Maison M.Chapoutier
About Maison M.Chapoutier
Established in 1808, M. Chapoutier is one of the oldest producers in the Rhône Valley. But its current worldwide fame - and the quality of its wines today - can be credited to the arrival of Michel Chapoutier in 1990. His willingness to change established practices - plus his determination to reflect the full potential of individual terroirs - has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world.
The seventh-generation bearing the Chapoutier name to craft wines within the Rhône, it is reasonable to say that Michel Chapoutier is one of the most important figures not only within his native region, but the whole of France given his impact on the world’s fine wine scene.
Travelling extensively throughout both the Old and New wine producing worlds in his youth, Michel returned to the Northern Rhône with both vigorous passion for his craft as well as extensive knowledge gathered from hundreds of traditional and revolutionary vignerons from around the globe. The most important, lasting lesson learnt was the importance of terroir and the expression of nature’s nuances – a principle clearly evident throughout the modern Chapoutier offerings.
Setting about purchasing shares in his family company until he possessed a managing control, the first act of this masterful figure at the helm of Chapoutier was a revolutionary conversion of the entire estate to biodynamic principles in order to respect and encourage the terroir. An unprecedented move considered to be extraordinarily risky at the time, today many of its peers are merely playing catch-up to this imperious producer at the very height of its powers.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Victoria | 2 | 94 (RP) | HK$2,799.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate - Robert Parker (94)Deep garnet with a touch of purple, the 2009 Cluster M45 Shiraz has notes of fragrant earth and forest floor over youthful black fruits and tar. Full-bodied and built like a brick house with firm chewy tannins and a nice acid backbone, it has a wonderfully long, earthy finish. James Suckling (2009) 94 pts Peat, smoke and bonfire with a plump mid-palate pushing the envelope, with some stemmy complexity keeping the tone drinkable. Most powerful wine of the tasting. Drink now or hold. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 98+ (WA) | HK$16,405.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98+)Conservatively, the 2009 Ermitage l’Ermite (702 cases) needs 25-30 years of cellaring. Another monumental effort from Michel Chapoutier, it possesses copious notes of smoky asphalt, black truffles, pen ink, graphite and blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of flowers and crushed rocks. Extremely full-bodied with abundant sweet tannins, amazing penetration on the palate and a long finish, this historic effort should age effortlessly for 50-100+ years. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 100 (WA) | HK$18,110.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)Even inkier in color than the 2010, the 2009 Ermitage le Meal is as good as Hermitage gets. Locked and loaded with phenomenal notes of jammy black raspberries, creme de cassis, crushed violets, smoked earth and spice, it's thick and unctuous on the palate, with incredible density, a huge mid-palate and a layered, multi-dimensional, seamless, elegant texture that just keeps you coming back and begging for another sip. More hedonistic and voluptuous than the 2010, it should still evolve for just as long, yet have even a broader drink window. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 99 (WA) | HK$8,480.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)From a warm site and a hot vintage, the 2009 Ermitage le Meal Blanc was harvested on the August 28, and aged in 100% new French oak. Flirting with perfection and a full-bore, exotic, almost over-the-top expression of Marsanne, it has less minerality than the 2010, yet more of everything else with boatloads of caramelized fruits, buttered citrus, white flowers, honey and crushed rocks all soaring from the glass. Rich, layered, exuberant, unctuous and exotic, with stunning freshness despite it's thickness and weight, drink this incredible white anytime over the coming 30-40 years. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 6 | 100 (WA) | HK$19,555.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)A perfect wine, the 2009 Ermitage Le Pavillon (1,093 cases) boasts a black/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of acacia flowers, blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, creme de cassis, truffles, graphite, powdered rock and new saddle leather. Extremely dense, noble and pure, this monumental Ermitage is built for 50-100 years of cellaring. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 95 (WA) | HK$7,880.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)Closer in style to the ’11, yet with more mid-palate depth and concentration, the 2009 Ermitage Les Greffieux is a voluptuous, decadent and seriously fruited Hermitage that has full-bodied richness and power, layers of sweet fruit and awesome concentration. It will drink well for over two decades. |