Paul Jaboulet Aine Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, Hermitage, France

嘉伯乐斯坦伯格骑士白葡萄酒

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A 60-40 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne that aged exclusively in concrete, the 2020 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg features some slightly leesy aromas, plus hints of underripe pear, anise and citrus. Picked early and weighing in at only 13% alcohol, it's a crisp, medium-bodied, tight, yet elegant effort that bears little resemblance to most modern-day white Hermitages.

The 2019 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg is just a bit flinty and smoky on the nose, then bursts with ripe pineapple and pear notes and hints of melon and white peach. Medium to full-bodied, it's almost crystalline in its fruit purity and dimension, with clean edges and ample length capped by an attractive hint of bitterness on the lingering finish. As usual, this is roughly two-thirds Marsanne and one-third Roussanne.

There hasn't been a La Chapelle Blanc since 2014, as Caroline Frey hasn't found that special lot that warrants such an exalted designation. Fans of her whites have to make do with wines like the 2018 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg. A blend of two-thirds Marsanne and one-third Roussanne, made mainly in concrete eggs but with a few 600-liter demi-muids in the mix, it offers up aromas of toasted cashews alongside ripe pear, melon and even peach. Medium to full-bodied, it's lush in the mouth—generous but structured, with a long, long finish of citrus and stones.

Jaboulet's 2017 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg is approximately two-thirds Marsanne and one-third Roussanne. Subtle notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings frame honey, pineapple and baking spices, all wrapped around a tensile core of tangerine and lime. In a year when no La Chapelle Blanc is being made, this is the top white Hermitage from Jaboulet, and it's a beauty, with a silky texture and a long, mouthwatering finish.