Hermitage Blanc, E. Guigal 2019 (750 ml)

93 poena – James Suckling

Vina iz Hermitage apelacije potiču s jednog strmog granitnog brda koje se uzdiže iznad sjeverne Ronske doline, južno od Liona. Naziv potiče iz legende o vitezu Gaspardu de Stérimbergu, koji se 1224. godine, ranjen, vratio iz jednog od Krstaških ratova. Kraljica Francuske mu je tada dozvolila da na brdu izgradi malu nastambu za oporavak, gdje je ostatak života proveo kao pustinjak (ermite na francuskom).

Brdo je uglavnom zasađeno sortom Syrah – smatra se njenim duhovnim (ako ne i stvarnim) domom – iako se ovdje uzgajaju i male količine bijelih sorti, konkretno Marsanne i Roussanne. Iako su danas crvena vina sa ovog brda poznatija, nekada su bijela Hermitage vina bila podjednako slavna, i to s pravom: posjeduju snažan karakter koji nikada ne ostavlja ravnodušnim. Luj XIII ih je proglasio zvaničnim vinom francuskog dvora nakon posjete ovom regionu u 17. vijeku, a vina su se izvozila i na dvor Romanovih u Carskoj Rusiji.

Hermitage Blanc kuće Guigal je kupaža od 95% Marsanne i 5% Roussanne, sa čokota starih između 30 i 90 godina. Prinosi su niski, grožđe se bere ručno, a nakon fermentacije vino dugo odležava u baricima od francuskog hrasta koji su prethodno već korišćeni.

Berba iz 2019. godine donosi zrele i voštane note na nosu, uz možda suptilan dimni ton koji se provlači kroz aromatski profil. Na nepcu se otkrivaju bogati slojevi ukusa koštuničavog voća, posebno jabuke i kruške. Vino ima izuzetnu koncentraciju, uz osvježavajuću živost i vibrantan završetak.

Jedna od važnih karakteristika bijelog Hermitage vina jeste njegova sposobnost da se razvija u podrumu i više od dvadeset godina. U svim fazama zrelosti savršeno se slaže sa hranom. Preporučuje se uz začinjena jela, uključujući i ona koja sadrže bijeli luk (koji je inače težak za uparivanje), riblja jela i sireve.

93 points - James Suckling

Hermitage wines come from a single steep hill of granite that rises above the northern Rhône valley, just south of the city of Lyon.  The name comes from the legend of a knight, Gaspard de Stérimberg, who returned home wounded in 1224 from one of the Crusades and was given permission by the Queen of France to build a small refuge on the hill in which to recover, where he remained living as a hermit (ermite in French) for the rest of his life.

The hill is mostly planted with Syrah - it is considered the varietal's spiritual (if not actual) home - though small amounts of white varietals are planted here too, specifically Marsanne and Roussanne.  Although today the reds are better known, at one time the whites produced here were equally famous, and rightfully so:  they have a huge character that never fails to impress.  Louis XIII made it the wine of the French court following a visit here in the 1600s; the Romanovs also imported the wine to Imperial Russia. 

Giugal's Hermitage Blanc is a blend of 95% Marsanne with 5% Roussanne, from vines between 30 and 90 years of age.  The yields are small, the grapes are hand-picked, and following vilification they are long-aged in second-pass French oak barrels.  

This 2019 vintage offers ripe and waxy notes on the nose, with perhaps a gentle smoky element running through it. On the palate one can find rich layers of stone fruit flavours, most notably apple and pear. The wine has very good concentration with a lifting freshness and a vibrant finish.  One important characteristic of white Hermitage is that it can develop in the cellar for over two decades, and in all stages of maturity it pairs gloriously well with food.  Try this with some spicy dishes, including dishes that contain garlic (which is otherwise a tricky pairing), fish dishes and cheese.