2001 M. Chapoutier, Ermitage, De l'Oree

From a 3.5ha plot of ancient glacial alluvial deposits of lieu-dit Les Murets, this is an outrageous and addictive style. Toasted almond and marzipan notes are backed up by apricot and subtle peach. It's very full-bodied, rich and round in the mouth, and the alcohol is high but not out-of-whack. There's significant oak influence, which works well in this incredibly opulent and rich wine. The extraordinarily long finish seems to go on forever, and although the acidity is low, the gentle bitterness and sheer intensity, impact and salinity provide edge, tension and drinkability.

The great American patriot and wine connoisseur Thomas Jefferson called Hermitage “the single greatest white wine of France.” Slightly lower-keyed, but still prodigious, the 2001 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree does not possess the muscle, volume, or weight of the 2000, but it is a beautifully etched, elegant, intensely mineral wine offering hints of white flowers, citrus oils, and earth in its dense, full-bodied, chewy personality. Like its older sibling, it will be delicious in its first 3-4 years of life, then close down, to re-emerge 10-12 years later. It will last for three decades or more. These uncompromising offerings from a young genius are not meant for consumers who want something to drink immediately. They are the essence of bio-dynamically farmed vineyard sites cropped incredibly low, given extended fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and rarely touched until they go into the bottle unfined and unfiltered. In most vintages, the wines are not even racked off their lees, which only adds to their natural style. These are truly remarkable wines, but for most readers, patience is the operative rule as they generally need a good 8-10 years to strut their stuff. Once moribund, over the last 12 years, this firm has become one of the reference points for nearly all the Rhone Valley appellations since the brash yet immensely talented Michel Chapoutier took over in the late eighties. The single vineyard offerings are as good as Rhone Valley wines can be. Moreover, Chapoutier continues to upgrade the quality of those wines offered in more significant quantities than the 500 or so cases each of the single vineyard offerings. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Pale color. Reticent but complex nose hints at honey, hay, smoke and mint. Dense but tight; not fleshy or round today but very nicely delineated. The Granits blanc is rounder and more open today but this is ripe, spicy and very long.