Text by Linden Wilkie

The Rhône Valley's Greatest Soloist Performances

My favourite expressions of Hermitage are those in the contrasting styles of J-L Chave, and P. Jaboulet Aîné’s ‘La Chapelle’. What these two have in common, in my view, is the full symphonic expression of syrah’s greatest hill. Hermitage is made up of a patchwork quilt of named plots (lieux-dits) that vary in soil type, altitude, and exposition, and syrah is sensitive enough to translate these into a range of aromas, flavours, textures, richness, minerality and so on. Blend them, and you have Hermitage writ large.

The alternative approach is championed with great skill by M. Chapoutier. Their vineyard plots are harvested, vinified and bottled separately under a range they call Sélection Parcellaire. This helps the wine enthusiast in two ways – first because it lets each vineyard really shine – we can enjoy that plot as a wine in itself, and perhaps find our own favourites, and also because by singling out its components in this way, we get to understand Hermitage as a whole that much better.

Recently my wife and I were back at one of our favourite restaurants in Singapore – Clos Pasoh, which opened recently. On their wine list is a pretty extensive late-release range of Chapoutier’s Sélection Parcellaire wines, and I was keen to give one a go, as it’s been a while. I chose a 2006 Ermitage Rouge ‘Le Méal’, knowing that this warm vineyard forms the heart of Jaboulet’s ‘La Chapelle’. Here’s what I found: A full garnet with a browned rim; aromas of sweet fruit, graphite, a wonderfully meaty savoury spicy note, classic white pepper notes, and a hint of lardons; sweetness in the attack and a touch of glycerin, the warmth of summer evident here. But the frame is surprisingly elegant, with fine acidity and great length. A superb, classic Hermitage. After another 30 minutes in the glass, the sweetness grew, and the wine became fatter on the palate. Sweet blackberries. Beautiful wine.

For Chapoutier a ‘single vineyard selection is an exact “photography” of a terroir.’ Ermitage Rouge ‘Le Méal’ gets its sumptuousness from its south-facing position on terraces of shingle and clay.

Ermitage Rouge ‘Le Pavillon’ is another 4ha old vine plot on Hermitage, with fine sedimentary material over granite bedrock. The lieu-dit here is ‘Bessards’, which is at the centre of the J-L Chave style, and in fact is the source of their rare ‘Cuvée Cathelin’. With both intensity and minerality, Pavillon likes a bit of bottle age, and fortunately what we have on offer has done the waiting for you already.

To my taste perhaps the most refined parcel is Ermitage Rouge ‘L’Ermite’, a plot of very old vines on granite toward the top of the hill around the little chapel. This is Hermitage at the cerebral end of the scale. 

(And, if you get the chance there is also a red ‘Les Greffieux’, and white Hermitage from ‘Le Méal’, ‘L’Ermite’ – my favourite – and a cuvée ‘L’Orée’ which is a really individual wine). Chapoutier – through these wines, and their “photographs” of individual terroirs – provides a masterclass in Hermitage, red and white, that no other producer can offer (or chooses to do).

The concept extends to other appellations. In the south, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, they produce the Sélection Parcellaire ‘Barbe Rac’, a pure Grenache (read: Rayas-school) from 90-year old vines, that I think is one of the Rhône’s sleepers – a bit of a hidden secret. The cost to you for making this a discovery of your own is exceptionally reasonable.

With these mature examples on offer, it’s a great time to enjoy a few Rhône Valley soloist performances from the maestro – M. Chapoutier.