Wine Chapoutier & Laughton, “La Pleiade”, 2015

“La Pleiade” is an impressive wine made by Michelle Shapoutier co-authored with Ron and Elva Lawton, owners of the Jasper Hill Estate farm in the Australian region of Heathcote (Central Victoria). Joint work began in the spring of 1998, when a vineyard was planted using Australian clones of Shiraz variety and imported French clones from the appellation Hermitage. The vineyard is cultivated by biodynamic methods and without irrigation, and winemaking is purposely designed for the maximum emphasis of fruit quality. The “La Pleiades” wine, produced in the USA under the name “Cluster M45”, has a strong tannic structure and expressive lingering aftertaste. The label of the wine depicts a small star cluster “La Pleiade” (or “Seven Sisters”) in the constellation of Taurus, which can be seen on the vineyards of both partners: both in the appellation Hermitage and in Heathcote. The potential for storage of vintage in 2009 is at least 11 years.

The name Shapoutier has been present in the Rhone Valley since 1808. A distant ancestor of Shaputier – Polidor was the first who started buying vines, becoming not just a vine-grower, but a wine producer and a businessman. The current President of the Wine House is Michelle Shaputeier – a representative of the seventh generation of the family, a charismatic and energetic person, curious and far-sighted. Before becoming a winemaker, Michelle traveled a lot. During these trips he carefully studied the variety, richness and subtlety of the wine. In his farm, he managed to combine this knowledge with the rich traditions of the family.

At the moment M. Shaputier owns one of the most prestigious estates in the Rhone Valley. Wines are produced in the appellations of the Hermitage, Croz Hermitage, Cote Roti, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Trikasten. The largest estate of the family Shaputier is in the Hermitage. In addition, the household of Shaputier keeps under control the production and sale of wines in the appellation Kornas, Saint-Perey, Muscat de Bom-de-Veniz, Cte-du-Rhne Vilage and Tavel. Michelle Shapoutier, who became head of the company in 1990, regards as his most significant achievement the transition to biodynamic methods of working in vineyards, as they are the best way to reflect the qualitative characteristics of terroirs. M. Chapoutier wines repeatedly won the highest score of 100 points in the ranking of the famous wine critic Robert Parker.