M. Chapoutier : Neve 2020

A complex and precise Côte-Rôtie red wine

The estate

Established since 1808 in Tain-L'Hermitage, M. Chapoutier is an elite reference among fine Rhône Valley wines today.

Winemaker and wine merchant, Michel Chapoutier has successfully elevated this family-owned business to the very top. The wines by Maison Chapoutier are renowned by the finest connoisseurs from all around the world for their refinement and high quality. A man of many talents, Michel Chapoutier holds the world record for 100/100 scores awarded by the American critic, Robert Parker. Mathilde, Michel Chapoutier's daughter, has taken over the running of this iconic house, which comprises over 350 hectares of vineyards in the most prestigious appellations of the northern and southern Rhône Valley region.

The vineyard

Neve 2020 by M. Chapoutier is a Côte-Rôtie wine made from a vineyard located on the hillside of the eponymous hamlet, in Ampuis. Enjoying an ideal southern/south-eastern exposure, this terroir is unique in that it is composed of schist and mica schist as well as a few seams of soil in the middle of the hillside.

Vinification and ageing

The grapes are harvested by hand when fully ripe, and are completely destemmed before being vinified exclusively in raw concrete vats. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts precedes a vatting period of 4 to 5 weeks completed by regular pumping over at the beginning of maceration as well as some punching of the cap. Work on the lees is carried out during the last 3 weeks of maceration.

The wine is then placed into hot barrels after run-off, followed by 24 to 48 hours of sedimentation to eliminate the coarser lees. The wine is aged in 228-litre Burgundy barrels (25 to 30% of which are new) for 14 to 18 months, with racking at the end of the winter season.

The blend

Syrah (100%).

M. Chapoutier’s Neve 2020: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

Intense black colour with subtle satin highlights.

Nose

The nose blends graphite and cold smoke with fruity and bramble leaf notes.

Palate

A powerful attack gives way to a pure and complex palate. Precise tannins are combined with black pepper and roasted aromas. The finish is persistent and reveals a seductive salinity.

Cellaring

Accessible today when decanted, M. Chapoutier's Neve 2020 can also be kept in the cellar until at least 2040 in order to express all its elegance and finesse.

Food and wine pairing

This Côte-Rôtie wine will complement roasted small game (pheasant, thrush), woodcock or roasted quail with black truffles.