M. Chapoutier : Le Méal 2020

This relatively warm, early-ripening terroir has yielded a wine that's full-bodied yet with an almost custard-like silky texture. Toasted grain, lemon custard, crushed stone, pear and melon notes mingle easily on the nose of Chapoutier's 2020 Ermitage le Méal Blanc. The long, zesty finish is marked by a slight hint of bitterness that seems to come into this parcellaire from time to time.

A heavenly, stunning white, with all the elements in perfect, delicious alignment. Packs a corpulent well of yellow apple, grilled pineapple, dried lemon peel and chamomile flavors amply supported by well-integrated white tea tannins and elegant, bitter-edged acidity. Pierced with lemon meringue and smoke elements, this never feels heavy -- just stretches out beautifully for miles. Drink now through 2035. 567 cases made, 25 cases imported.

Almond, quince and a touch of rhubarb at this early stage; you sense the ripeness, but it's not exotically fruity in 2020. The silkiness and glycerol on the palate are quite present, this sample shows plentiful oak, lending matchstick and cashew to the finish. An elegant vintage of Le Méal. Well-balanced, far from massive, not as powerful or concentrated as the past few vintages, this will drink well young and age into the medium term. Not a hugely long-lived Méal, I suspect, but a delightful one nonetheless. There is generous alcohol, but it’s not unbalanced.

If you like wines with exotic fruit aromas, here is a beautifully exotic white Hermitage that’s not the least bit too rich, much less heavy. In spite of all its power and ripeness, it has a zesty orange appeal throughout. A pure Marsanne grown on a very steep south-facing slope with old Rhône gravel soils with some loess on top. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.

I was blown away by the 2020 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, which is certainly the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted. From the pure south-facing Méal lieu-dit (which is the warmest terroir on Hermitage), it was vinified and aged 70% in demi-muids (10% new) and 30% in stainless steel. Straight-up heavenly notes of white currants, powdered rock, celery seed, honeysuckle, and toasted almonds all define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with that rare mix of richness and freshness. Hermitage Blanc doesn’t get any better. I love this today, yet it will certainly benefit from a year or two of bottle age, drink well for 3–5 years, at which point, it’s probably best to wait until a solid 15 years after the vintage.