2015 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvée de L'Oree Blanc

The 2015 Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée exhales fragrant dried blossom, dried ginger and quince. Notes of straw, toast and saffron add more complexity. Packed with ample concentration and intensity, the energetic 2015 dances across the palate. Athletic and alluring, this is an outstanding Blanc De L'Orée that currently sits in a perfect drinking spot. It leaves a fine saline sensation on the impressive finale.

Full bottle 1,384 g. Certified biodynamic. From a very hot year. 60- to 70-year-old Marsanne form Les Murets. Very old fluvioglacial alluvial deposits. After pressing, the must is cold-settled for 24 hours. About 50% is vinified in 600-litre wooden barrels with regular stirring; the rest in 'vats'. Matured on lees for 10 to 12 months, with stirring for six months. Rich, beeswax nose but with some obvious tension too. Round and honeyed. This is a complex wine that will need careful food-matching. Shellfish perhaps? And we'll try it with a creamy chicken-liver parfait tonight. Special wine, full-bodied but refreshing and almost nervy. Light bitterness on the end. (JR)

Vivid yellow-gold. Powerful, mineral-accented orange, melon, white peach, toasted brioche and iodine scents show impressive focus and vivacity. Displays a compelling blend of depth and energy, offering concentrated, mineral-tinged citrus and pit fruit, honey and candied fig flavors complemented by a subtle anise quality. Finishes with outstanding focus and lift, leaving behind suave floral and mineral notes.