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Chapoutier Sélections Parcellaires, 2011

We piled into Michel Chapoutier's 4x4 SUV - an Audi, if I remember correctly - for the short ride back to our hotel. It had been a superb evening; one which had kicked off in the Chapoutier offices in Tain l'Hermitage with a tasting of the Sélections Parcellaires, Michel's flagship cuvées from the length and breadth of the Rhône, before decamping to a Chapoutier outpost on the hill of Hermitage. Here we had drinks and dinner, giving us a chance to look at some different wines, as well as some more mature examples of his top Sélections. Despite the house's imposing hilltop position (shown below - the white house with its curious corner towers - looking down upon Le Méal and Les Greffieux) it was in fact quite small, little more than a bedroom above and kitchen below. There were perhaps fifteen people dining with us that evening, so we ate outside, sur terrace, with an unparalleled view of the Rhône below. During dinner Michel claimed that this house was where his grandfather, Marc, would bring his mistresses; that, I suppose, explains why the first-floor room was dominated by a gigantic four-poster bed.

And so to our return journey, and Michel's car; it was something of a crush in the backseat, which was intended for three slight adults, not the four (perhaps less slight, in my case at least) that were wedged in here. Everybody had a small part of the seat, although the contact with the expensive leather beneath was rather tenuous, as we all sat half-sideways, forward a little or well back, in our futile attempts to avoid sitting on one another. Fortunately, the journey back to the hotel would only be a few minutes. That was the thought passing through my mind when, at some speed, the car suddenly veered to the right, taking a turn that must have been close to 90 degrees. Bodies lurched to one side, and the person on the extreme left involuntarily exhaled as the weight of three adults, shifted in their direction by the centrifugal force, bore down on him. And then just as suddenly, another right-angled turn in the opposite direction, and this time the person on the extreme right felt the full weight of her fellow occupants. She might have become cyanosed for a brief moment or two, as the gases were forced from her lungs, but it was too dark to see.

Welcome to Chapoutier World

Why the sudden sequence of turns? A late-night detour into the vineyards at the foot of the hill of Hermitage was the whim that had suddenly taken Michel. The stony and pothole-ridden track that runs along the foot of the western half of Les Greffieux would have had most drivers slowing to a crawl (or maybe exchanging their vehicle for a tractor), but Michel Chapoutier was at the wheel, and Michel is not limited by such concerns for the underside of his 4x4. He cranked up the volume on the in-car entertainment system a little; we were already listening to Karl Jenkins' Sanctus at 'lion's roar' setting, but with nonchalant ease Michel rotated the knob until it met 'standing next to a jet engine' on the dial, and with that he floored the accelerator.

And I mean floored the accelerator.

We surged forward, the car flying over elevated rocks only to land in jarring potholes before another ridge or boulder sent the car up again. Pretty soon the amalgamation of bodies that were the backseat passengers were flying too as the car lifted and slumped with the unevenness of the ground beneath. What minor contact I had with the seat was soon lost, and I broke into a fit of giggles. Others might have done so too, but in the dark, and with the music so loud, I really couldn't see or hear enough to be sure. Contact with yet another boulder prompted another take-off, contact was lost with the seat again, and as if to compensate contact was made with the ceiling above instead, as my head bounced off the roof. More squeals and giggles - not just from me, I am certain this time. "Eng-lish mu-sic", cried Michel from the front seat, giving each syllable a long and slow enunciation (I can just about make this out above the fifth movement of Sanctus), "Fr-ench vines, Eng-lish mu-sic". This was better than any roller coaster I have ever been on. Because, in part at least, although many roller coasters can induce delight as they throw your body in three directions at once, none have ever achieved it with such surreal panache as Michel did that night, using one of Hermitage's greatest vineyards as a location for his ride.

Eventually, Michel turned back onto the road, and then turned right once again before thrusting forward, up the famous hill of vines, and we eventually came to a stop within the Pavillon section of Les Bessards. We decamped, to take a look at the Pavillon vines, source of one of Michel Chapoutier's Sélections Parcellaires, and to admire the clear, star-speckled sky overhead. As we stood in the dark above Tain l'Hermitage, Karl Jenkins filled every corner of the cool air all around us. Our introduction to Chapoutier World had begun. Little did I know that this rollercoaster ride was to continue in much the same vein, with late-night Champagne-sabrage (above) still to come, and a helicopter attack the following day. For now, though, it is time to turn my attention to some of the tasting undertaken with Michel that evening, which focused specifically on his Sélections Parcellaires.

Chapoutier's Sélections Parcellaires

Michel took control of a failing family business in 1990 and that it subsequently survived is, in my opinion, almost certainly down to his boundless energy and eagerness to innovate, all part of the same no-obstacle-too-high attitude that had us driving through Les Greffieux at 50 miles per hour (or at least it felt that fast). Without Michel I suspect that Chapoutier may have gone the way of many other failed négociants, the name slowly disappearing into obscurity. Of his many innovations, one of the most striking has been the development of the Sélections Parcellaires.

These wines are born from Chapoutier's most venerable plots of vines which are for the most part located on the Hill of Hermitage but there are also representatives from Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, St Joseph and Châteauneuf du Pape. One notable curiosity is in the appellation naming; as two of the appellations here - Ermitage and Crozes-Ermitage - seem to have each lost an important consonant. According to Michel, this reflects the distinct and singular origin of the wines, each one sourced from a specific plot on the hill. Wines which are blended across many lieux-dits - as is often the cases with Hermitage, each plot traditionally regarded as contributing something unique to the final blend - are eligible for Appellation Contrôlée Hermitage (the same is true for blending within Crozes-Hermitage). Whereas those sourced from a single lieu-dit - including names familiar to any committed drinker of these wines, such as Le Méal, Les Greffieux or L'Ermite (these latter two are shown left) - apparently have the option to be Ermitage (or Crozes-Ermitage) instead.

Although the range encompasses many of the major Rhône Valley appellations it is without doubt in my mind those from Hermitage that provoke the greatest interest. These are Les Greffieux (running along the bottom of the hill, behind the railway station and contiguous with the town), De L'Orée (sourced from Les Murets, a lieu-dit at the eastern end of the Hermitage vineyards), Le Méal (above Les Greffieux, running up the hill to the foot of Chapoutier's little pied-à-terre), Le Pavillon (sourced from within Les Bessards, perhaps the lieu-dit with the greatest reputation, and named for an old pavilion) and L'Ermite (which lies behind Les Bessards and Le Méal). A number of these I tasted with Michel, but - quite rightly - we did not ignore other appellations, including St Joseph, Côte-Rôtie and Châteauneuf du Pape. The cuvées are unified not by terroir, which despite Michel's self-confessed preference for granite is in fact very varied once you get beyond Hermitage, but by viticulture, which is biodynamic in every case.

Tasting the Sélections Parcellaires

The tasting notes below relate to three separate encounters with the Sélections Parcellaires during my visit to Chapoutier. In the first instance, within a half-hour of walking though the door of the main Chapoutier buildings on the Avenue du Docteur Paul Durand (I say 'main', because even a short tour of Tain l'Hermitage reveals any number of properties bearing the Chapoutier name, some newly restored, some not so new, some seemingly disused) we had sat down to a tasting of white wines from the 2007 vintage and red wines from the 2000 vintage, all Sélections Parcellaires. The whites, all 100% Marsanne (which Michel greatly favours over Roussanne), were particularly strong, with the Ermitage De L'Orée my favourite of the trio, although - credit where credit is due - I was also impressed by the St Joseph Les Granits which punched well above its weight. The red wines that followed were more variable, a consequence both of a lesser vintage and the inclusion of more distant vineyards in the line up perhaps; it certainly did seem as though the wines from Hermitage were the more convincing. The Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers was relatively disappointing, because many years on from my first tasting, I still have fond memories of the 1995 vintage, the most striking wine from this appellation I have ever tasted, whereas the Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée was rather gamey and more suggestive of Brett than anything else. Head and shoulders above this pair were the next two wines; now back with Ermitage once again, these two superlative cuvées hailed from Le Méal and L'Ermite; both showed stunning composition and potential. The final wine, the Croix de Bois Châteauneuf du Pape, showed well, but it had that southern Rhône weight and sweetness which will never - to my palate at least - shine in the presence of more savoury and structured northern Rhône wines.

Subsequently I had the opportunity to taste more from the range on two separate dining occasions, with dinner the same evening, prior to my entertaining 4x4 foray though Les Greffieux and Les Bessards, and accompanying lunch the following day. In the first case it was the 2001 Ermitage de L'Orée which really impressed with its golden maturity, all wrapped up in a fresh, still ageworthy structure, although it was probably not up to the standards that the 2007s will reach. It certainly put a rather confused and blurry 2006 Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée in its place. And the following day a rather attractive 2001 Ermitage Le Pavillon shone, until its brightness was cast into the shadows by the majesty of the fully mature 1991 Le Pavillon. At twenty years of age, this was a superb finishing point for our meal, and my trip into Chapoutier World. (2/8/11)

Chapoutier Sélections Parcellaires - Tasting Notes

Tasted in May 2011. Click to locate stockists.

We started with white wines from the 2007 vintage. These are all 100% Marsanne, a variety which Michel Chapoutier greatly favours over the alternative, Roussanne.

Chapoutier St Joseph Les Granits 2007: Lovely honeyed, dried fruit character aromatically. Some interesting organic complexity here. Rather toasty, some notes of coffee to it too, certainly an expressive wine. Lovely substance on the palate, quite some weight to it but it remains fresh, with fine acidity running down the core. A really rather good vigour to this despite its textural impression. Exciting substance to the finish. Really quite a thrilling wine for the appellation. 17.5/20

Chapoutier Ermitage De L'Orée 2007: An intense nose, very suggestive of minerally depth, with a taut and concentrated style behind the dried-fruit character. Rather serious, matchsticky, slightly reductive, and a peach-skin substance. The same character comes through on the palate, with a great tension running through the middle of the wine, along with a mineral vibrancy. Showing great substance in the finish, a touch creamy, although the underlying structure keeps it taut and focused. And it is very long too. Excellent. 18.5/20

Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal 2007: Fermented in 600-litre demi-muids, with 10-12 months in barrel before tasting. A more substantial nose here, a more concentrated substance to it, without the vibrant, taut, mineral suggestions of the De L'Orée. Then more creamy fruit nuances come to the fore, with notes of vanilla and face cream over the dried-candied fruit sweetness, and again here we have a matchsticky element. Much more sweet and broad on the palate than I expected, the structure here better hidden, but at its very core there is a tingling, needling minerality and acidity. It the finish, very substantial and full of spice, and it is very long. Classic style here. 18/20

Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite 2007: The nose here is expressive, open, suggesting fruit vibrancy and freshness, but with the same density that the preceding wines have shown. A lovely supple character on the palate, quite tense at its core but with a relaxed layer of fruit around it. A good bitterness to it too. Plenty of this bitter grip to it in the finish, rolling along and giving it a lot of length. It shows much more density and substance with time, a deeper and different character even, with nuances of complex, bright tropical fruit and a spicy white-pepper edge. It does have a more relaxed feel than this note suggests though. 18/20

We then moved onto the red wines, from 2000, a vintage which Michel Chapoutier described as "warm and easy", the major downside being that the "warmer fruit profile can hide minerality on the nose".

Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers 2000: This seems really very closed down on the nose, showing rather a lot of reduction, along with some gamey tinges. Chapoutier finds some graphite minerality in the wine, but what I find more prominent are the gamey-meaty notes, along with a little greenness. An easy going palate, quite relaxed, but through the middle showing more tension and lots of crystal-tinged fruit, as well as an awful lot of spice here and though into the finish which also shows some rather sharp structure. Substantially through the middle it is pleasing but the rather spiky structure dominates more towards the end. 15/20

Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 2000: A maturing nose here, very gamey, with some hints of undergrowth amongst the mature roasted fruit. There are some notes of rubber too suggesting reduction here. Despite this it is much brighter and fresher on the palate than I expected, showing a gentle substance. It doesn't have the vigour of the white wines that preceded it, but there is a soft substance to it. Not so well defined, rather cool and stony, signs of freshness despite the gamey tinges, and with more time in the glass it does seem to take on more vigour. There is some Brett here though; nevertheless with time in the glass this rather animally wine does grow on me somewhat, although more via the palate than the nose. 15/20

Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal 2000: This is certainly more interesting than the Crozes-Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie that preceded it. Smoky, reserved and restrained fruit on the nose, with a tinge of reduction here as well. Quite meaty, some evolution here, but it gives a sense of tautness and definition. Much greater form to this wine, stone-tinged fruit, really well formed on the palate, grippy and taut. A fine construction on the finish, defined and well-framed, with a polished substance, well balanced extract and tension, with bright and well-judged acidity. A great wine, very true to the appellation, a massive step up in terms of quality. In the finish it remains taut, grippy and spicy, and there is good length. Delicious. 18.5/20

Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite 2000: There is a surprisingly fresh and lifted, floral nose here, with scents of chalky fruit, beautifully fresh and evocative, very floral and expressive, like "summer rain on a hot stone" says Michel Chapoutier and I can see his point. The palate follows on in the same style, showing a more substantial character in the midpalate, but maintaining an finely granitic, stony substance to it. And yet despite this stony backbone it has a defined character, lifted, broad, not fleshy but reserved and honestly textured. A very impressive wine which speaks very clearly of its appellation, I feel. 18/20

Chapoutier Croix de Bois Châteauneuf du Pape 2000: This is sweet, with an interesting nose, quickly opening out to reveal a fine and savoury substance, with tinges of leather, dried fruit and touches of orange zest. This all seems very promising, aromatically at least. Sweet and liquorice-tinged flavours in the mouth but despite this overall quite a reserved palate, fresh and keeping a bright character throughout, with an upright poise as well. On the whole, an attractive wine for the appellation. 16.5/20

Two wines from the Sélections Parcellaires range tasted the same evening at dinner, at Chapoutier's house on the Hill of Hermitage, overlooking the vines of Le Méal.

Chapoutier Ermitage De L'Orée 2001: This is very different in style to the much younger white wines tasted earlier. Here we have more evolved notes on the nose, nuances of honey and gingerbread, and honey-toffee pineapple, all jostling to express the richness of the wine. Despite this, there is also a firm minerally-stony theme to it, giving the wine a fresh and bright frame. On the palate, a very fine and substantial wine, cool and quite grippy, with a huge structure tightening down on the wine at the end. Overall, with its huge depth and evolved complexity, this is a very seductive, gorgeous and supple composition. I do feel, however, that this grandeur will be eclipsed by the 2007s given time. 17.5/20

Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 2006: This has a dark and youthful hue. The fruit profile on the nose has a rather juicy character, chewy and a touch sweet, with a perfumed edge that is particularly striking. The palate is very coolly reserved though, clean and structured, surprisingly feminine in its composition but also still very grippy and upright. In its slightly awkward youth I find this a little difficult to assess. Nevertheless, there is certainly some stony substance and potential here. 16?/20

Two wines from the Sélections Parcellaires range which accompanied lunch the following day. We revisited the 2007 St Joseph Les Granits, and 2001 Ermitage de L'Orée, before moving on to the following two wines.

Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 2001: This wine has an admirably rich hue, and admittedly a slightly reduced character on the nose. But there is some attractive fruit behind, showing some early evolution, it is just that there is also a slight rubbery tinge to it all, although thankfully it is not sufficient to really distract from the wine. Despite this aromatic profile it is very clean on the palate, with broad substance, sitting within a cool and fresh frame. Long, structured and spicy finish. Overall this is firmly composed and certainly in need of more cellar time yet. Good potential here. 17.5/20

Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 1991: A remarkable wine, served blind, and clearly now fully mature. Once the label is revealed we learn it was harvested at less than 10 hl/ha, and the fermentation vessels were one-third chestnut. Great substance on the nose, evolved and slightly undergrowthy, but still with a very convincing showing of fruit alongside. A supple and well-polished palate, fresh and light-footed, fine rather than roasted, beautifully cool and expressive. Very long in the finish too. There is structure and grip underneath it all, so there is no rush to drink this, although it certainly is delicious right now. 18.5/20