Le Méal Blanc Hermitage Marsanne

Served with Fisherman’s Pasta - sablefish, mussels, saffron gnocchetti pasta, fennel, fresh baguette toast. Well stored Hermitage Blanc is a special experience and this bottle of 1999 “Le Méal” was no exception. Fascinating notes of clove, yellow flowers, apricot, marmalade, honeysuckle, and sunflower seed. Next to the Montrachet, the acid is perceived to be low and there’s an almost oily texture. Delicious.

100% old-vine Marsanne from the Le Méal lieu dit which is predominately south facing. A wine of beauty and balance with notes of yellow flowers, wet stone and honey suckle. Surprisingly fresh for a 2007. Super delicious with monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2037.

Fresher than last bottle. I like the oxidative notes and how they play off the fruit and exquisite balance in these wine. Special stuff.

Very closed nose. Not getting much

My WWOTN this really had next level cred. Bursting bouquet of petrol/acetone/flint gives way to an unctuous an oily mouthfeel and notes of toasted honey, waxy yellow fruit and a full bodied finish. A real attention grabber that’s not quite yet at the level of the ‘05 I had in November but I feel it could certainly surpass it with 5 more years in the bottle.

Side by side with a Chave Blanc. Bright bright gold. Tons of acceleration and deep full bodied creamy fruit with omnipresent flint. Intense and showy.

Weekly Wednesday Wine Committee. Incredible hosting by Joe. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert wine, all tasted blind.

This is the white wine that changed the most from start to finish. It slowly revealed oak, especially a heavy “toast” note to it. With no idea what to call it, I guessed Australian chardonnay. Sweet oak (definitely not too much), round mouthfeel, and honeyed cashews. This deserves to be served alone to be fully appreciated.

18 years old. What a beast! 15% and amazingly complex. Warm fruit, beeswax, sherry like components. Amazing presence. With roasted chicken and root veg. Astounding wine.

From magnum. Wow! First time having a white Rhone with this amount of age. I was just discussing not having an aged white Rhone like this yesterday, and then BAM, by sheer coincidence a friend brought this to a party last night. Beautiful yellow fruit, dry, with chamomile and marmalade. With time in the glass, showing slight oxidative notes, all in all, a great bottle with complexity.

Corked...so disappointed