Chapoutier is one of the oldest names in the Rhone valley, buying the property in 1855. Michel Chapoutier and his brother Marc took over managing Chapoutier in the very late 1980’s. When Michel Chapoutier took over the company, they were producing on average close to 550,000 bottles of wine. By 2012, that number grew to more than 7,000,000 bottles per year, largely due to purchasing as much vineyard land as possible. Today, Chapoutier owns close to 25% of the entire appellation. Prior to being headed by Michel Chapoutier, Domaine Chapoutier was known for producing lighter styled wines. That changed in 1989 with their Hermitage wines, especially Le Pavillon. A large part of the reason for their success is due to the decisions made by the young, brash, Michel Chapoutier. He became the first wine maker in Hermitage to focus on producing small batches of wines made from specific sites.

Vineyard: The Hermitage hill is the only appellation in the world where we can find the four geological eras: from the primary era to the quaternary period. Michel Chapoutier was conscious about this tremendous asset and decided to vinify separately the grapes from such expressive terroirs.

Soil: South facing slopes. The soil consists of a mixture of clay, pebbles and gravel. The alluvial terroir of Crozes-Hermitage was formed by terraces from the Rhône and Isère rivers.

Vinification: Crozes-Hermitage is vinified traditionally with punching down and pumping over taking place in concrete tanks. This wine is made from organically grown grapes. The exclusion of all chemical products (in particular herbicides), and the ploughing of the vineyards, enables the vine to plunge its root system deep down into the heart of the soil. Deeper root systems make the vine’s physiological behavior more even, and provide better resistance to sudden and variable weather conditions. As to the wines, a more subtle balance and a pronounced minerality set this wine apart from other Crozes-Hermitage wines produced from this sedimentary soil. Vinification and ageing in concrete tanks enhances the subtlety of the balance.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Crozes-Hermitage
Region: Rhône Valley
Grape Varieties: 100% Syrah
Ageing: 12 months - 85% in Concrete Tanks & 15% in Barrel
Alcohol: 13%
Drink: Now to 5 years

Tasting Note: Les Meysonniers is a wine with fleshy tannins, and loads of floral and black fruit notes. Very intense purplish red. On the nose, red fruits, blackcurrant and raspberry, followed by violet aromas. On the palate, ample and round, final of stewed fruits and vanilla.

Chapoutier is one of the oldest names in the Rhone valley, buying the property in 1855. Michel Chapoutier and his brother Marc took over managing Chapoutier in the very late 1980’s. When Michel Chapoutier took over the company, they were producing on average close to 550,000 bottles of wine. By 2012, that number grew to more than 7,000,000 bottles per year, largely due to purchasing as much vineyard land as possible.

Today, Chapoutier owns close to 25% of the entire appellation. Prior to being headed by Michel Chapoutier, Domaine Chapoutier was known for producing lighter styled wines. That changed in 1989 with their Hermitage wines, especially Le Pavillon. A large part of the reason for their success is due to the decisions made by the young, brash, Michel Chapoutier. He became the first wine maker in Hermitage to focus on producing small batches of wines made from specific sites.

Michel Chapoutier lowered the yields, aged his wine in up to 100% new, French oak barrels and picked fruit when it was at full levels of ripeness. He also moved to a bio-dynamic farming approach. Today, these techniques are considered common place. But in 1989, they were well outside the mainstream in the Rhone Valley.

Cellar Master: Michel Chapoutier
Winery Location: Rhône Valley | Northern Rhone, France
Region: Crozes-Hermitage
Annual Production (bottles): 7,000,000