M. Chapoutier - Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne 2019

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Attractive black fruit (blackberry and blueberry), slightly jammy. On the palate, a round start and fairly powerful balance, the finish becomes fresh again, it's still too young. A great success for this cuvée.

About the domain :

Today, Michel Chapoutier is ably supported by his children Mathilde and Maxime, to run the most important wine house in the Northern Rhône, and a long-standing specialist in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. Chapoutier is not only a major wine merchant, but also a producer of top-flight domaine cuvées, as the estate's vines have long been cultivated biodynamically. Sélections parcellaires, the top-of-the-range wines, perfectly reflect Chapoutier's philosophy: parcel-based, single-varietal and produced every year, they are above all a reflection of the terroir, in all its good aspects and sometimes its excesses.

Decanter

About the wine:

The nose is intense and so is the palate, with a little reduced plum juice added to the blackberry, and even a touch of blackcurrant. Very saturated color, impressive length. High intensity, strong acidity and fairly intense tannins make this a very powerful wine that will age with interest. The alcohol, though quite high, is not unbalanced. This wine provides plenty of hedonistic pleasure at the moment of tasting, but it will really prove its worth (and deserve its rating) when it reaches maturity. You can enjoy it now, but I recommend waiting until 2029.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

This venerable (19th c.) and unmissable house, brought into international orbit by Michel Chapoutier in the 1990s, offers a wide range from its own vineyards (345 ha, biodynamic) or purchased grapes, in most of the Rhône Valley's leading appellations, as well as in Roussillon and Alsace. His children, Mathilde and Maxime, have recently joined the family adventure.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About the domain :

Under the Maison M. Chapoutier address, 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 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 Australia), a testament to the family's dynamism. While some cuvées are convincing, others are far more unspectacular. This heterogeneity has led us to withdraw the star from the house this year.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

At once rich and fleshy, yet deeply and firmly structured, this Hermitage displays numerous aromas of smoke, leather and animals. With a little aeration, a balsamic note emerges. Dense, inky finish, but very positive. Excellent balance and vitality, suggesting long ageing potential. Made from Demeter-certified biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now, but preferably from 2025.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

I was wowed by the 2019 Hermitage Monier De La Sizeranne, and if there's a best buy for Hermitage 2019, this might be it. Blackberries, black raspberries, spice box, new leather and garni all dominate the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, with a round, structured palate, lovely tannins and a rare blend of richness and elegance. It's a stunning wine that's sure to put a smile on your face for the next two decades. Hats off to the Chapoutier team!