2005 | Domaine Jean-Louis Chave | Hermitage

Generally 100% destemmed, as the Hermitage is meant to be about the expression of the individual vineyards and soils and Jean Louis believes that stems have a tendency to level out the differences. Fermentation in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks. Aged in barriques for 30 months. Inky ruby. Hugely aromatic bouquet of red and dark berries, cherry, Asian spices, fresh flowers, minerals and cured meat; smells like a great grand cru from Vosne-Romanee but with a wilder side. Flat-out gorgeous wine, with remarkably deep but fresh red berry and cherry flavors that stain the palate. Seems to actually expand on the finish, picking up exotic spicecake and rose pastille character and leaving a sweet trail of smoky red fruits behind.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Jean Louis Chave commented that 2005 was not a “friendly vintage” on release and compared it to 1998, 1995 and 1983 in style. His 2005 Hermitage is nevertheless an incredible wine that shines for its purity, focus and pure class. Offering up lots of granite-like minerality, crème de cassis, violets and graphite, this rich, full-bodied, gorgeously concentrated Hermitage has good acidity, building, ripe tannin and a fabulous finish. While I’d happily drink a glass today, it needs another 3-4 years of bottle age to hit prime time and will keep for two to three decades after that.

• James Suckling: This brick house is starting to emerge, slowly. There is still a substantial cloak of cocoa powder, brick dust and tar over the core of crushed plum, black currant and steeped cherry fruit that is just now starting to give way. The finish is hefty but exceptionally well-toned, with stunning length and cut thanks to seamless tannins. A smooth block of granite. The one for your children.

Producer Information

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a powerhouse wine producer absed in the village of Mauves, in the Saint-Joseph region and just over the Rhône river from Hermitage – the source of the estate's most acclaimed wines. Chave's red and white Hermitage – based on Syrah and Marsanne and Roussanne respectively – are some of the most important in the Rhône Valley, commanding both high prices and exceptional, sometimes 100-point scores. The Chave holding counts some 14.5 hectares (36 acres) of land in Hermitage, making it one of the largest land owners in the appellation. The vineyards are terraced and today cover eight different plots on the hill (some of which, including holdings in the likes of the Méal and Bessards sections, are highly coveted), providing a range of mesoclimates and terroirs for the Chave wines. Many of the vines are between 30 and 60 years old. The plots are brought to the winery and vinified separately. Grapes are usually destemmed, and are fermented in stainless steel before being aged for up to 18 months in oak, a small portion of which is new. All of the wines are bottled unfiltered. Jean-Louis Chave make several wines under the Hermitage banner. The generic red and white Hermitage wines are Chave's flagships, although the range is headed by the Cathelin cuvée – one of the Rhone's most collectable wines. Chave also makes a couple of wines from Saint-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône wine. Several wines are produced under the family's négociant arm: JL Chave Séléctions. The Chave family have been growing grapes since 1481, and today the domaine is run by Gerard Chave and his son, Jean-Louis.

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