2022 Ermitage Blanc l'Ermite
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Tasting notes
The Ermitage Blanc l’Ermite, the rarest white cuvée from Chapoutier, comes from a tiny 0.5-hectare plot situated at the top of the Hermitage hill, planted with old-vine Marsanne (some older than 100 years in age). It’s a real step up after Le Méal and De l’Orée, dialled up in terms of both density and complexity. It’s closer to Le Méal in style, but even more refined and elegant – an aristocratic wine. There’s rich, ripe fruit, but it’s in balance, with a salinity that comes through on the incredibly long finish. Very young, this will age for decades.
Critic scores
Average Score
Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Ermitage L'Ermite Blanc is closer in style to the de L’Orée with its tighter, more focused, backward style, although there’s more dry extract and concentration here. Crushed citrus, orange blossom, and incredible minerality all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a dense, stacked mid-palate, high acidity, and a great finish. It's built for the cellar. As always, this comes from a lieu-dit located above the Le Meal lieu-dit and mostly decomposed granite (there’s a touch of limestone soils.) It’s still resting in 90% demi-muids, 25% being new.
Vinified from old-vine Marsanne grapes grown at the top of Hermitage hill, the 2022 Ermitage Blanc L'Ermite is splendid. Vivid spring blossom and honeysuckle mingle with struck match, vanilla, melon, peach, pear and yellow apple. Medium- to full-bodied and quite concentrated, the 2022 captures freshness in this warm vintage remarkably well. It concludes with bright energy on the long-lasting finish.
About the producer
M. Chapoutier is one of the Rhône’s most famous and established producers. The company produces an incredibly broad range of wines at every price point – from everyday Côtes du Rhône to its top single-vineyard cuvées, both from estate-owned vineyards and purchased fruit.