Wine Reviews
The 2022 Hermitage La Chapelle brings more structure and depth, yet plays in the similar style of the estate. Beautiful cassis, graphite, crushed violets, and ground pepper all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a silky, elegant, layered mouthfeel, a terrific sense of minerality, and outstanding length. It’s not going to require a huge amount of cellaring and should have a broad drink window.
Two-thirds Marsanne and one-third Roussanne that was brought up all in larger concrete tanks, the 2022 Hermitage Le Chevalier De Sterimberg Blanc is bright and chiseled, with honeyed orange, minty herbs, crushed citrus, and sappy flower-like aromatics. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium-bodied, has a fresh, focused, elegant mouthfeel, and a salty, mineral-laced finish.
The flagship 2021 Hermitage La Chapelle (which is now released under the “Domaine de la Chapelle” label) was vinified in stainless steel and aged in 15% new barrels, with 10% in concrete eggs. It has an almost Côte Rôtie-like elegance and has perfumed aromatics of red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, smoke, and sappy, minty herbs. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with fine-grained tannins, it has solid underlying depth and structure, and warrants 4-5 years of bottle age. It will have 15+ years of prime drinking.
The 2022 Gewurztraminer Hengst Grand Cru was a bad boy in the cellar because it stopped and started fermenting. June hail had hacked half of the crop. The nose, however, is super clean, presenting Mirabelle jelly with overtones of peach and Damask rose, delicate and tender. The palate is even more nuanced, with immense freshness and beautifully delineated orange zest. It’s mouth-watering, tingling, vibrant and intense on the back palate but restrained on the entry. Bold citrus delivers gorgeous balance. The freshness and zesty, pithy character make it unbelievable that this should hold 24 g/L of sugar. (Off-Dry)
The 2022 Riesling Brand Grand Cru is from a granite site. The nose crackles with citrus zest. The palate is so clear, juicy and brilliant. This comes together with luminosity, lightness and ease. Grapefruit zest appears on the finish, revealing more of its aromatic layers. Concentration, tingling freshness, zesty phenolics and a distinct light-footedness make this supremely balanced and juicy.
