MyWinePal: An Evening of M. Chapoutier Wines at L’Abbatoir For VanWineFest 2026PR SAMPLE

Mr. James Leonardo De Sá from M. Chapoutier

I attended one dinner during the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year, courtesy of the Festival. It was with Maison Chapoutier at L’Abattoir. It was a truly spectacular evening with Mr. James Leonardo De Sá from M. Chapoutier telling us about the winery and the wines we enjoyed that evening. Did you know that Canada represents Chapoutier’s largest market outside of France? Let me tell you a little about M. Chapoutier before getting into the dinner details.

About M. Chapoutier

M. Chapoutier, established in 1808, represents one of the most significant legacies in the Rhône Valley’s viticultural history. Under the leadership of Michel Chapoutier, who took control in the late 1980s, the estate transitioned from traditional blending to focus on single-plot (parcellaire) wines and biodynamic farming. This shift was initially met with scepticism but has since garnered Michel many awards for his wines. 95% of their vineyards are now biodynamic. Michel’s Fac & Spera Le Pavillon Ermitage 1991 was his first biodynamic wine to win an international award.

The estate’s philosophy prioritizes terroir-driven wines over a consistent house style, utilizing low-intervention techniques to allow vintage and soil characteristics to predominate. By reducing human interference, avoiding added sugars or heavy-handed cellar techniques, the wine becomes a pure picture of the land. Michel’s philosophy is that a winemaker should be an observer, not a stylist.

M. Chapoutier wines at the L'Abbatoir dinner for VanWineFest 2026 — A few M. Chapoutier wines at the L’Abbatoir dinner for VanWineFest 2026

On every bottle, the “M” stands for Maison, but it also serves as a living tribute to the lineage that steers the ship.

From the current owner, Michel Chapoutier, to his predecessors Marc, Matthieu, and Marius, the letter remains a constant.

Since 1996, every M. Chapoutier label has featured Braille text indicating the name, colour, vintage, and appellation. This unique addition stems from a deep historical connection to the Monier de la Sizeranne family. Notable figures in politics and the arts, the Sizerannes had a blind son and subsequently created a foundation dedicated to the inclusion of the visually impaired. In honour of this foundation, Chapoutier even produces a specific cuvée named Monier de la Sizeranne.

Have you ever noticed that some of the bottles of wine from M. Chapoutier spell the word Hermitage and other times it is Ermitage? There is a reason for the spelling difference. Hermitage on Chapoutier labels indicates the wine’s composition:

With an “H” (Hermitage): Indicates a blend of multiple parcels to achieve balance and complexity.
Without an “H” (Ermitage): Indicates a single-plot (parcellaire) wine, focusing on the unadulterated expression of one specific location.

The Menu

This evening’s menu showing the food and wine pairings. Some dishes had paired two wines. The white wines were all made from the Marsanne grape, while the red wines, excluding the dessert wine, was made from Syrah grapes.

Amuse-bouche

Crab tartlet, with nuoc cham gelée, herbs
La Muse De RW St-Peray 2017

First course

Roasted scallops, with creamed leek, apple, beurre blanc
Chante-Alouette 2018
Fac & Spera Les Granits St Joseph Blanc 2022

Second Course

Smoked pork jowl, with kohlrabi, jalapeno onion relish
Monier de la Sizeranne 2021
Fac & Spera Neve Côte Rotie Rouge 2022

Third Course

Beef striploin, with short rib, celeriac, natural jus
Fac & Spera Le Pavillon Ermitage 2022

Dessert

Chocolate fondant bar, with passion fruit gel
Spécialités Banyuls 2021

Crab Tartlet, Roasted Scallops, and Smoked Pork Jowl at M. Chapoutier dinner at L'Abbatoir — Crab Tartlet, Roasted Scallops, and Smoked Pork Jowl at M. Chapoutier dinner at L’Abbatoir

The evening’s white flight began with a sparkling La Muse De RW St-Peray 2017, historically known as the “Muse of the Rhône.” This wine was a favourite of Richard Wagner. This wine has a medium lemon colour. Floral and honey aromas. Dry, medium body with tiny bubbles and medium-plus acidity. Bready, lemon and lemon pith, toast and some minerality on the palate. The Crab Tartlet, our amuse-bouche, had a fresh seafood taste, lightly salty and had a crunch from the edible pastry shell. This was a complementary pairing with the acidity and citrus flavours in the wine matching to the flavour of the crab meat.

Our first course was the Roasted Scallops, which was a very complex dish with a light curry cream sauce, creamed leak and apple. The scallops were soft, the leaks provided a strong flavour to the dish and some crunch along with the apple, and there was an overall creaminess to the dish. The Fac & Spera Les Granits St Joseph Blanc 2022 (from Saint-Joseph) is a single-plot wine grown on steep granitic soils. It was quite flinty along with some honeysuckle on the nose. Dry, medium-plus body with a thicker mouthfeel. Flinty, roasted apple and some sweet spices on the palate. Medium acidity. The Chante-Alouette 2018 (Hermitage) denotes an assemblage of three specific parcels to provide a complete “overview” of the hill where the grapes were grown (upper, mid, and lower slope). This wine had a light floral and honey nose. Dry, light body with a smooth, light mouthfeel. Light acidity. Mineral, some pepperiness and light toasted almonds on the palate. The creaminess of the dish is what meshed so well well with both of the wines.

In our second course, we moved on to the Syrah wines. The Smoked Pork Jowl had a delicious sweet and smoky flavour. Not creasy at all. I enjoyed the crunch from the kohlrabi and the vegetal component from the jalapeno pepper in this dish. The Monier de la Sizeranne Hermitage 2021 had a deep, ripe berry fruit nose along with sweet spices. Dry, medium body with a smooth, lean mouthfeel. Berry fruit, pepperiness, light oak and nutmeg on the palate. The Fac & Spera Neve Côte Rotie Rouge 2022 had nice aromas of black fruit and pencil leads. It was dry, medium body with juicy black fruit and light oak on the palate. This wine had a lively mouthfeel.

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for this wine. Both wines with their intensity of fruit flavours complemented the sweet and smoky flavour of the smoked pork jowl.

Beef striploin and Chocolate Fondant Bar at M. Chapoutier dinner at L'Abbatoir — Beef striploin and Chocolate Fondant Bar at M. Chapoutier dinner at L’Abbatoir

Our final course before dessert was the Beef Striploin paired with their flagship wine, Fac & Spera Le Pavillon Ermitage 2022. This powerful, austere wine shows immense structural integrity that demands respect and time. James suggested that this wine would show nicely with up to 20 years of aging. It was much too early to enjoy it fully, but still in its youth, it is a magnificent wine. The Beef Striploin had a deep meaty flavour. It was cooked rare to medium rare and was so soft to chew. I also appreciated the lightly salted crust along the edges of the striploin. The Fac & Spera Le Pavillon Ermitage 2022 has a medium-plus body with a very silky mouthfeel. Medium-plus acidity and fine tannins. Light intensity flavours of black fruit, juicy berries and pencil lead. Some sweet spices and a touch of pepperiness as well.

This was the best pairing of he evening. I enjoyed the soft texture and deep beef flavour of the striploin and how it went with the sweet fruit flavours in the wine.

The evening concluded with a sweet departure to the Roussillon for a Banyuls. This Vin Doux Naturel is made using a vintage style, reductive aging that preserves the fresh, vibrant Grenache fruit, making it a sublime partner for chocolate. It served as a reminder of the “M” empire’s global reach, expanding Michel’s single-plot philosophy into Burgundy, Alsace, Spain, Portugal, and Australia. The Spécialités Banyuls 2021 had a light, sweet dark berry fruit nose. Medium-minus body with a light mouthfeel. Medium sweetness. Blackberries and light pepperiness on the palate. Medium-plus acidity and light tannins. The Chocolate Fondant Bar was layered, reminding me a bit of the smoked pork jowl, but this time with layers of chocolate. It was creamy, with lots of dark chocolate flavour and a nice crunchy crust for texture. Again, a complementary pairing with the sweet blackberry fruit from the wine and the dark chocolate flavour and creaminess from the chocolate fondant bar.

I tried to not put my rating scale on most of the wines as this is a food and wine pairing meal, meant for enjoyment, but two of the wines were truly exceptional and I needed to put a rating on them for you.

This was truly a spectacular meal. Thank you to Executive Chef, Jasper Cruickshank, and his staff, at L’Abbatoir for putting together these delicious dishes for us to enjoy. Thank you for Vins Philippe Dandurand Wines for being the importer of M. Chapoutier wines and arranging for this dinner as part of the Vancouver International Wine Festival. You can purchase many M. Chapoutier wines at BC Liquor stores and other private wine shops.