Hermitage Chante-Alouette 2020 6x75cl

This wine is complex but subtle, with aromas of quince, walnut, honey, ginger, acacia with a hint of linden-tree. On the palate it is very elegant with a good length.

Vineyards

The grapes from which this wine is produced comes from three different vineyards: Le Méal”, characterized by a soil of very old fluvial-glacial alluvial deposits with a high pebble content. “Les Murets”, whose soil is clay-gravel, the red clay give the wines a full, rich character. “Chante-Alouette”, a high-lying terroir whose soil is a mixture of loess and very finely decomposed granite, it gives the wine freshness, salinity and acidity. The different plots are mainly located in the Ermite lieu-dit area, on high plateaus and plains with excellent exposure.

Vintage

2020 will undoubtedly stand out as an atypical year. The winter was mild marked, by a water shortage over the period, although reserves from 2019 helped to alleviate this. Budbreak was 10 days earlier than in previous vintages. Although snow fell after budbreak and frost was a real risk, it only affected a few vines in Beaumont Moneux. June brought plentiful heat and sunshine in the Northern Rhône and some welcome rain in the Southern Rhône. Grenache in the Southern Rhône looked beautiful and Syrah in the north perfectly balanced. Harvest was earlier than usual starting in early September and proceeded calmly and without any weather pressures. Marked by exceptional earliness and scorching mid-summer heat, the 2020 vintage offers us wines full of elegance and pedigree. They have all the markers of great ageing potential thanks to preserved acidity and remarkable phenolic maturity. The elegance of the red wines and the expression of minerality supported by a beautiful acidity on the whites are the hallmarks of this particular vintage that is full of surprises.

Winemaking

Grapes are hand-harvested at maturity. The musts are obtained after a long pressing and are lightly settled before fermentation. Part of the fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks and part in demi-muids. The lees are stirred up (bâtonnage) for the first 2-3 months adding texture to the wine. 40-30% takes place in stainless steel vats. The remaining 60-70% is aged in demimuids (600 litres) barrels, 10% of which are made of new wood and 90% of wood previously used for one to three wines.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Salads and Picnics
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses
• Oriental
• Spicy

Perfect with fish, poultry in sauces, or cheeses such as goats cheese or blue cheese