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$246
M. Chapoutier’s Ermitage Le Meal Blanc is pure Marsanne from the granite of the Hermitage hill in the northern Rhone. Aged twelve months on its lees, it is rich and honeyed, with ripe apricot, white peach, beeswax and toasted almond.
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Description
M. Chapoutier farms Le Meal, one of the great lieux-dits of the Hermitage hill in the northern Rhone, and bottles it as a single-vineyard Marsanne. Le Meal lies on deep alluvial terraces of rounded stones over granite and clay, a warm, free-draining site that ripens Marsanne fully and gives the wine its weight. The estate works biodynamically, and the south-facing slope banks heat through the day while cooler air off the Rhone valley at night holds the fruit in balance. The wine is aged twelve months on its fine lees, and this extended lees contact releases mannoproteins that build a rounded, creamy texture and add savoury complexity while protecting the wine from oxidation. Marsanne is naturally low in acidity and rich in extract, so the method suits it. Expect a deep golden colour and a nose of ripe apricot, white peach and honey, with beeswax, toasted almond and a waxy, mineral note from the granite. The palate is full, dry and long, broad in the mouth yet held by a saline finish. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees in a large glass.
Additional information
Its weight and honeyed depth suit roast capon, guinea fowl or chicken in a cream sauce. Richer fish such as monkfish or turbot in butter also work well. Try it with mature Comte or a nutty gruyere.
