M. Chapoutier : Chante-Alouette 2018

A Complex and Subtle Hermitage Wine

The estate

Established in Tain-L’Hermitage since 1808, Maison M. Chapoutier today ranks among the elite of the greatest names in Rhône Valley wine.

A winegrower and négociant, Michel Chapoutier has, vintage after vintage, led this family business to the very top. The wines of Maison Chapoutier are renowned among the most discerning connoisseurs, far beyond France’s borders, for their refinement and outstanding quality. A man of many talents, Michel Chapoutier holds the world record for 100/100 scores awarded by the American critic Robert Parker. His daughter Mathilde has taken up the torch of this iconic house, overseeing more than 350 hectares of vineyards across the most prestigious appellations of the northern and southern Rhône Valley.

The vineyard

This 2018 Chante-Alouette cuvée is a Hermitage wine sourced from three different vineyards: "Le Méal", characterised by fluvio-glacial alluvial soil strewn with pebbles; "Les Murets", with its clay and gravel soil; and "Chante-Alouette", which gave the wine its name. Its high-altitude terroir, where loess mingles with very finely decomposed granite, lends the wine freshness, salinity and acidity.

Vinification and ageing

Hand harvesting. Long pressing and light settling before fermentation. Lees stirring is carried out during the first 2 to 3 months, adding texture to the wine. The wine is aged partly in stainless steel vats (30 to 40%) and partly in demi-muids (60 to 70%), with 10% new oak and 90% oak that has previously held one to three wines.

Blend

Marsanne (100%)

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the 2018 Chante-Alouette by M. Chapoutier

Tasting

Colour
Brilliant, with a beautiful green-gold hue.

Nose
Complex and subtle, the nose offers aromas of quince, walnut and honey, complemented by touches of ginger and acacia and a hint of linden.

Palate
With a clean, assertive yet gentle attack, the very elegant palate seduces with a long finish marked by aromas of almond.