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96 RP. "This firm makes outstanding white Hermitage. Readers lucky enough to have access to any of the 300-500 cases of the luxury cuvee called Hermitage Cuvee de l'Orvee should use whatever contact they have to latch onto a bottle or two of the 1993, 1992, or 1991. Made from Chapoutier's oldest vines on the Hermitage Hill (average age of 75 years), these are closed, mineral-dominated, honeyed wines that are completely dry but fabulously rich with an intensity and breadth of flavor that would embarrass many of Burgundy's Le Montrachets. The 1993 Hermitage Cuvee de l'Orvee was closed and reticent when I tasted it last spring. Made from yields of under 15 hectoliters per hectare, it hits the palate with extraordinary precision and richness. The whoppingly long finish lasts for more than 60 seconds. It is a magnificently rich, unevolved, huge, dry white wine that should last for 2-3 decades. These are monumental dry white wines! Chapoutier's obsession with tiny yields and natural, pure wines that reflect the vineyard's terroir, soil, and varietal aromatic and flavor profile are well-displayed in his current and up-coming white wine releases." Wine Advocate #93, Jun 1994 |