Chapoutier, one of the Rhone's top producers, is a real champion of the Rhone - dedicated to seeing Rhone wines up there with the best wines in the world. At the same time this family company, headed up by Michel Chapoutier, is concerned to see that their wines are an accurate expression of their terroir. Michel tries hard to avoid the use of pesticides and indeed many of his wines are organic. The 2004 Chante Alouette is delicious: it has voluptuous, vibrant aromas of white flowers with hints of honey and incredible depth of fruit flavour. The palate is creamy and almost glycerol but with an abundance of taut minerality. The wine, 100% Marsanne, has spent 14 months in barrel gaining this complexity and 20% of it was in new oak which has added some fine tannins to the palate. Very fine, intense finish.