Ermitage ‘De L’Orée’  Blanc, M Chapoutier, Hermitage, Northern Rhome, France, 2014 

3.5ha vineyard, hand-harvested 100% organic Marsanne produced using biodynamic principles. 50% vinified in 600l barrels with lees stirring, the rest fermented in vat. Aged 10-12 months in barrel.

The grapes producing “De l’Orée” come from the plot ‘Les Murets’ in the Eastern part of the hill. The soil was formed by alluvions coming from the Rhône and Isère Rivers during the Ice Age. It is composed of rolled pebbles and sand. The old vines (70 years old) guarantee low yields of high quality grapes. It is an amazing wine with a great potential for ageing. Many aromas characterise this wine: White fruit, honeysuckle, quince, spices and hazelnut. It is very long in the mouth, with a fresh final note. 

"The thickest, most unctuous, full-bodied and sexy white of the vintage is the 2014 Ermitage de l’Orée. Coming all from the sedimentary soils of the Les Murets and aged mostly in demi-muids (only 15% new), it offers a sensational perfume of caramelized peaches, campfire, honeysuckle and white flowers that literally come soaring from the glass. Possessing uncommon density, a stacked mid-palate, loads of sweet fruit and a blockbuster finish, this hedonistic effort can be drunk with incredibly pleasure today, or cellared for a decade or more. It will have three or more decades of overall longevity." 98+/100 Jeb Dunnuck www.robertparker.com 

Drink with rich seafood dishes such as crayfish, or lobster.