M. Chapoutier : Chante-Alouette 2019

Blended from the lieux-dits of Les Murets, Le Méal and the loess portion of L'Ermite, the 2019 Hermitage Chante-Alouette is a ripe, rich wine marked by notes of toasty oak, pear, pineapple, melon and citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky in feel across the mid-palate, then long and zesty-briny on the finish. It can be consumed young or after a decade of cellaring.

Deliciously ripe and succulent, with yellow apple, green plum and Cavaillon melon notes laced with salted butter, honeysuckle and heather. This has a minerally edge and a flash of bitter orange buried on the finish, adding a hint of tension for balance. Lovely. Drink now through 2030. 35 cases imported.

Open and pronounced, showing rich, ripe mango and honeysuckle. Very full bodied, with a lovely, smooth, silky and juicy mouthfeel. The acidity is tangy and present, and helps to balance the quite potent alcohol, which adds further weight and intensity. Remarkable concentration and depth, very powerful. Richer than a classic year, with great intensity.

Always a classic Hermitage Blanc, the 2019 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc is all Marsanne that comes mostly from vines just above the Le Méal lieu-dit, but also from the upper part of the Les Murets. A rich, medium- to full-bodied beauty, it has classic Hermitage minerality as well as smoking good notes of buttered peach, quince, woodsmoke, crushed stone, and a touch of spice. It shows even more minerality on the palate and is balanced, with ample mid-palate depth and a great finish. This young, concentrated, vibrant Hermitage Blanc can be drunk over the coming 20–25 years or more.

A nicely ripe nose with beeswax and yellow fruit; a slender, well-balanced palate with lovely freshness.

The cuvée is very well built, with richness, but above all plenty of freshness and tension. Energetic, it is set for excellent ageing potential.