Ermitage Vin de Paille Chapoutier Half 2004

Chapoutier is one of the biggest companies in the Rhône Valley acting both as a producer and a négociant, with activity across all of the major appellations. Vin de Paille is a traditional sweet wine of the region produced by drying the harvested grapes on straw mats for two months prior to pressing and fermentation. Chapoutier make theirs from 100% organically and biodynamically cultivated Marsanne, hand-harvested by successive passages through the vineyards and fermented and aged entirely in oak casks. The 2004 is thick and rich, offering up notes of candied tropical fruits, citrus marmalade, honey, brioche and truffle oil. Only produced in conducive vintages, this is a stunning effort and will happily age for 50 years.