E. Guigal
Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc 2015
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
VINEYARD
This wine, produced from hillside fruit, represents the best of the appellation. The Guigals own four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site featuring intense, old-vine fruit. The fruit sourced for this wine comes from two parcels, les Murets (90%), a parcel with alluvial and rocky topoils, and L’Hermite (10%), with a loess and sandy limestone topsoil.
The 2015 expression is 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne fruit.
WINEMAKING
The wine is vinified in and spends 30 months in new oak casks produced by the Guigals at Chateau d’Ampuis. It goes fully through both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel, and is bottled without fining or filtration.
VINTAGE
When Marcel Guigal called 2015 “the vintage of a lifetime” and on par with 1929, 1947 and 1961,″ the anticipation while Guigal carried out their customary extended aging was almost too much to bear. From a vintage nearly as perfect as you could get, from vine dormancy right through harvest, the wines are spellbinding, with an utterly perfect balance of charm, complexity, and power.
Replenishing rain in the winter restored the water tables to supply the plants with nutrients, and then abundant sunshine and warmth helped the vines mature the berries to perfection as the generous diurnal shift maintained the acidity and freshness of the fruit. To buy, drink, age and, above all, enjoy as often as possible!
TASTING NOTE
The 2015 Hermitage Ex Voto Blanc is positively stunning, and one of the greatest expressions of this wine we’ve tasted. There is a gorgeous perfume upfront, featuring aromas of quince, toasted brioche, honey and flint – as well as a secondary aroma of licorice. It is lush and complex, with bright acidity that is balanced by minerality. This is a wine to age and to enjoy for years, rather decades to come.
Color
White
Grape Varieties
Marsanne, Roussanne
Appellation
Hermitage
Farming
Guigal uses only environmentally sustainable methods of pest, disease and weed control. They work to conserve biological diversity, water resources, soils and ecosystems on their land. Packaging materials are recyclable or biodegradable. Lastly, they are committed to achieving a zero waste target.
Suggested Retail Price
$320
Reviews
"Outstanding tenacity"
Vinous - August 23, 2019 "Limpid yellow-gold. Smoke- and mineral-tinged orchard and pit fruit and honey aromas show outstanding clarity, and a sexy floral element emerges slowly. Intense, palate-staining pear, peach nectar and tangerine flavors show superb energy and complicating notes of anise, iodine and nougat. Fleshes out and becomes spicier on the mineral-driven finish, which hangs on with outstanding tenacity and a lingering floral quality."
"Showy and beautiful"
Wine Spectator - August 23, 2019 "Features a gorgeous brioche frame around the creamed pear, yellow apple, quince and white peach flavors, with glistening verbena, honeysuckle and green almond notes on the finish. Showy and beautiful. Best from 2020 through 2030."
"Opulent and multi-dimensional"
Jeb Dunnuck - December 27, 2018 “The 2015 Hermitage Ex Voto Blanc is certainly in the same league as the 2009 and 2010, and it’s going to be interesting to compare these vintages over the coming 2-3+ decades. The 2015 has all the hallmarks of a great vintage with its huge bouquet of quince, toasted almonds, brioche, liquid rocks, and honeysuckle as well as touch of licorice. Sensationally concentrated, opulent, and multi-dimensional on the palate, it has bright acidity and an awesome sense of minerality that keep the wine chiseled and focused on the palate. It has the structure of a red wine and will keep for 4-5 decades. Bravo!”
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Given that this particular wine can be the introduction to the entire Rhône Valley for a drinker, as well as the position they occupy in the Rhône, it is not enough for the Guigals to make a good Côtes du Rhône. They are relentlessly driven to produce a distinctive and outstanding wine that drives interest in exploring the entirety of the Rhône.
Côtes du Rhône Blanc
Guigal’s Côtes du Rhône Blanc both sets and steps outside the standard for the appellation and showcases one of the great secrets of the Guigal family: their specialization in the great white Rhône varieties. While only 8% of the Rhône's production is white, a full 25% of Guigal’s production is white and they are today the single largest producer of whites in the Rhône Valley.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé
The Guigal family has made serious dry rosé wines since the 1940s, and their Côtes du Rhône Rosé, like all their Côtes du Rhône wines, is humble in name only. The wine bursts with irresistible fresh red fruits and yet is also serious and satisfying. While this Rosé is always a lovely aperitif, its intensity and richness make it perfect for the table, and it pairs well with all manner of cuisines. And starting with the 2020 vintage, the wine has a stunning new proprietary bottle: a subtle enhancement for an already elegant wine!
Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice
Saint-Joseph
Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice is one of the finest sites in the Northern Rhone Valley. This steeply terraced vineyard used to be divided into three, but Guigal now owns majority of this parcel in order to restore perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. In fact, Guigal is often asked when they will produce a fourth “LaLa,” and their response is that their fourth single vineyard phenomenon of the Northern Rhone is already being produced: the Vignes de l’Hospice.
Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge
Saint-Joseph
A result of its quality, Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge comes from the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard that gives the appellation its name. This site convinced the Guigals to work in Saint-Joseph and help to restore the historic perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. The 100% Syrah wine has complex and deep black fruit, floral, spice and mineral characteristics. Despite its concentration and powerful attack, the wine retains the trademark elegance that Saint-Joseph offers.
Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Blanc
Saint-Joseph
A result of its quality, Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Blanc Lieu Dit comes from the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard that gives the appellation its name. This site convinced the Guigals to work in Saint-Joseph and help to restore the historic perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. Saint-Joseph Blanc is a serious wine, with weight and complexity, and is deeply reflective of its vineyard sites. A seamless balance of freshness and fruitiness, pleasure and interest, and flavors and structure. Guigal’s specialty in whites is especially evident in this wine, as it is almost a deceptively serious wine.
Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Guigal produces an intensely concentrated, inviting and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is almost unique to the region today. Their passion for Châteauneuf, the leading appellation of the Southern Rhône, runs as deeply as that for their home sites in the Northern Rhône. The combination of working with top fruit that has perfect ripeness, along with their extraordinary patience in the cellar, results in rich and full, yet savory, spicy, seamless and balanced wines. Wines to enjoy immediately but capable of aging, and, above all, wines that leave you wanting more.
Condrieu La Doriane
Condrieu
La Doriane is a luxury cuvée of Condrieu that the Guigals have produced since the 1994 vintage. A great success since the first vintage, the wine always seems richly oaked and very fruity when young, transforming in 3-4 years into a seamlessly complex, aromatic and vibrant wine. La Doriane contradicts the accepted wisdom that Condrieu does not age well.
