M. Chapoutier - Ermitage De L'Orée blanc 2013

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Large nose, still fermenting, pear-shaped, full-bodied, harmonious, very noble texture, finish still slightly limited, great potential.

About the estate:

Michel Chapoutier is now ably assisted by his children Mathilde and Maxime in running the largest wine house in the northern Rhône, a long-standing specialist in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage wines. Chapoutier is not only a major wine merchant, but also produces high-quality estate wines, with the estate's vines having been cultivated biodynamically for many years. The single-vineyard selections, the top of the range, perfectly reflect the philosophy of the master of the house: single-vineyard, single-varietal and produced every year, they are above all a reflection of the terroir, in its good aspects and sometimes its excesses.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This venerable (19th century) and unmissable winery, launched onto the international stage by Michel Chapoutier in the 1990s, offers a wide range of wines from its own vineyards (345 hectares, biodynamic) or purchased grapes, in most of the leading appellations of the Rhône Valley, as well as in Roussillon and Alsace. His children, Mathilde and Maxime, have recently joined the family adventure.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

At the top of the three vintage white wines in Hermitage, the astonishing Ermitage Cuvée de l'Orée 2013 has a breathtaking bouquet that includes just about everything you can think of when you talk about white Hermitage. White peach, white flowers, marzipan, quince, and wet rock are just a few of the nuances present. On the palate, the wine is very powerful, with a full-bodied richness, a flamboyant and expansive texture, and a fascinating concentration and purity. Enjoy over the next two or three decades.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Under the Maison M. Chapoutier label, we bring together wines from the trading activities of this two-hundred-year-old institution in Tain-l'Hermitage. Michel Chapoutier, now accompanied by his daughter Mathilde, offers a very wide range of Rhône appellations, with a production volume approaching one million bottles. But the Chapoutier name is also present in other regions (Champagne, Alsace, Languedoc and even Australia), reflecting the dynamism of this family. While some vintages are impressive, others are much more ordinary. This inconsistency has led us to withdraw the star from the house this year.

Wine Spectator

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

Very deep copper color. Headily fragrant nose of flowers and lilies. Stone fruit on the palate. Neutral and full-bodied, already very developed. Very charming—manages to combine body and freshness. A real triumph. Although a little lighter than many vintages.

Vinous

About wine:

Light golden yellow. An impressively complex bouquet evokes ripe citrus and orchard fruits, iodine and white flowers, with a hint of smoky minerals emerging on the nose. The palate is sapid, penetrating, and concentrated, offering intense flavors of Meyer lemon, quince, ginger, and sweet butter that deepen and expand on the second half of the mouth. Powerful and deeply concentrated, yet graceful, it finishes with superb energy and lingering floral and mineral notes. The vines from which this wine is made are located in the Les Murets vineyard.

Jeb Dunnuck