Tasting Notes
As virtually all of the various components of Chave's 2018 Hermitage were still separate, I've given a rating that reflects the variability I saw when tasting through the barrels and made a guess regarding Jean-Louis's blending sensibilities and available volumes. For example, the Péléat (92 - 94), a pretty, red-fruited element could add freshness but is likely to be a small portion of the blend (if it's even included). More impressive were the lush, mouthfilling Les Beaumes (95 -97) and stony, elegant Le Méal (94 - 96). Lots from L'Ermite (98 - 100) and Les Bessards (98 - 100) will likely make up the bulk of the blend, oozing with liquid stone, intense blueberry and cassis fruit, and possessing firm yet ripe structures. 97 - 100 Points. - Joe Czerwinski
Few who cherish the power and perfume of classically made Hermitage would argue that the greatest red and white examples emerge from the Chave family cellars. The current generations in charge, father Gérard and son Jean-Louis, use their knowledge, experience and spread of lieux-dits to craft wines that combine all the power, longevity, nuance and refinement that the Hermitage hill is capable of. The expertise that Gérard and Jean-Louis draw upon is not only their own, but also the accumulated wisdom of their ancestors, transmitted down through the generations since Chaves began making Hermitage in 1481, continuing a five-century dynasty of extraordinarily high quality and pure expression of great terroir that is unmatched. As Andrew Jefford writes in The New France, 'The Chave line... could make a fair claim to be France's winemaking royal family: in no other of France's great terroirs is the largest individual landholder so deeply rooted in time and place, so supremely competent, and so modest a custodian of the insights and craftsmanship of the past. " - Importer Note
| Product Type | Wine Red Shiraz |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Northern Rhone |
| Sub Region | Hermitage |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |