Rhone Collector Wines

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This is one of the greatest dry white wines I have ever tasted. The 1999 Ermitage l’Ermite is a liquid mineral, crystalline expression. It is the essence of its grape as well as terroir. It may be the greatest expression of terroir I have seen outside of a handful of Alsatian Rieslings (Clos Ste. Hune comes to mind). It has that transparent character that terroiristes talk more about than actually recognize. Drinking it is like consuming a liquified stony concoction mixed with white flowers, licorice, and honeyed fruits. It is frightfully pure, dense, and well-delineated. As I said last year, "There is no real fruit character, just glycerin, alcohol, and liquid stones." That’s about it, but, wow, what an expression! Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. This is for the connoisseur of rare wines. Along with Gerard and Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier is producing the finest expressions of white Hermitage. His single vineyard cuvees are to die for if you like these eccentric, idiosyncratic, mammoth dry whites.Robert Parker | 100 RPNo written review provided. | 93 W&SBeautiful. Thick, yet so reserved aromatically, with plenty of honey, mineral, macadamia nut, pear tart and passion fruit. What makes it a winner is the opulent, smooth texture. Drink now through 2010. 380 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(from 70-to-80-year-old vines planted on granite soil; done entirely in new barriques) Spiced apple, minerals and toffee on the nose. Bright, firm, minerally and quite stylish. Very fine in the mouth and on the suave finish, which features oak notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.Vinous Media | 90+ VMYou call it Hermitage, they call it Ermitage; regardless, this is one smooth, waxy wine with mature peach aromas and papaya flavors that spread across your palate like sea foam on the beach. The toasty finish is soft and subdued, with hints of licorice and pepper. Quite complex and idiosyncratic; it’s the polar opposite of “mainstream.” Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more flamboyant, sexy style in its caramelized pineapple, tropical, honeyed and floral personality. Big, rich and decadent, with fabulous fruit intensity and length, this rock star flirts with perfection and will keep for another 3-4 decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPVivid gold. Heady orchard and pit fruit aromas are complicated by anise, buttered toast and iodine, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Fleshy and deeply pitched, offering wonderfully concentrated pear, nectarine and melon flavors and a zesty jolt of orange pith on the back half. Closes with superb energy and a very persistent honeydew note. I’d love to try this superb wine alongside some heavy-hitters from the Cote d’Or.Vinous Media | 94 VMA matchstick hint gives way to creamed apple, melon, heather and salted butter notes. Offers weight, depth and definition, opening up pleasantly in the glass. The long finish has a creamy feel. Drink now through 2022. 27 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Another perfect wine is the 2015 Ermitage le Meal Blanc. The most decadent, unctuous and layered in the lineup, with to-die-for notes of white currants, toasted nuts, celery seed and licorice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a huge mid-palate and a refreshing, pure, yet blockbuster finish that just won’t quit. If I had to pick a desert island white, this might be it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLovely, featuring waves of Jonagold apple, mirabelle plum, lemon curd and white peach flavors, all gilded with hints of honeysuckle, verbena and jasmine. Shows terrific range, with superior detail through the finish and lingering minerality adding length. Drink now through 2030. 636 cases made, 29 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLurid yellow-gold. Penetrating aromas of ripe, mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits are complicated by hints of chalky minerals, saffron and chamomile. Juicy, smoky and deeply concentrated but lithe on the palate, offering densely packed peach nectar, pear liqueur, Meyer lemon and buttered toast flavors that show superb drive and focus. The mineral note repeats emphatically on the incisive, smoke-laced finish, which lingers with outstanding persistence.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is dressed to impress with fresh oak framing up fragrant, ripe and slightly tarry black-fruit and cassis aromas. Pepper and graphite, too. The palate is superbly weighted, showing a classic interplay of elegance and power. Deeply succulent blackberries and black cherries snap fresh into the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2017 Ermitage le Meal Blanc starts with refined notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings that move into a whirlwind of lush fruit, ranging from pineapple through melon and pear. It’s rich, almost custardy in texture, yet it’s backed by mineral notes of crushed stone and delivers awesome freshness on the long finish. It’s an exhilarating ride. 508 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPRich, bright and very detailed, this lets a panoply of Jonagold apple, green fig, white peach, chamomile, honeysuckle and acacia notes play out in unison, with a subtle brushstroke of warm short bread caressing the finish. Drink now through 2038. 38 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAs with all the whites from Chapoutier today, the 2017 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc has a kiss of reduction in its rich, full-bodied, powerful style, which gives the wine a more focused, backward style than normal. A huge nose of celery seed, caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, and turmeric as well as plenty of minerality all emerge from the glass, and this beauty gains depth and richness with time. Hide bottles for 3-4 years and it should keep nicely for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDPicked on 24 August, this Hermitage will spend nine months in demi-muid, one-third new. There’s some spicy curry leaf reduction on the nose, with quince and honey scents. The palate is full-bodied, rich and flowing, and the acidity is quite firm and somehow mildly serrated, adding structure. It’s long, assertive, and agreeably bitter on the finish - a very good wine in this difficult year for whites, with real energy, power, balance, freshness and longevity. Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 96 DECBrilliant yellow. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe citrus and pit fruits, anise and jasmine that are complemented by a building mineral overtone. Juicy and sharply delineated on the palate, offering densely packed tangerine, pear nectar and honeysuckle flavors that put on weight on the back half. Smoothly combines power and finesse, finishing on an emphatic mineral note, showing outstanding energy, tenacity and lingering florality.Vinous Media | 96 VMA beautifully rich and complex nose with lemons and limes, white and yellow peaches and a surge of spicy oak, roasted almonds and a flicker of reductive flint. The palate has seamless build and rich, deep-set, ripe-fruit flesh. Smooth, buttery and freshly cut at the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS