Type: Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc
Grape Variety Used: 100% Marsanne
Alcohol Level: 13.5%
Length/Type of Fermentation: Hand harvesting at maturity. After pressuring, the must is cold racked for 48 hours. One third of the wine is vinified in new casks, the rest in stainless steel vats. The temperature of fermentation is regulated to develop the aromatic complexity of the wines.
Length/Type of Aging: Matured 10-12 months after malolactic fermentation occurs.
The highly sought-after appellation of Hermitage is named after the tiny chapel at its highest point, once home to hermits and later used by bird hunters, like Michel Chapoutier’s grandfather. “Alouette” is a kind of bird. “Chante Alouette” means “Sing Alouette.”
Many do not realize Hermitage is comprised of just a few hilltops with very dense terroir. Steep southerly-facing terraces with unique microclimates drive rich complexity in the wines. In Hermitage, Marsanne is able to make some of the world’s top and most long-lived whites. The vineyard from which the grapes are selected is located at the top of the Hermitage slope and extends down to the bottom, near the Méal vineyard. The soil is made of loess and covered with chalky clay and it is managed utilizing various biodynamic practices.
