2012 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc

Light gold. Poached pear, peach pit, honey and blond tobacco on the intensely perfumed, mineral-driven nose. Pliant, deeply concentrated pit fruit and melon flavors are complemented by succulent herbs and orange pith, with a stony element adding back-end cut. The mineral note reminds me a lot of Chablis, as strange as that may sound for an all-Marsanne wine. Suavely melds weight and vivacity, finishing with excellent clarity and length and a clinging note of candied orange.

Slightly more reserved now than on release, the 2012 Ermitage le Meal Blanc offers tons of honeyed minerality, caramelized peach, toasted bread and liquid rock-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, rich, vibrant and with terrific acidity, it's a sensational white that will have 3-4 decades of life. Sep 2015, www.robertparker.com