M. Chapoutier
M. Chapoutier

M. Chapoutier

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A family house founded in 1808 in Tain-l'Hermitage, M. Chapoutier is today the largest landowner on the Hermitage hill. Under the direction of Michel Chapoutier, the vineyard converted to biodynamics from the early 1990s: syrah for the reds, marsanne for the whites, and a plot-by-plot reading of the hillside. Since 1996, every label also carries the name of the wine in Braille. Le Pavillon, born from the old vines of Bessards on a granite base, ranks among the greatest syrahs of the Rhône: the 1990 vintage and the 1989 stand among the estate's finest, while the 2009 wine and the 2021 continue this pursuit of excellence across more recent years.

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Vintage guide

Vintage guide
Maison M. Chapoutier, our article

Maison M. Chapoutier, our article
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Preparation of your order
Rhône region

Rhône region

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The F.A.Q

What makes M. Chapoutier's wines recognisable?

Three hallmarks: biodynamic viticulture adopted from the early 1990s, single-vineyard cuvées each sourced from a single lieu-dit on the Hermitage hill, and the wine's name printed in Braille on every label since 1996, as a tribute to Maurice Monier de la Sizeranne.

Which great vintages of M. Chapoutier should you look for?

For Hermitage, the years 1989 and 1990 rank among the estate's historic peaks; the 2003 wine and 2009 offer powerful, concentrated reds, while more recent vintages such as 2016 or 2021 continue this consistency at the very highest level.

How long can a M. Chapoutier wine be kept?

The great reds from Hermitage, particularly the single-vineyard selections, can easily be kept for twenty to forty years in good conditions and often need around ten years before opening up fully. The marsanne whites also age remarkably well. With a young vintage, decanting is recommended.

M. Chapoutier, two centuries of a family house in Tain-l'Hermitage

The house of M. Chapoutier was founded in 1808, when Polydor Chapoutier acquired his first vineyards on the slopes of Tain-l'Hermitage, in the northern Rhône Valley. From generation to generation, the family moved from winegrowing to négociant trading, without ever leaving this birthplace. The decisive turning point came in 1990: Michel Chapoutier, then in his early thirties, took over the running of the estate and reinvented its philosophy. He refocused the house on the expression of terroirs, converted the vineyard to biodynamics and created single-vineyard cuvées. Today, the house tends a vineyard of around 360 hectares that extends well beyond the Rhône, with properties in Roussillon, Alsace, Portugal and Australia; yet its historic heart remains the Hermitage hill, of which it has become the largest landowner.

The terroir of the Hermitage hill: granite, stones and micro-terraces

To understand the wines of M. Chapoutier, one must look to the Hermitage hill, a steep slope facing due south above the Rhône. Far from uniform, this hill is a mosaic of small sectors — the lieux-dits — each with its own soil. The Bessards sector, with its granite bedrock, yields the most upright and profound syrahs; it is the backbone of a great Hermitage. A little further along, Le Méal rests on ancient terraces of river stones and gravel deposited by the river, producing wines that are more fleshy and generous. Les Greffieux, on finer soils mixed with rounded pebbles, brings roundness and approachability. This plot-by-plot reading lies at the heart of the estate's work: rather than blending everything together, it bottles separately what each terroir has that is unique. The south-facing exposure and steep slopes, laid out in terraces, complete the picture by giving the vines maximum sunshine.

Biodynamics, syrah and marsanne: the philosophy and style of M. Chapoutier wines

M. Chapoutier's style stems from a simple principle: intervene as little as possible and let the soil speak. From the early 1990s, the estate converted its vineyards to biodynamics, a form of farming that uses no synthetic chemicals, nurtures the life of the soil and works in harmony with the seasons. In Hermitage, two grape varieties reign: syrah for the reds, marsanne for the whites. The reds are recognisable by their deep colour and aromas of dark fruits, liquorice and spice, underpinned by a dense structure that softens with age. The marsanne whites, rarer, offer an ample texture, notes of white fruits, honey and blossom, and an ageing potential that often surprises enthusiasts. The grapes are harvested by hand, winemaking remains understated, and the ageing process seeks to preserve the freshness and mineral character of the site rather than impose the influence of oak.

Single-vineyard selections and the Braille heritage: the signature of M. Chapoutier

Two traits make the house immediately recognisable. The first is its single-vineyard selections: cuvées of Ermitage — the house readily adopts the old spelling — each sourced from a single lieu-dit and a single grape variety, produced in very small quantities. Le Pavillon, born from the old vines of Bessards on granite, is the most celebrated among them, alongside L'Ermite, Le Méal, Les Greffieux and, in white, De l'Orée. The second trait can be read, literally, with the fingertips: since 1996, every label bears the name of the wine, its vintage and its appellation in Braille. This tribute refers to Maurice Monier de la Sizeranne, a member of a Tain family from whom the house purchased vines, who lost his sight as a child and went on to invent an abbreviated form of Braille and to found a major association for the blind. The house's historic Hermitage cuvée bears his name. Few estates so closely associate a great wine with such a gesture of accessibility.

Ageing potential and recognition of M. Chapoutier wines

The great wines of M. Chapoutier are wines built for ageing. The red Hermitages, and above all the single-vineyard selections, often require a decade or more to unwind their tannins, and the finest vintages cross three to four decades with ease. Young, they impress with their power; with age, they gain in complexity and develop notes of leather, truffle, candied fruit and undergrowth. The marsanne whites, long underestimated, rank among the most age-worthy white wines in France. This consistency at the highest level has earned the house constant international recognition for several decades: it now stands among the absolute benchmarks of the Rhône Valley, and its pioneering work on biodynamics and single-vineyard terroirs has left a lasting mark on the entire appellation.

M. Chapoutier within Hermitage and the Rhône Valley

Hermitage is one of the smallest and oldest great terroirs in France: barely more than 130 hectares of vines, shared among a handful of estates. M. Chapoutier occupies a singular position here, having become its largest landowner, with plots in almost all of the finest lieux-dits. Its neighbours on the hill and in the northern Rhône each contribute, in their own way, to the identity of these terroirs: the domaine Jean-Louis Chave embodies the art of patient blending in Hermitage, while Paul Jaboulet Aîné produces the celebrated cuvée La Chapelle. Further north, on the slopes of Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu, the houses of Guigal and Delas extend this tradition of long-ageing syrahs and whites. To place M. Chapoutier among these names is to recognise that one is at the very pinnacle of the northern Rhône Valley.

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