Chapoutier Hermitage Rhone Wine, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chapoutier, Hermitage with wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important wineries and wine makers from the Rhone valley: Links to all Rhone Valley Wine Producer Profiles

Chapoutier Hermitage History, Overview

Chapoutier is one of the oldest names in the Rhone valley. Founded in 1808 by the Calvet family, it was sold to the Chapoutier family in 1855. The Calvet family sold the company to focus on their large, expanding negociant firm in Bordeaux.

Polydore Chapoutier was the first of the Chapoutier family to head the company, and the only head of the firm not to have a name that started with the letter M. That tradition began with the next generation, started by Marius Chapoutier.

Today, Chapoutier is a massive negociant and winery located in the Rhone valley their offices are situated in the small community of Tain Hermitage. Chapoutier is both a negociant and wine maker.

They are active all over the Rhone valley in every major appellation. Chapoutier makes great wine at every price level, from very expensive wines at the top end, to value wines from Cotes du Rhone.

The best wines produced by Chapoutier are their single vineyard wines from Hermitage. They also make top quality Chateauneuf du Pape and two Cote Rotie wines from 5 hectares of vines.

An entry level wine, Becasses and the more expensive La Mordoree. Chapoutier also producers entry level Cotes du Rhone wines that offer some of the best for wine lovers in the marketplace today.

Michel Chapoutier and his brother Marc took over managing Chapoutier in the very late 1980’s. Michel accomplished this by forcing his father from the family business. Those actions did not help the reputation of Michel Chapoutier in the wine world, or with family. He did not have much time to prove himself.

When Michel Chapoutier took over the company, they were producing on average close to 550,000 bottles of wine. By 2012, that number grew to more than 7,000,000 bottles per year! Much of that growth was due to purchasing as much vineyad land as possible.

Today, Chapoutier owns close to 25% of the entire appellation. Prior to being headed by Michel Chapoutier, Domaine Chapoutier was known for producing lighter styled wines.

That changed in 1989 with their Hermitage wines, especially the Chapoutier Le Pavillon Hermitage. The following year, they turned around their Chateauneuf du Pape. The year after that, their Cote Rote property Mordoree was at the top of their game as well.

A large part of the reason for their success is due to the decisions made by the young, brash, Michel Chapoutier. He became the first wine maker in Hermitage to focus on producing small batches of wines made from specific sites.

Michel Chapoutier lowered the yields, aged his wine in up to 100% new, French oak barrels and picked fruit when it was at full levels of ripeness.

He also moved to a bio-dynamic farming approach. Today, these techniques are considered common place. But in 1989, they were well outside the mainstream in the Rhone Valley.

In 1995, Chapoutier made changes in their vineyard techniques and on the label. At that time, Chapoutier insisted all their labels contain braille transcription’s as well as English printing.

That same year saw an even bigger change when their northern Rhone and southern Rhone vineyards became 100% bio-dynamically farmed. Since that point in time, there was no looking back for the estate or their wines.

Chapoutier Hermitage Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking

In the Hermitage appellation, they own 26 hectares of vines in some of the best terroir in the region.

They also purchased close to 5.5 hectares of vines from other growers. The most important and collectible Chapoutier Hermitage wines come from specific plots in Hermitage, Le Pavillon, Le Meal, L’Ermite and most recently, Les Greffieux, which made its debut in 2001.

All the single vineyard red Chapoutier Hermitage wines are produced from grapes that have been 100% destemmed. The berries receive 4-6 week macerations in concrete vats. Vinification takes place in open top fermenters.

The wines are aged in 40-50% new, French oak barrels. The wines are never fined or filtered. Yields are purposely low at Chapoutier. This aids in the concentration of the wine. To give you an idea, the yields can be as low as 15 hectoliters per hectare. Michel Chapoutier uses biodynamic farming techniques for all his vineyards. properties.

Chapoutier Le Pavillon made its debut as a new wine in 1989. Prior vintages were produced from much younger vines from a blend of different vineyards. This 100% Syrah wine comes from old vines, some of which are approaching 100 years of age.

Chapoutier Le Pavillon is produced from a terroir of steep granite soils placed on the hillsides of Les Bessards. Chapoutier Le Pavillon with its annual production of close to 7,000 bottles per vintage is the largest production of single vineyard Hermitage wines from Chapoutier.

This should give you an idea of how little wine is made from these micro productions, year after year.

In total, Chapoutier produces 6 red wines and 3 white wines from Hermitage.

Chapoutier Le Meal, which had its first vintage in 1996 is produced from 100% old vine Syrah planted in the 1940’s. The oldest vines are closer to 90 years of age. Le Meal is the warmest terroir in the Hermitage appellation, which is a major factor in the character and ripeness of Chapoutier Le Meal.

The vineyard is on a slope with a sun-lit, southern exposure that is situated next to Bessards and not from Greffieux and the l’Ermite lieu-dits. The elevation is about 240 meters above sea level on as you know, a steep hillside.

If you are ever in the city of Tain Hermitage, you can see the Le Meal vineyard from several vantage points in the city.

The terroir is rocks, stones, granite, clay and limestone soils to the west and you find more granite with limestone, smaller pebbles and even clay to the eastern part of the vineyard. Close to 5,000 bottles are produced on average each vintage.

Chapoutier L’Ermite made its debut in 1996. The wine is produced from old vines. Many of these vines are now more than 100 years old. Chapoutier L’Ermite is produced from some of the best terroir in the entire Hermitage appellation, with its steep hillsides and granite soils.

The vineyards are located on the top of the famous hill of Hermitage, next to the chapel. On average, 5,000 bottles are produced each vintage.

Chapoutier Les Greffieux is youngest single vineyard wine from Chapoutier. The first vintage was 2001. Many of the oldest vines used to produce the wine were planted at the close of World War 2. Production is close to 3,000 bottles per year.

The best vintages of Chapoutier Hermitage are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1991, 1998, 1995, 1991, 1990 and 1989. Older vintages are best avoided.

Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc wines

Chapoutier also produces three, small production single vineyard white Hermitage wines from old vine Marsanne grapes. These wines are rich, thick, dense and oily. They are an acquired taste the require several years of aging.

Le Meal, 400 cases, L’Ermite, 150 cases and L’Oree with 600 cases. Chante Alouette is the introductory Hermitage blanc from Chapoutier.

To produce the Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc wines,vinification takes place in a combination of stainless steel vats and French oak casks. The wines are then aged in demi-muids for 10-12 months before bottling.

While the single vineyard wines of Chapoutier are very expensive, Sizeranne and Mure de Larnage, (produced from young vines) continue to maintain consumer friendly prices.

Both those wines can be enjoyed at a much younger age than the single vineyard wines. Even the Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone are tasty and they sell for under $15!

Stylistically, the single vineyard, red Chapoutier Hermitage wines are rich, full bodied, concentrated, deep wines with distinct aromas of minerality, spice and blackberry.

As Chapoutier strives to achieve phenolic ripeness, in the best years, the wine feels round, polished and plush. The wines demand a lot time in the cellar to show their best. 15-20 years of bottle age allows these wines to develop and display their full potential.

When to Drink Chapoutier Hermitage, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chapoutier single vineyard Hermitage wines are difficult to taste young. They are incredibly tannic and concentrated. If you are going to taste these wines before they reach 12 years of age, they demand 4-6 hours of decanting. The non-single vineyard wines need at least 2 hours to soften and open their perfume.

Older vintages of the single vineyard wines, (20-25 years of age) might need 2-3 hours decanting, to open the wine and remove the sediment.

Chapoutier single vineyard wines are better with 20-30 years of cellaring and should be best between 25-60 years of age.

Serving Chapoutier Hermitage with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chapoutier Hermitage is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chapoutier Hermitage is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes. Chapoutier Hermitage is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms and pasta.

The white wine of Chapoutier Hermitage is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.

Chapoutier Vin de Paille

A small amount of dessert wine, Vin de Paille is produced from grapes dried on straw mats. The wine is only produced in half bottles. Chapoutier is also active in other Northern Rhone regions such as: Cote Rotie, Crozes Hermitage, St. Joseph, Cornas, St. Peray and Condrieu.

2003 remains the reference point for Chapoutier Hermitage wines, although, 2009, 2010 and 2015 are giving that vintage a run for the money. The single vineyard Hermitage wines of Chapoutier are rich, ripe, pure, opulent, fleshy wines of uncommon depth and intensity that require at least 2 decades of bottle age time in the cellar before they are ready to drink.

Regardless of what vintage actually turns out to be the best, it’s going to be fun comparing all those wines over the next few decades. In 2014, Michel Chapoutier was named The Wine Personality of the Year the two most important wine critics from France, Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve.

www.chapoutier.com