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Chapoutier
Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers Blanc 2001
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€F
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88
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A
fascinating wine that, as Michel Chapoutier predicted, actually had a
touch of saltiness that he says is due to its high mineral content. That
aside it has inviting aromas and flavours of honey and nougat, typical of
a Rhone white and good length.
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Chapoutier
Hermitage Blanc Chante Alouette 2001
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€G
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91
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This
offers up a fascinating nose that has you sniffing and trying to pin down
the myriad aromas. I found almond, butter, homey, fudge, orange and melon.
Palate is rich and soft and oozes attractive flavours of orange,
melon, nut, cream, honey and that curious salty mineral edge that was in
Les Meysonniers Blanc too. MC said this goes well with capon and truffle
or curry!
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Chapoutier
Chateauneuf-du-pape Croix de Boix 1998
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€G
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90
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A
scented raisin and prune like nose with a hint of the herbs leads to a
similarly flavoured palate that is rich with ripe tannins and long.
Slightly old fashioned style but attractive, for those tired of overly
fruity wines.
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Chapoutier
Chateauneuf-du-pape La Bernadine 2000
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€G
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87
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Something
of a disappointment in an otherwise impressive line up. There’s raisin
and liquorice on the nose but it seemed a little oxidised and tired for
such a young wine. Palate is mid to good length but I’d expected more
power.
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Chapoutier
Cote Rotie Les Becasses 2000
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€G
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89-90
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This
is a sort of a Burgundy meets the Rhone style with the former’s
attributes of red fruit and farmyard aromas plus the latter’s smoked
meats, pepper and herbs on both nose and palate allied to a sound
structure of ripe tannins and good length. A wine that you’ll love or
hate.
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Chapoutier
Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers 2001
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€F
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90
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Very
classy for a Crozes with deep colour and assertive spicy, vibrant, fruit
showing violet, blackberry and spice on the nose and palate that delivers
all that and more with black olive and herb thrown in too. Tannins are
firm but ripe and add structure. Leave it a year or two.
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Chapoutier
Gigondas 2000
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€G
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89
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Soft
berry fruit and herbs on the nose, which is echoed on the palate that also
shows liquorice and ripe tannin and good-ish length. Better and cheaper
than Bernadine for me.
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Chapoutier
Hermitage Le Meal 1998
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€G
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96
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A
dark brooding bull of a wine – essence of Hermitage with liquorice,
pepper and that wonderful savoury smoked meat character that Syrah has.
Palate is so strapping, muscular and rich that you feel it will last
forever with its intense blackberry fruit and array of spice and ripe
tannins.
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Chapoutier
Hermitage Pavillon 1999
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€G
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95
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Yields
were just 15 hl/ht for this beauty which must go a long way to explaining
its wonderfully intense dark fruit flavours laced with savoury spice on a
full rich palate where ripe tannins add structure, focus and length.
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Chapoutier
Hermitage Sizeranne 2000
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€G
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93
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Very
perfumed fruit on the nose with violets perhaps and white pepper. Palate
is a bit of a great Dane puppy at the moment, big, but ungainly with firm
ripe tannin, high alcohol, ripe fruit and pepper, but not all yet working
in harmony.
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