M. Chapoutier Chante-Alouette Marsanne 2012 Hermitage, Rhône, France 75cl

Maison M. Chapoutier is one of the great names of the northern Rhône, based at Tain l’Hermitage and long associated with the steep granite slopes of the Hermitage hill. The house has been a leading voice for biodynamic farming in the region, and its Hermitage bottlings sit among the most respected wines of the appellation.

Chante-Alouette is its white Hermitage, made entirely from Marsanne grown on the appellation’s famous granite and stony soils. It is a serious, ageworthy white built for texture and depth rather than early exuberance, and it takes its name from a well-known part of the hill.

The 2012 vintage in the northern Rhône produced balanced, structured whites, and with well over a decade in bottle this Marsanne now sits in mature territory. Age has softened the fruit and drawn out the honeyed, savoury side of the grape, which is where white Hermitage often shows at its most compelling.

Look for honey, dried apricot and beeswax with a mineral thread and a broad, textural palate. It carries a 93-point score and finishes long and dry, with the quiet weight that marks good white Hermitage. Serve it cool rather than cold so the aromatics can open.

If you enjoy full-bodied, low-aromatic whites such as white Burgundy or aged Rhône blends, this is a natural fit. It is a white for the table rather than the aperitif hour, so pour it with roast poultry, richer fish dishes or hard mountain cheeses. Given its age, enjoy it now rather than laying it down further.