend, Queen Blanche de Castille granted permission to Knight Gaspard de Sterimberg to settle in the hills overlooking the hamlet of Tain in 1224 when he returned home badly wounded from the Cathar Crusade. He isolated himself as a hermit and started to plant vines there, hence the name of Hermitage for the hill. First mentions of the hill and its vineyard parcels with their current names were in 1389. Though history blurs the line between myth and reality, the quality of Hermitage terroirs is unquestionable.
The warmest lieu-dit on the Hermitage Hill, Le Méal is a south-facing vineyard, rising to about 240m, on granite, limestone, small pebbles and loose soil. Chapoutier’s plot is made of old vine syrah planted in the 1940s.
Tasting Notes
Captivating nose of dark fruits, tapenade, baking spices, graphite and dried flowers, dense mouthfeel with seamless texture, remarkable fruit purity and excellent focus, multilayered flavours of blackberry, raspberry, cherry preserve, black tea and liquorice liberally laced with mouth-sticking mineral undertones, juicy acidity and fine-grained tannins leading onto a long, persistent finish. This is a sensational wine with composed poise, assertive personality and voluptuous opulence, walking a tightrope between unobtrusive power and subtle finesse. It’s stylish, rich and extroverted, yet without ever straying into heavy or overbearing, and there is a bead of freshness on the palate that adds a thrilling overlay to the aftertaste. (05/2024)