2017 Hermitage Blanc Chante Alouette

Some chalky, wet-stone aromas are backed by very attractive pears and poached apples. On the palate, this has a layered feel with a strong core of saline mineral and plenty of rich honey and poached pears. Long and fleshy. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.

Slightly fresher than the 2016, the 2017 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc offers a beautiful bouquet of white flowers, citrus blossom, green almonds, and hints of tangerine. It's vibrant, medium to full-bodied, fresh, and crisp on the palate, with terrific purity as well as building richness. Brought up in 65% demi-muids, with the balance in stainless steel, it’s a classic, impeccably made Hermitage Blanc that will keep for 15+ years. The estate of firebrand Michel Chapoutier continues to operate on all cylinders, and these latest 2016 and 2017 releases are world class for this address. The 2017 whites show the gradual change toward a more reductive style of winemaking, and the wines at times have an almost Burgundian feel in their minerality, acidity, and texture. Nevertheless, they’re fabulously concentrated and rich and will need 2-4 years of cellaring. The 2016 whites showed beautifully, and I prefer those to the 2017s. The majority of the 2017 reds were tasted as barrel samples. This is a ripe, sexy, expressive vintage for the Northern Rhône, and this shows in the wines. The 2017s don’t appear to have the density of the more blockbuster styled 2015s, yet they have expressive, sunny characters that will deliver loads of charm. The 2016s having slightly more density and cooler-climate styled aromatics, yet are nevertheless some of the richest, sexiest wines in the vintage. In addition to the frightfully expensive top-tier cuvées, don’t miss the value releases from this estate. These wines max out the QPR scale and are great introductions into the wines of Chapoutier as well as the Rhône Valley.

100% Marsanne. Cask sample. Tasted blind. Nutty, sweetly spiced nose with fleshy stone fruit aromas. Creamy, soft palate with buttery flavours and ripe fruit at first, but the finish falls away quite suddenly. (RH)