The dense saturated purple-colored 1999 Hermitage had been bottled only 24 hours before my visit. It is a brilliant effort. The wine exhibits fabulous texture, purity, and sweetness as well as a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. There is high tannin,...
Deep, bright-hued violet. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented cherry liqueur, cassis, candied licorice, incense and black pepper aromas show outstanding clarity and floral lift. Stains the palate with intense black and blue fruit, smoky bacon, star anise...
The 2021s here are certainly strong wines in the vintage. The 2021 Saint Joseph is a healthy dense ruby/purple hue and offers textbook Saint Joseph aromas and flavors of black fruit (there's a hint of red fruit as well), graphite, ground pepper, and some ...
More in the mold of the 2014, the 2021 Hermitage is a ripe, polished, beautifully balanced Hermitage that doesn't have the depth and concentration of a great vintage, yet shines for its elegance, balance, and overall sense of class. Red and black fruits, ...
Among the finest expressions of the 2021 vintage with finessed ripeness and understated polish. Earthy and salty offering sanguine animal notes and well-integrated white pepper freshness. Cashmere tannins are softened yet still keep a gentle grip on the f...
As with the 2020 L'Hermitage, I tasted this wine in its components, shortly before blending and bottling. This vintage is highly successful at Chave, and this wine, which would qualify as the gateway bottling made from estate fruit, looks to be outstan...