Medium gold color; green apple, pear, peach, citrus, lime, beeswax, butter, touch of salinity-minerality, flowers on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins, some acidity that drops off in the mid-palate leading to short finish. Pure marsanne play produced using organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard. Medium-plus body. Rich and fruity. Supple, smooth in the mouth. Plenty of malolactic conversion influence for notable softness. 12.5% ABV
M. (Michael) Chapoutier is renowned Rhône negotiant and winery. The Chapoutier family’s association and respect dates back to the early 1800s when Michael’s great-, great-, great grandfather, Marius, purchased an estate and vineyards in the now-famous village of Tain l’Hermitage in the northern Rhône Valley and notably became the first grape grower to vinify his own fruit.
Two centuries later, Michael grows some vines and purchases juice from other vinegrowers in the great wine growing region of southeastern France. The Chapoutier family moto is Fac et Sprea—“do and hope”. Their website celebrates audacity: “Being audacious means keeping an open mind, embracing new horizons, other localities, other organic winegrowing methods. Being audacious means combining tradition and modernity, making it possible for them to join forces and engender new know-how and craft.”
Part of that approach is attention to terroir, which includes responsible agriculture commitments and biodynamic agriculture in some areas—as with this wine. Led by winemaker Michael Chapoutier, they pioneered a special wine team dedicated to “accompanying the wine harvest” to provide guidance and support for implementing farming methods favored by M. Chapoutier in his own vineyards and among grape growers who provide grapes to the winery.
M. Chapoutier also asserts dedication to consumers. Their stated values include: “Respect for the consumer whether they are wine connoisseurs or not. Maison M. Chapoutier crafts its regional wines with the same dedication given to the most prestigious bottles, investing just as much faith. The aim is always to convey the same love of wine, to give complete beginners a chance to discover its diversity.”
M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Petite Ruche Blanc 2021 is plump pleaser, rich, fruity, medium-plus body marsanne play. Michael Chapoutier consistently delivers excellent, tasty wines in the Rhône. This is no exception. Get this for an enjoyable evening of round, simply enjoyable drinking that will not challenge you with cutting acidity, layers of flavors, and suffocating depth. Pair with white meats—pork and poultry; fish, shellfish—especially shrimp; Thai and Vietnamese cuisine; cured meats. Cheese—creamy cheeses; brie, camembert, triple cream, boursin, fresh goat cheese, aged gouda, aged cheddar, gruyère, comté, manchego, taleggio. $27
