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2005 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

February 11, 2024 - $165

Estimate

RATINGS

98Wine Spectator

A big, broad-shouldered version, with loam, tobacco, currant paste and hoisin sauce notes out in front of the formidable tannin structure. Dark, loamy and muscular through the finish, with a haymaker of black fruit and tarry grip.

96Robert M. Parker Jr.

As always, classic blackberry, asphalt, charcoal, and beef blood notes jump from the glass of this intense wine. Full-bodied, with staggering concentration and a personality not terribly dissimilar from a first-growth Pauillac...

19Jancis Robinson

Lots of excitement there. This spreads fully across the palate. A very complete wine indeed.

94-97Vinous / IWC

Explosive red berry aromas are accented by exotic sandalwood, cinnamon and potpourri. Wonderfully textured, with creamy cherry-vanilla and raspberry preserve flavors, very soft tannins and a subtle hint of smoky bacon.

REGION

France, Rhône Valley, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

The Northern Rhône Valley wine region hugs the Rhône River from Vienne in the north to Valence at its southern tip. The French call the region Côtes du Rhône Septentrionales, and it is divided into eight appellations. Along with its neighbor to the south, the Southern Rhone Valley, it is famous for its big, tannic, intensely concentrated wines. Syrah is the only red grape permitted in AOC wines from this sub-region, though the Syrah can be blended with the white wine grapes Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, depending on the regulations for each AOC. White wines are made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Of the eight appellations in the north, the most admired wines tend to come from Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Hermitage, though there are certainly exceptional wines to be found in St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, St.-Peray, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas. Along with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, Rhône wines are among France’s best known and most collected wines. Red wines from these appellations are notable for their signature aromas of bacon and green olives, and for their depth. Robert M. Parker, a great champion of Rhone wines, has written that “the northern Rhône produces three of the greatest wines in the world – the white wines of Condrieu and the red wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.”

TYPE

Red Wine, Syrah (Shiraz)

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.