Mathilde Chapoutier Sainte-Victoire Rose 2020 (6 x 750mL) France

A family-owned merchant-grower based at Tain-l'hermitage in France's northern Rhône. One of the Rhône valley's great names, established in 1808 and owning some 230 ha of vineyard, principally in the northern Rhône and notably 32 ha of Hermitage. More recent purchases have been made in Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, Banyuls, and 100 ha in South Australia. The house used to be particularly well known for its white Hermitage, Chante Alouette, and for its Grande Cuvée wines, high-quality blends of one appellation but more than one vintage. During the 1980s, however, when Chapoutier's peers (guigal and jaboulet, for example) and numerous small growers were catching the imagination of the wine world with the improving quality of their wines, Chapoutier wines stood out precisely because they seemed unexceptional by comparison. This situation changed dramatically when Max Chapoutier's sons Marc and Michel took over the running of the company full time in 1990. Michel now runs the company with a passion. All wines are now vintage dated, and great attention is paid to detail at every stage from vineyard management to bottling. The dynamic new image was briefly dented by highly publicized bottle variation in the 1993 Hermitage La Sizeranne, due to several bottlings at different dates. As a result, this practice, a hangover from the old regime, was discontinued in 1995. Viticulture is biodynamic, so that Michel Chapoutier now farms the largest area of biodynamic vineyard in the world. yields are low, the wines are aged in oak (new as appropriate) rather than old chestnut barrels, and the top reds are subjected to neither fining nor filtration. As a result, the wines have more concentration, polish, and distinction, and Chapoutier's Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-pape can compete with the very best from the region. In 1996, the firm became the first wine producer to have labels in Braille.

Domain Cambrien

In 1997, true to his pioneering spirit, Michel Chapoutier set out to explore the terroirs of the oldest continent. He wanted to meet people, people like him with a passionate interest in Bringing Out the true character of vines. A matter of belief, too, prompting discovery and observation. He found land awaiting icts revelation. Michel Chapoutier's aim is to invent properties, not to follow the example of others. Michel Chapoutier buys land and joins force with major winemaking families, playing on Their complementary know-how and experience The result is exceptional Shiraz wines, displaying great elegance and mineral purity. In 2002 he joined forces, with Ron and Elva Laughton (Jasper Hill) in central Victoria, and at Heathcote, north of Melbourne, was very unusual, early Cambrian soil. He Has Worked with Rick aussi Kinzbrunner on the Giaconda vineyard at Beechworth, Victoria in Northeast was granite soil. After a brief experimental joint venture with his U.S. import (Terlato & Chapoutier), Maison M. Chapoutier bought two other Australian vineyards (Shays Flat and Landsborough) in the Victorian Pyrenees and set up the fully owned Domaine Tournon.