A very fine wine from a very familiar producer, this is a great example of sifting through a brand to find a true gem!
Vibrant, juicy and excellently balanced, this is a Côte-du-Rhône that seriously over-delivers at its price point and is a worthy rival to almost any other from the appellation.
Full of bramble and dark berry flavours, spices and a juicy mouth-feel, this is a wine that pairs wonderfully with food, especially roasts, casseroles and cheeses.
Sourced from four different areas within the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation, this wine blends the diversity from each soil type and micro-climate to form this smooth, svelte and really complex red, representing the region in a manner that is unusually high in quality.
The Chapoutier story is one that reads very similarly to many French wineries, with marriage, respect, inheritance and continued curiosity and a search for the next high level in quality. Though there was no single place, such as a specific Château or Domaine, the company that became Chapoutier was established in 1808 under the name of Calvet in the village of Tain l'Hermitage. The company was then bought by financier Rodolphe Delépine in 1887 and then became "Delépine et Chapoutier" in 1897 when winemaker Marius Chapoutier became a partner. After Delépine's death in 1922 the company became Chapoutier et Compagnie, until 1955 when Marius' son Marc changed the name to M. Chapoutier, which was fortuitous as almost every other child in the family born since the 1920s has had a Christian name that begins with the letter M...
The interesting part about the family in the vineyards is that from an early stage, there was a desire to buy the best plots of land in the area and also to establish the winery as more than just a company that traded in grapes and wine. This was achieved by situating the winery at the foot of the hill of Hermitage, therefore cementing the reputation and physical association of the winery with the stunning wine that come from the hill. Their situation and success have also allowed them to be part of all of the developments and changes in the region and to champion the growth in interest in all wines - from top to bottom of the Rhône and top to bottom of the pricing hierarchy.
It's a position that they have held with responsibility too: since the 1980s have pioneered Biodynamics in their vineyards with a huge number of their wines being certified as Organic. The quality that they achieve is truly inspiring and, as is the case, for example, with Guigal, you have a major commercial player in a region who justify their status as flagship producer because the quality is just so good; nothing more or less. Yes, you may well find smaller producers in specific appellations that exceed these chaps in quality and refinement, but as an address to go to for a complete survey of a region, with consistent excellence and regional clarity and integrity, there are not many others to whom you'd turn with such happy results.
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Grape(s): Syrah, Grenache
Style: Vibrant, Smooth, Round, Medium Full, Juicy, Fruity, Fleshy, Elegant, Dark, Complex, Broad, Balanced
Best food matches: St Stephen's Day, Roasts, Red Meats, Poultry, Pork, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Grills, Grilled Vegetables, Goat's Cheese, Duck, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Casseroles, Beef, Barbecue
Alcohol: 14.5%
