1999 Ermitage Blanc, Le Méal, M. Chapoutier, Rhône

Chapoutier's brilliant 1999 Ermitage Le Meal is essentially a liqueur of white Hermitage. Notes of pear liqueur intertwined with fino sherry, peaches, minerals, nuts, and licorice are offered in an amazingly concentrated, super-extracted style that manages to be delicate as well as precise. This is a 40-50 year dry white, that will undoubtedly close down in 3-4 years and re-emerge a decade later. Along with Gerard and Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier is producing the finest expressions of white Hermitage. His single vineyard cuvees are to die for if you like these eccentric, idiosyncratic, mammoth dry whites. - The Wine Advocate 95/100