2010 Ermitage Blanc, Le Méal, M. Chapoutier, Rhône

The 2010 Ermitage Le Meal Blanc, which comes from a warmer site, displays more tropical fruit, with loads of red currants intermixed with mango, orange marmalade, and exotic Asian scents. Dense, full-bodied, intense and rich, this is the most voluptuous and opulent of the blockbuster selections parcellaires whites of 2010. It should drink well for 30-35 years. As I have written many times, all of these wines are produced from rigidly cultivated, bio-dynamically managed vineyards. That has been the rule since Michel Chapoutier first took over this firm in the late 1980s. Now, with over 20 years of biodynamic viticulture under his belt, Chapoutier remains committed to this rather radical style of organic farming. He believes the effect is to reduce rot in damp, rainy vintages. Controversial, outspoken and brutally candid, Chapoutier, who suffers no fools, continues to admirably produce wines that are among the finest in the world and potentially the longest lived. Refusing to acidify, chaptalize, or touch the wines in any way, he clearly wants every wine to capture the very essence of its terroir and vintage personality. (robert_parker - Wine Advocate #198 Dec 2011)