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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $166.91
The 2016 Ermitage De L’Orée is also beautiful in the vintage and has a huge nose of buttered citrus, white...
WA
97
WS
97
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $179.28
Rich and opulent on the nose, with yellow peach and honeycomb. Very full bodied, with that immediate internal sweet...
DC
99
JD
98
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $173.72
96-98 Classy hints of pencil shavings accent the pear, nectarine and melon fruit in the full-bodied, voluptuous 2018...
WA
98
JD
98
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $186.28
A breathtaking and expansive bouquet of mirabelle tart with a wide spectrum of candied citrus aromas, fresh almonds,...
JS
99
WS
98
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $197.38
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $415.72
Case only
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $580.96
Another perfect wine from this reference point estate, the 2012 L'Ermite Blanc tastes like the essence of this...
WA
100
JD
100
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $654.95
Completing a trifecta of perfect whites, the 2013 Ermitage l’Ermite Blanc is another sensational effort that offers...
WA
100
WS
98
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $800.35
The wine of the vintage (and I’ll include all the wines of the northern Rhône, red and white in that grouping) is...
WA
100
WS
97
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $458.28
I’ve probably rated the L'Ermite Blanc a perfect score more times than any other wine out there, and the 2015...
WA
100
JD
100
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White
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1261.10
The best of the lineup in 2016 is unquestionably the 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which is all Marsanne from the...
JD
100
WA
98
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $559.62
The best of the lineup in 2016 is unquestionably the 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which is all Marsanne from the...
JD
100
WA
98
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $639.12
As in 2016, my favorite of the white parcel selections this year is the 2017 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc (231 cases...
WA
100
DC
98
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $492.59
Another truly flawless wine from this dream team is the 2018 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which comes from a vineyard...
WA
100
JD
100
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $184.95
Perhaps the most surprising thing is how spectacular the 2002 whites are from Michel Chapoutier. Because of space...
WA
94
VM
94
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.95
Superdense, with lots of bass showing now--anise, fennel seed, cardamom, glazed pear and fig--but there's still...
WS
97
WA
96
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $209.55
I was shocked by the 2007 Ermitage le Meal Blanc and from a vintage that yielded mostly forward, supple and...
WA
99
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $221.95
From a warm site and a hot vintage, the 2009 Ermitage le Meal Blanc was harvested on the August 28, and aged in 100%...
WA
99
WS
98
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $218.12
Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more...
WA
99
VM
94
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $249.94
Another perfect wine is the 2015 Ermitage le Meal Blanc. The most decadent, unctuous and layered in the lineup, with...
WA
100
WS
98

Marsanne Melon de Bourgogne France

One of the more unusual French grape varietals, Melon de Bourgogne has been grown in and around the Loire Valley for several hundred years. In fact, this grape was first planted in the Loire region of Pays Nantais back in the mid 17th century, after a devastating frost decimated most of the red grapes which were typical in the area. The winemakers of Pays Nantais were keen to cultivate vines which were hardy, high yielding, and capable of surviving another such frost, and so turned their attention to Melon de Bourgogne for this very reason. The native home of the varietal is actually in Burgundy, where it is still grown to a lesser extent.


Because Melon de Bourgogne produces naturally heavy yields, the vintners of Pays Nantais go to great lengths to reduce the amount of fruit the vines bear. This allows the finest characteristics of the grape to come forward, and also opens up the opportunity for it to express the wonderful granite and schist soils in which the vines are grown. Melon de Bourgogne is a minerally white wine grape varietal, with a very subtle set of fruit flavors. It is prized for its freshness and brightness, and is seeing a revival in the twenty first century as an excellent wine for pairing with a wide range of foods.

Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.