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Bottle: $471.18
Another truly flawless wine from this dream team is the 2018 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which comes from a vineyard...
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100
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100
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750ml - Case of 6
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Another perfect wine in the lineup is the 2020 Ermitage L'Ermite Blanc, and white wine simply doesn’t get any...
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750ml - Case of 6
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Perhaps the most surprising thing is how spectacular the 2002 whites are from Michel Chapoutier. Because of space...
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94
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94
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Superdense, with lots of bass showing now--anise, fennel seed, cardamom, glazed pear and fig--but there's still...
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97
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Just as good as the de l’Orée, but in a very different style, the medium gold-hued 2006 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc...
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99
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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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1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $673.26
From a warm site and a hot vintage, the 2009 Ermitage le Meal Blanc was harvested on the August 28, and aged in 100%...
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750ml - Case of 6
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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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Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more...
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Slightly more reserved now than on release, the 2012 Ermitage le Meal Blanc offers tons of honeyed minerality,...
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Similar in style to the hedonistically-styled Cuvee de l’Orée (especially when compared to the structured,...
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Another perfect wine is the 2015 Ermitage le Meal Blanc. The most decadent, unctuous and layered in the lineup, with...
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Similarly colored, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc comes from a warmer terroir of pebbly and more loess soils and...
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96
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The 2017 Ermitage le Meal Blanc starts with refined notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings that move into a...
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97-99 Is le Méal the most complex and complete lieu-dit on Hermitage, when considering both red and white wines? The...
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I was blown away by the 2020 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, which is certainly the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve...
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Brilliant all the way, the 2020 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc is a white readers should snatch up. All Marsanne...
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95
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1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
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Another blockbuster that savvy readers need to buy up, the 2012 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc is a drop-dead...
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95
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White Barbera Marsanne Robola

For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.

In the mountains of Cephalonia, the mineral rich soils assist in the growing of one of the finest of Greece's white grape varietals – the Robola grape. These noble yellowish grapes are notable for the wines they produce, which generally contain summer fruits, peach and citrus aromas, coupled with flavors which extend beyond the usual range of white wines, revealing smoky and mineral notes, and a lengthy, lemony after-taste. These fine characteristics helped the regions it is grown in gain AOC status, and wine-makers in this area have many generations of practice in bringing out the elegant and subtle characteristics of this grape.

Robola, and the other wines of Cephalonia have a long and illustrious history, being mentioned even in ancient epic poems such as Homer's Iliad. However, it was the Venetians who first recognized the great potential of Robola grapes, which quickly became the focus for the areas wine-makers and tradesmen. Nowadays, Robola wines act as an excellent example of a refined Greek dry white wine, which can be either drank as a light and refreshing summer aperitif, or alongside grilled white meats, salads, or white fish. Robola wines, as a rule, do not age particularly well, and it is highly recommended that bottles are drunk young, within two years of bottling. By doing so, you can enjoy the unique characteristics of this remarkable wine, complete with the balanced combination of chalky, smoky citrus flavors and delicate peach aromas which typify the finest examples of Robola varietal wines.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?