The Domaine de La Chapelle "Chevalier de Sterimberg" 2021 is a stunning white wine from the renowned Hermitage region in the Rhône Valley, France. Produced by the acclaimed winemaker Paul Jaboulet, this vintage showcases the best of the terroir and the grape variety. Upon pouring, the wine boasts a beautiful pale golden hue, inviting you to dive into its complex and alluring aromas. Notes of fresh citrus, ripe apricot, and delicate white flowers dance on the nose, while a subtle hint of honey adds a touch of sweetness. On the palate, the wine is elegant and well-balanced, with a creamy texture and vibrant acidity. Flavors of juicy pear, zesty lemon, and a hint of minerality make for a refreshing and harmonious finish. This Chevalier de Sterimberg is a true expression of the Rhône Valley, and a testament to the expertise and passion of its producer. Enjoy now or cellar for a few years to fully appreciate its full potential.
Critic Reviews
96 POINTS
Georgina Hindle - Decanter
Fragrant and super expressive on the nose, smells incredibly aromatic with white flowers and stone fruit. Crisp and filling on the palate, a gorgeous combination of spicy, mouth watering, zesty citrus and mineral touches - wet stone, slate, liquorice, clove, toast and lemon. Not so expansive, more linear and direct, quite tense with the flavours sticking to one line in the middle surrounded by a tight frame but there's complexity and concentration. Juicy, clean, long and tongue scraping. Feels well made. 3.30pH. Fermentation takes place in natural concrete eggs and a few demi-muids. Grapes come from 4 hectares farmed organically since 2016 and biodynamically since 2018. The first time this wine by Caroline Frey joins the Place de Bordeaux.
93 POINTS
Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous
The 2021 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg is a varietal Marsanne using grapes from up to 35-year-old vines. Swirling the glass stirs up fragrant spring blossom, white peach, quince, lemon flesh and green apple aromatics. Offering crisp freshness and an elegant mouthfeel, the 2021 ends with good drive on the sapid finale.
Matthew Jukes
Sterimberg is brutally lean and power-packed in 2020, and this shape and style of Hermitage Blanc harks back to the very first time I tasted this label in the Eighties. Lean, powerful, sinewy and immensely age-worthy, this is a thrilling wine, and there is uncommon grace found here, too." - 18.5+ out of 20 Points, Matthew Jukes
Winemakers Notes
Since 1919, on these steep, stony hillsides where only the hand of man can intervene, the Jaboulet family and then the Frey family have succeeded one another in cultivating the vines of this now legendary cuvée, La Chapelle Hermitage.
A unique terroir named the Hermitage Hill
Taking advantage of a rock fault, the force of the Rhône River isolated this unique granite hill from the Massif Central, exiling it to the alpine side… Over thousands of years, time worked its magic. The Alpine uplift, the river’s course, glaciers, and winds enriched the depths of the hill with an exceptional diversity of soils.
The hermit, Knight Gaspard de Stérimberg, gave his name to the hill of Hermitage as well as to this cuvée made from Marsanne and Roussanne. Coming from terroirs of loess and pebbles, this wine is complex on the palate, full-bodied, combining fruity and mineral aromas. It is as long-lasting on the palate as it is over time.
The 2021 vintage
Weather conditions
The autumn of 2020 was not very wet, except in December, which helped to balance the water deficit. After a relatively mild winter, the spring was early and vegetation started to grow rapidly, 15 days ahead of schedule. However, vegetative development slowed down very quickly with the drop in temperature. Episodes of black frost were recorded during the nights of April 7 to 9 with temperatures between -1°C and -6°C. Spring was cool and rainfall was abundant in May. Flowering took place rapidly and in good conditions around June 7. The summer was also very wet with temperatures below normal.
Tasting notes
Attractive pale gold colour with bright blond highlights. This wine has a complex nose with floral and white-fleshed fruit notes. The attack is lively, with a fine, persistent acidity that gives the wine a certain direction and carries through to the finish. The mid-palate is full-bodied, with aromas of vine peach. Complexity and a fine balance between substance and acidity.
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Tasting Notes
The Domaine de La Chapelle "Chevalier de Sterimberg" 2021 is a stunning white wine from the renowned Hermitage region in the Rhône Valley, France. Produced by the acclaimed winemaker Paul Jaboulet, this vintage showcases the best of the terroir and the grape variety. Upon pouring, the wine boasts a beautiful pale golden hue, inviting you to dive into its complex and alluring aromas. Notes of fresh citrus, ripe apricot, and delicate white flowers dance on the nose, while a subtle hint of honey adds a touch of sweetness. On the palate, the wine is elegant and well-balanced, with a creamy texture and vibrant acidity. Flavors of juicy pear, zesty lemon, and a hint of minerality make for a refreshing and harmonious finish. This Chevalier de Sterimberg is a true expression of the Rhône Valley, and a testament to the expertise and passion of its producer. Enjoy now or cellar for a few years to fully appreciate its full potential.