Declassified lots that in past years went into Chapoutier’s famed white Hermitage, Chante Alouette, are now relegated to a wine called Ermitage Mure de Larnage. The medium-bodied, attractive 2001 offers up notes of liquified stones and white peaches as well as a hint of fino sherry. With fine concentration, depth, and intensity, it will last for a decade. These uncompromising offerings from a young genius are not meant for consumers who want something to drink immediately. They are the essence of bio-dynamically farmed vineyard sites cropped incredibly low, given extended fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and rarely touched until they go into the bottle unfined and unfiltered. In most vintages, the wines are not even racked off their lees, which only adds to their natural style. These are truly remarkable wines, but for most readers, patience is the operative rule as they generally need a good 8-10 years to strut their stuff.Once moribund, over the last 12 years, this firm has become one of the reference points for nearly all the Rhone Valley appellations since the brash yet immensely talented Michel Chapoutier took over in the late eighties. The single vineyard offerings are as good as Rhone Valley wines can be. Moreover, Chapoutier continues to upgrade the quality of those wines offered in more significant quantities than the 500 or so cases each of the single vineyard offerings.Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Readers looking for a surprisingly strong effort as well as the least expensive white Ermitage, should check out the 2000 Ermitage Mure de Larnage. This wine is made from young vines. Aromas and flavors of acacia flowers, fino sherry, and a touch of honey dominate this full-bodied, chewy, fleshy white Hermitage. To produce this wine, Chapoutier reduced his production of Chante Alouette. It should drink well for a decade.Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000