M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc, Hermitage

M. Chapoutier’s Ermitage Le Méal Blanc is the pinnacle of single-vineyard selection in Northern Rhône white wines, routinely drawing perfect or near-perfect critical reviews. Small annual production (4,000 to 6,000 bottles) drives sustained secondary-market interest. Sourced from ancient, centenary marsanne vines clinging to the steep, sun-baked pebble terraces of Le Méal, this single-vineyard, biodynamic icon dismisses the modern obsession with high acidity as a prerequisite for ageing. The palate delivers an immense, oleaginous canvas where weight and high alcohol are stabilised by dense phenolics and a warm, limestone-driven mineral core. Prized by collectors for its metamorphosis over half a century or more, with good cellaring.