2001 Ermitage L'Ermite Blanc

The 2001 Ermitage l’Ermite is aged in demi-muids on its lees with malolactic in the barrel, considerable lees stirring, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Displaying a liqueur of nut-like character along with hints of lychees, orange blossoms, and citrus oils in its pure, intensely mineral-styled personality, it is a prodigious effort that will have to take a back seat to the singular/remarkable 2000 l’Ermite. The 2001 should be at its finest between 2008-2030. These uncompromising offerings from a young genius are not meant for consumers who want something to drink immediately. They are the essence of bio-dynamically farmed vineyard sites cropped incredibly low, given extended fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and rarely touched until they go into the bottle unfined and unfiltered. In most vintages, the wines are not even racked off their lees, which only adds to their natural style. These are truly remarkable wines, but for most readers, patience is the operative rule as they generally need a good 8-10 years to strut their stuff. Once moribund, over the last 12 years, this firm has become one of the reference points for nearly all the Rhone Valley appellations since the brash yet immensely talented Michel Chapoutier took over in the late eighties. The single vineyard offerings are as good as Rhone Valley wines can be. Moreover, Chapoutier continues to upgrade the quality of those wines offered in more significant quantities than the 500 or so cases each of the single vineyard offerings. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900