【M. Chapoutier is one of the wineries with the most perfect scores from Robert Parker (42 times).】
【Ranked #5 among the world's most popular and admired wine brands in 2019.】
【Jeb Dunnuck 97】【Wine Advocate 95】
【Vinous 94-96】【Decanter 94】【Vivino 4.2】
ZTF329 M Chapoutier Saint Joseph Les Granits Rouge 2020
Special price: $580/piece
Appellation/Category: France / Rhone Valley / Saint Joseph
Grape Varieties: 100% Syrah
Alcohol content: 14%
Volume: 750ml
The Saint Josep appellation produces both red and white wines, with a red-to-white ratio of approximately 9:1. The red wine is primarily made from Syrah, the only legally permitted red grape variety in Saint Josep. Regulations allow for the addition of up to 10% of the white grape varieties Marsanne or Roussanne to soften the wine's powerful flavor. The white wine is a blend of both Marsanne and Roussanne.
This wine, sourced from old Syrah vines on very steep granite slopes south of Tournon, boasts a rich minerality. The grapes are hand-harvested, 100% destemmed, and then slowly fermented in small concrete tanks for one month. The wine is then aged in 20% new oak barrels for 16-18 months.
【Jeb Dunnuck 97】
The 2020 Saint Joseph Les Granits brings another level of richness and depth, with a darker, almost cooler edge to its black fruits, scorched earth, and graphite, with an Hermitage-like leather note. Full-bodied on the palate, it builds beautifully with air and has sweet tannins, a stacked mid-palate, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. I finished my note with a few expletives that I can’t post here, but suffice to say, I think this is an utterly magical Saint Joseph. It offers pleasure even today yet will have at least two decades of prime drinking. As always, this comes from the lieu-dit Saint Joseph, was destemmed, and the aging spanned 18 months in 20% new demi-muids and barrels.
【Wine Advocate 95】
Marked by scents of crushed stone, licorice and black cherries, the 2020 Saint-Joseph Les Granits shows characteristic cool, granitic restraint. Medium to full-bodied, it's streamlined and fresh, with silky tannins and a long, elegant finish. It's a wine I seem to have underestimated in my prior tasting.
【Vinous 94-96】
Saturated violet. There are expressive aromas of mineral-tinged black and blue fruits, violet, incense and exotic spices, and a hint of smokiness. Stains the palate with vibrant blackberry, blueberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors that slowly deepen and become sweeter with air. Shows impressive power but comes off elegant, showing fine definition on a strikingly long, youthfully tannic finish that leaves behind sappy blue fruit and spicecake notes.
【Decanter 94】
Touch of fresh peat and seaweed on the nose at this early stage. Lovely weight and freshness on the palate, very clear and detailed. Tannins are measured, the wine has a crispness and even a touch of black pepper. Earthy, spicy style, not overly ripe or concentrated - you see the structure with clarity. Will drink well young, and offer a lot of pleasure, showing terroir and complexity without great concentration or length. Great balance and freshness however.
M.Chapoutier is a family winery founded in 1808 and currently led by the energetic and accomplished Michel Chapoutier. The winery now owns 175 hectares of vineyards in the Rhône Valley, as well as vineyards in several top AOC appellations, particularly in Hermitage. Since Michel took over the management of the winery, the quality of the wines has improved dramatically, and the winemaking philosophy has undergone a significant transformation. Michel Chapoutier's achievements have caused a sensation in the winemaking world. He completely transformed the production methods and procedures of M.Chapoutier's wines, ultimately enabling his wines to rival those of Marcel Guigal, the Rhône Valley's foremost winemaker. Under Michel's leadership, CHAPOUTIER has established itself as one of the leading wine merchants in the Rhône Valley. M. Chapoutier owns many of the region's finest vineyards. Furthermore, their wineries are spread across southern France and even in southern Australia.
Since 1989, M. Chapoutier has employed biodynamic farming and winemaking methods, aiming to produce wines that are purer and more authentic to their natural terroir. Every decision and step in the viticulture and winemaking process is designed to enhance the wine's terroir, varietal character, and vintage specificity. All wines from M. Chapoutier's vineyards are also produced using biodynamic principles, with no artificial yeasts or adjuvants, no bilging, and only minimal fermentation-stopping agents. Through the winemaker's precise control, the wine's natural flavors are fully realized, a climatic expression they describe as "letting the land speak in the wine."
M.Chapoutier’s outstanding wines include: Chateauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac, Cote Rotie La Mordorée, Hermitage L’ermite, Hermitage Le Meal, Hermitage L’ermite and Hermitage L’orée.
If you’ve ever tried M.Chapoutier wine, you’ll notice its label is unique because of the “raised dots” on it. There’s actually a lot of meaning behind this: the raised dots on the label are actually a simplified version of Braille.
You'll find Braille on every M.Chapoutier wine label. This isn't just because a blind member of the Chapoutier family greatly facilitated his involvement in the family wine business, it's also a tribute to Maurice Monier de La Sizeranne, the man who invented the simplified Braille system and helped many blind and visually impaired people overcome isolation. He was also an early owner of the Hermitage AOC in the Rhône Valley.
Another anecdote tells of how Chapoutier learned about the concerns of a blind friend of his when choosing wine. Chapoutier began experimenting with Braille on wine labels in 1993, finding success and subsequently applying it to nearly one million bottles of his own wines. The Braille information primarily includes information about the wine's origin, variety, vintage, and whether it's red or white.
