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Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2011
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$223.25
Even better and always one of the top whites in any given vintage, the 2011 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree (first...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2012
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle:
$300.12
The 2012 Ermitage De L’Orée continues to drink brilliantly and is starting to show a touch of maturity. Offering a...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2013
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$222.36
Leading off three single-vintage whites from Hermitage, the stunning 2013 Ermitage Cuvee de L’Orée has an...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2014
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$247.05
The thickest, most unctuous, full-bodied and sexy white of the vintage is the 2014 Ermitage de l’Orée. Coming all...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$258.95
Of the three sélection parcellaire whites, the 2015 Ermitage de l’Orée is the most fresh and lively, with...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$166.27
The 2016 Ermitage De L’Orée is also beautiful in the vintage and has a huge nose of buttered citrus, white...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$159.53
Rich and opulent on the nose, with yellow peach and honeycomb. Very full bodied, with that immediate internal sweet...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2018
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$171.77
96-98 Classy hints of pencil shavings accent the pear, nectarine and melon fruit in the full-bodied, voluptuous 2018...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc L'oree 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$159.53
A breathtaking and expansive bouquet of mirabelle tart with a wide spectrum of candied citrus aromas, fresh almonds,...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2011
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$477.73
The 2011 Ermitage l’Ermite Blanc is pure perfection in white wine. Coming from very old, pre-phylloxera vines...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2014
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$740.63
The wine of the vintage (and I’ll include all the wines of the northern Rhône, red and white in that grouping) is...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2015
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...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2016
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1256.21
The best of the lineup in 2016 is unquestionably the 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which is all Marsanne from the...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$566.45
The best of the lineup in 2016 is unquestionably the 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which is all Marsanne from the...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$637.35
As in 2016, my favorite of the white parcel selections this year is the 2017 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc (231 cases...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2018
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$471.37
Another truly flawless wine from this dream team is the 2018 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which comes from a vineyard...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage L'ermite Blanc 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$402.18
Another perfect wine in the lineup is the 2020 Ermitage L'Ermite Blanc, and white wine simply doesn’t get any...
Pre-Arrival
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2002
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...
White Rhone Blends Ice Wine Marsanne Savatiano
Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.
Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.
However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.
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?