Do we ship to you?.
Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2011
$128.45
Syrah
France
Rhone Valley
Hermitage
750ml
N/A
Better Price
2001
$99.73
Syrah
France
Rhone Valley
Hermitage
750ml
Similar Price
2016
$133.72
Syrah
France
Rhone Valley
Hermitage
750ml
Similar Price, Better Score
2014
$134.48
Syrah
France
Rhone Valley
Hermitage
750ml
Better Price, Better Score
2011
$90.00
Syrah
France
Rhone Valley
Hermitage
750ml
More wines available from M. Chapoutier
750ml
Bottle:
$35.60
All Viognier, the 2020 Vin De France Esteban Blanc is a juicy, medium-bodied, delicious sparkler that has quality...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac 2008
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$132.96
This shows some of the vintage's raisinlike edge and slightly angular acidity, but the core of mulled damson plum,...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac 2009
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$133.13
Even better is the 507-case cuvee of 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac. One of the wines of the vintage, this dark...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac 2015
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$109.70
The 2015 Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Barbe Rac comes from a single vineyard on the western side of the appellation. Made...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$98.69
The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac is brilliant and up there with some of the finest vintages to date of this...
More Details
Winery
M. Chapoutier
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Syrah
There continues to be much debate surrounding the name of the Shiraz/Syrah grape varietal, with many experts still quite unsure which came first. Indeed, even the origins of this varietal are more or less unknown, despite it being most commonly associated with the Rhone Valley of France, and New World countries, most notably Australia. However, its popularity and unique characteristics have seen it planted all over the world, where it continues to impress with its powerful flavors and wonderfully spicy notes of pepper and clove. Shiraz/Syrah wines are renowned also for their versatility, and are regularly used in single variety still and sparkling wines, as well as blended and oak aged wines which demonstrate its ability to express its terroir and secondary flavors very well.
Region: Rhone Valley
The Rhone Valley of southern France is a particularly fascinating wine region, with a history that stretches back to at least six hundred BCE, when the ancient Greeks first began cultivating vines there. The region itself is split into two distinct sub-regions, with the northern sub-region being famed for its production of exceptional Syrah, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier wines, packed full of interesting character and expressing the terroir found there. The southern sub-region is home to an enormous variety of grapes, and produces red, white and rosé wines, and some of the world's most famous and adored blended wines. The continental climate of the region is ideal for growing grapes, and the winds which blow from the Central Massif help temper the heat in the vineyards, leading to very ripe fruits holding plenty of flavor.
Country: France
France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.