2013 - Ermitage De l'Oree, M. Chapoutier

Leading off three single-vintage whites from Hermitage, the stunning 2013 Ermitage Cuvee de L’Orée has an off-the-hook bouquet that includes just about everything you could think of when considering Hermitage Blanc. White peach, white flowers, almond paste, quince and wet rock are just some of the nuances, and it packs a serious punch on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a flamboyant, expansive texture and riveting focus and purity. Give it a year or so and drink it over the following 2-3 decades.

Light yellow-gold. An impressively complex bouquet evokes ripe citrus and orchard fruits, iodine and white flowers, and a hint of smoky minerals emerges with air. Sappy, penetrating and focused on the palate, offering intense Meyer lemon, quince, ginger and sweet butter flavors that deepen and spread out on the back half. Powerful and deeply concentrated yet graceful, finishing with superb energy and lingering floral and mineral notes. The vines from which this wine is sourced are in the Les Murets lieu-dit.

Certified-biodynamic Marsanne from Les Murets. The growing season was late with some heat spikes. Half was fermented in 600-litre wooden barrels and half in 'vats'. Aged on fine lees with stirring for six months and bottled after a total ageing period of 10 to 12 months. A little fatter than the 2014 Méal and with less attack. Rather suppressed initially and although some fresh mint-and-fennel notes eventually emerged, it seems as though it's in a middle-aged stage. Not quite enough zest, but it has a certain mealiness like one of the richer white burgundies - and an attractive mild bitterness on the finish. Full bodied. (JR)