Chapoutier 2020/21 Hermitage Blanc Chante Alouette

This cuvée is drawn from three distinct parcels within the Hermitage AOC appellation — “Le Méal” (old glacio-fluvial alluvial pebbles), “Les Murets” (clay-gravel with red clay) and “Chante-Alouette” (a high-lying site of loess and finely decomposed granite). The grape variety is 100% Marsanne.

On the nose of the 2020 you’ll find a combination of honeysuckle-honey, quince, pear, toasted marshmallow and crushed stone minerality. The palate is medium-to-full bodied, vivacious yet elegant, with bright acidity and a long, mineral-tinged finish that suggests age-worthy structure. For the 2021 vintage the profile is a little tighter (bottled recently), showing ripe stone fruit (peach, mirabelle plum), honeyed mineral character, saline drive and a lingering almond or nutty finish.