This legendary wine is produced from 85% Marsanne, 15% Roussanne frommultiple plots on the famous l'hermitage hill.
Vineyard Location: Rocoules: A mid-slope site of clay and limestone dominated by white grapes, as reds sourced from this site would tend to have coarse tannins. Hermite: A monopole owned by the Chave family since 1984. Located at the very top of the Hermitage hill and has a range of soil types, including granite and loess. Péléat: Another monopole that lies adjacent to Rocoules. Stony, sandy soil provides wines that are firmer and more complex. Maison Blanche: A fairly large vineyard which lies above Rocoules. The soil is iron-rich clay with a top layer of fine loess.
Vinification: Fermentation 100% in oak barrel. Aged in barriques for 24 months.
95+ Jeb Dunnick: Recently bottled, the 2021 Hermitage Blanc is a brilliant wine that shows a fresher, more mineral-driven style while still clearly being in the classic Jean-Louis concentrated, textured style. White currants, crushed citrus, flowers, green almond, and a kiss of reductive-like minerality all define the aromatics, and if you called this a great Grand Cru White Burgundy in a blind tasting, I wouldn't hold it against you. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, with a terrific salinity on the finish, it's going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and I suspect evolve for 20-25 years.
96 Points, Decanter: A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending shows a white Hermitage that is about tension, freshness and minerality. It's zesty and crisp, with good acidity and will drink well from the outset. This isn't as concentrated as some recent vintages, but it's still a highly impressive wine that will age with interest. Picked on 23 August. (MW) Review Date: 09/2022, Decanter