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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.8 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 21 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by robvan on 9/29/2021 & rated 93 points: Great bottle,
In the end of his top drinking window.
Will stand another 3-5 years.
Almond, hazelnut, ripe pear.
Decant 1 Hour for full opening. (1002 views) | | | Tasted by grapist on 9/19/2020 flawed bottle: Oxidized. I fear for the other five in the cellar (1331 views) | | | Tasted by Aleks Che on 9/28/2018 & rated 93 points: CHE93
A bit oxidative. Pear, nuts, dry grass. (1754 views) | | | Tasted by Kriz on 7/24/2018 & rated 93 points: Culinairy topper! Beautifully matured with hazelnut and honey. (1849 views) | | | Tasted by Argrath on 2/4/2017 flawed bottle: Mature, oxidized nose of baked apple, raisin and orange marmelade. Dull and flat.
Simple, oxidized palate.
Stored perfectly since release this did not survive 18 years of cellaring... (2556 views) | | | Tasted by AWBryce on 6/8/2015 & rated 92 points: Nice nose, earthy, smokey, orchard fruit. Palate is rich, good acidity, good length, touch of heat. Some hints of mint on the finish. (2931 views) | | | Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 2/18/2015 & rated 92 points: Väldigt mörk i färgen. Lite gyllengul/brun.
Har inte druckit så mycket mogen vit Hermitage. Väldigt speciellt både i doft och smak med mogna bakade äpple, torkade aprikoser, gott om mineral, rostade hasselnötter och vissa oxiderade madeiratoner. Fin längd. (3096 views) | | | Tasted by Kriz on 11/10/2014 & rated 94 points: Little alcoholic on the nose but so typically Hermitage... Beautifully aged. Exceptional palate with some nice sweetness. Will be great for some more years. Wow! (2839 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 10/16/2014 & rated 93 points: Drinking Rhones at Capella (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Deep golden color concerns me. The initial oxidative note blew off revealing medium expressive nose of apple peal, apple tart, candied orange, dryt apricot, burnt sugar, creme brulee, almond paste and sweet spices. Dense yet airy palate which I often find in Chapoutier hermitage blancs, almond and dry fruit driven sweet palate impression, good acidity and long nutty finish. Certain very ripe impression but not oxidized. It is quite enjoyable but others liked it even more. I preferred the palate to the nose. (3232 views) | | | Tasted by cab blends on 10/16/2014 & rated 93 points: Rhone Dinner at Capella (Capella Hotel in Georgetown): This was interesting - I have never had Le Meal before. The dark yellow brown color was confusing - almost a watered down tawny color. However, it tasted far better than it looked or smelt. Light almond nut with a hint of sweet fruit. (3201 views) | | | Tasted by godx on 8/13/2012 & rated 91 points: Dinner at Doyle & Lesley's (Vancouver, BC): Medium yellow-gold colour. Nose offered some nice riper notes of oxidized pear with nuts and hints of honey and the slightest traces of sherry on the nose as well. In the mouth it was full bodied with more honey and almond flavours with decent acidity and a long finish. I don’t have much experience with Hermitage Blanc but this seemed to be drinking quite well. Excellent. (3697 views) | | | Tasted by otisabdul on 11/6/2011 & rated 92 points: A real treat. I was impressed with the length of the finish and the depth of minerality. I've had a young Le Meal before and it's all stones and acidity. It's fascinating to taste one this old and see how the acidity has receded and pretty pear and lychee fruit starting to pop through. Thanks to Mel for bringing this special bottle. (3221 views) | | | Tasted by Vino Me on 10/29/2011 & rated 88 points: Northern Rhone Dinner; 10/29/2011-11/1/2011 (Naperville, Illinois): Brought by Mel Hill to the Northern Rhone dinner. This was served too cold and needed to warm a little before showing its best. Perhaps some decanting would have helped as well. Drank with appetizers. Next to the 2006 Tardieu Laurent Hermitage Blanc it tasted somewhat one dimensional. Slightly oxidized. 88 points. (3574 views) | | | Tasted by dmm333 on 7/15/2011 flawed bottle: Wine was oxidized and undrinkable. (2993 views) | | | Tasted by Tavastgatan on 6/18/2011 & rated 94 points: Much better than the last bottle. Massive wine. (3128 views) | | | Tasted by huntinpagan on 3/18/2011: Popped and poured. Served slightly lower than cellar temperature. The color was deep gold, which made me suspect some oxidation issues. On the nose, almond paste, honey, floral scents and a touch of sherry. On the palate, medium body with honey, almonds, butterscotch and a hint of oxidation like flavors. 15 second finish. No rating due to the minor oxidation issues. This was drinkable, but the sherry notes were there, and it was off putting because of them. This was bought at auction so the provenance is suspect and I don't know if it's a representative bottle. Much more evolved than a 98 L'Oree I had earlier this year. NR. (2030 views) | | | Tasted by Tavastgatan on 12/22/2009 & rated 92 points: Not the best bottle - probably a bit oxidized. Sill good. (2693 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 2/12/2005 & rated 97 points: Rhônes and dinner with Robert Parker (Baltimore, MD): Wow, the Le Meal stood out as being more exotic and concentrated with notes of banana on the tropical nose. However, for me the 1995 l'Oree is at a better point right now. (10296 views) | | | Tasted by Joe Belmaati on 11/16/2004: 1998 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal, Hermitage, Rhône, France
Alarmingly dark yellow color. Sure enough, an oxidized bottle. (6541 views) | | | Tasted by Joe Belmaati on 3/13/2002 & rated 94 points: Very dark golden colour, suggesting a wine of considerable age. Very minerally and honeyed on the nose. A huge wine in the mouth. Broad, deep, violent, and un-controllable, yet harmonious and agreeable. A very special and different kind of white wine. Loads of abricot-like flavours and a fat, tannic flow. Long flattering finish. Boy is this wine good!! (3144 views) |
| M. Chapoutier Producer Website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
U.S. Importer for Bila Haut?? (Addt'l Info)
- Read more about Chapoutier Hermitage wines - Discover Chapoutier Cote Rotie wine - Learn about Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape wineMarsanne Varietal character (Appellation America)Le Méal at weinlagen.infoFrance Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comRhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Rhone Valley The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)
### Wine Scholar Guild's Rhône valley vintage charts & ratings ###Northern Rhône Guide to the wines and appellations of the Northern Rhone Valley -
The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)
Regional History:
Phocaean Greeks established viticulture in the Rhone as far back as 600 BC, but until the 14th century the wines were not seen outside the region. The establishment of the Avignonese Papacy (1305-1377) brought fame to the region's wine-so much so that their Burgundian neighbors to the north banned wines from the Rhone in 1446, a measure that effectively cut off trade with England and other Northern European markets for over 200 years. Stretching southward from Lyon to just south of Avignon, the Rhone produces a wide variety of wines, with the appellations north of Valence producing the least (in volume), and the towns south of Montelimar producing prodigious amounts. As in other regions, the most interesting wines come from small farms. Saint-Joseph, in the northern Rhone, extends for some distance between Condrieu in the north to Saint-Peray in the south. The reds are made from Syrah and the rare whites from Marsanne and Roussanne, and Viognier.
### 2017 vintage ###
"The first red wines already tasted in the Northern Rhône promise a beautiful vintage, with a quality close to the 2015 or even the 2009 vintage" - NEWRHÔNE MILLESIMESHermitage Guide to Hermitage wine Guide to Cote Rotie - Read about the Northern Rhone Valley
• The appellation stretches over 3 communes in the Drôme "département" : Tain-l'Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Larnage.
• The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits, and, on the eastern side, Pliocene clay. This diversity explains the numerous different names given to vineyard plots within the appellation : Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc.
• The meso-climate provides shelter from the north winds, where the majority of the slopes is well exposed, facing south.
•The vineyards area adds up to 134 hectares/331 acres, with an annual production of 3,635 hectoliters. Authorized maximum yield is 40 hectoliters/hectare (2.3 US tons/acres).
• Grape varieties : Syrah (an addition of up to 15% of Marsanne or Roussanne is allowed).
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