Ferraton, despite their fantastic terroir, despite the famous winemaker at the helm, remains an insider secret. Vinous commented that the estate “produces outstanding white wines, but they’re still an under-the-radar winery.” That translates into prices that are a far cry from Chapoutier’s $400 Hermitage Blanc, and it’s why we locked down every bottle of La Source we could get.

This wine's majesty is evident from the moment it's poured. Aromas of acacia blossom, sun-kissed lemon, and yellow apple give way to a palate that's rich and seamlessly integrated—beeswax and citrus on an acidity that seems to go on forever. It's the kind of white wine that stops conversation. One sip is all it takes to remind you why these rare wines are so prized.

Saint-Joseph offers some of the top values in the Northern Rhône. Its best terroirs are hills that remind us of Hermitage on a smaller scale, and they're often tantalizingly close to the town of Tain l'Hermitage itself. La Source is a blend of mostly Marsanne—the dominant white grape of Hermitage Hill—with a little Roussanne, and is grown on the same kind of decomposed granite soils famous for producing Michel Chapoutier's baller Hermitage bottlings.

Ferraton's vines are farmed biodynamically. Chapoutier was originally brought on as a farming consultant, then took on a more active role in the winery over the years, implementing vineyard practices to encourage soil health and abundant microflora. Native yeast fermentation takes place in the winery before the wine is aged in a mixture of mostly stainless steel and a small fraction of older oak barrels.

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