2013 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc

Yellow-gold. Smoke- and mineral-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas start off spicy and reductive, with a sexy floral element emerging slowly; smells a lot like a wine from Coche-Dury. Sappy, palate-staining pear and tangerine flavors reach every corner of the mouth and are complicated by notes of fennel, iodine and honeysuckle. Fleshes out and becomes spicier on the finish, which hangs on with outstanding tenacity and a lingering floral quality. I'd love to match this stunner up against some grand cru white Burgundies.

Easily the finest vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2013 Ermitage le Meal Blanc doesn’t give an inch to the more heralded Cuvee de L’Orée or l’Ermite. Pure perfection in a glass, with awesome caramelized citrus, pineapple, crushed rock, toasted bread and buttered peach, it’s full-bodied, massive and concentrated on the palate, with incredible purity, richness and length. As with the other top whites here, it needs a year or two in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of longevity.