Maison M.Chapoutier
About Maison M.Chapoutier
Established in 1808, M. Chapoutier is one of the oldest producers in the Rhône Valley. But its current worldwide fame - and the quality of its wines today - can be credited to the arrival of Michel Chapoutier in 1990. His willingness to change established practices - plus his determination to reflect the full potential of individual terroirs - has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world.
The seventh-generation bearing the Chapoutier name to craft wines within the Rhône, it is reasonable to say that Michel Chapoutier is one of the most important figures not only within his native region, but the whole of France given his impact on the world’s fine wine scene.
Travelling extensively throughout both the Old and New wine producing worlds in his youth, Michel returned to the Northern Rhône with both vigorous passion for his craft as well as extensive knowledge gathered from hundreds of traditional and revolutionary vignerons from around the globe. The most important, lasting lesson learnt was the importance of terroir and the expression of nature’s nuances – a principle clearly evident throughout the modern Chapoutier offerings.
Setting about purchasing shares in his family company until he possessed a managing control, the first act of this masterful figure at the helm of Chapoutier was a revolutionary conversion of the entire estate to biodynamic principles in order to respect and encourage the terroir. An unprecedented move considered to be extraordinarily risky at the time, today many of its peers are merely playing catch-up to this imperious producer at the very height of its powers.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Roussillon | 2 | - |
Inc. TAX
€183.08 |
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Rhone | 1 | 91 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€258.85 |
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Wine Advocate (91)I was less impressed with the 1996 Cote Rotie La Mordoree from bottle than I was from cask. Michel Chapoutier still believes it is one of the finest examples he has produced, but agrees that the high acidity has left everything in the wine compressed. It is certainly an outstanding offering, but it will require 5-7 years of patience. Made from microscopic yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare, it exhibits a saturated purple color, and a reticent but promising nose of toasty new oak, cassis, black olives, and smoked game. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied and dense, but the high acidity and compressed, tightly-knit style make it difficult to penetrate. The finish is long, but the wine is backward and unyielding. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900 |
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Rhone | 1 | 90-91 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€488.04 |
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Vinous (90-91)Dark ruby-red. Kirsch, cassis, violet, smoke and spices on the sappy nose. Very bound-up in the mouth today, with strong acidity dominating. I don't currently get the sheer richness of Hermitage, but this is precise, very firmly structured and very young. Finishes with firm tannins and a note of vanillin oak. Should age slowly and well. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Roussillon | 2 | - |
In Bond
€136.00 |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 91 (WA) |
In Bond
€212.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (91)I was less impressed with the 1996 Cote Rotie La Mordoree from bottle than I was from cask. Michel Chapoutier still believes it is one of the finest examples he has produced, but agrees that the high acidity has left everything in the wine compressed. It is certainly an outstanding offering, but it will require 5-7 years of patience. Made from microscopic yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare, it exhibits a saturated purple color, and a reticent but promising nose of toasty new oak, cassis, black olives, and smoked game. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied and dense, but the high acidity and compressed, tightly-knit style make it difficult to penetrate. The finish is long, but the wine is backward and unyielding. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900 |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 90-91 (VN) |
In Bond
€403.00 |
|||||
Vinous (90-91)Dark ruby-red. Kirsch, cassis, violet, smoke and spices on the sappy nose. Very bound-up in the mouth today, with strong acidity dominating. I don't currently get the sheer richness of Hermitage, but this is precise, very firmly structured and very young. Finishes with firm tannins and a note of vanillin oak. Should age slowly and well. |