Lot 46
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2011 (1) WS 96 WA 96+
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2015 (1) WA 99
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2016 (1) WA 96+
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2017 (1) WA (96-99)
Lot 46 Details
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2011 (1)
Rhône.
Tasted from bottle, the 2011 Hermitage sports a ruby/purple color to go with an awesome bouquet of sweet cassis, dried flowers, spice-box, ground pepper and crushed stone. One of the more serious, focused and structured 2011s, it has fabulous concentration, sweet tannin and a seamless texture. Give it 5-6 years and enjoy bottles over the following 2 decades or more. WS 96 WA 96+
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2015 (1)
Rhône.
stained label.
I had the opportunity to retaste the wonderful 2015 Hermitage and have taken this opportunity to up my rating of it a couple of points, more in line with how I thought it would turn out from barrel than when I first tasted it from bottle last year. Yes, it's closed up pretty tight, but the potential is clearly enormous, with pungent, peppery aromas accenting espresso, black olive and blackberries. Full-bodied, dense and supremely concentrated, with a tremendously long finish, this is a vintage to put away and forget for at least 5-6 years, maybe a decade. December 2019 Drink to 2040 WA 99
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2016 (1)
Rhône.
Chave's 2016 Hermitage isn't the most intense or biggest wine this estate has produced, but it's a wonderfully charming, approachable effort from a vintage where quantities were halved by hail damage. Perfumed and spicy, with notes of black olives and black cherries, it's full-bodied, cuddly-soft and velvety in texture, with a long, harmonious finish. I expect it will firm up a little over the next year or two in bottle, but it's delicious now and should mature gracefully for at least 15 years, probably longer. December 2019 WA 96+
DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE 2017 (1)
Rhône.
Jean-Louis Chave had done some preblending of the 2017 Hermitage at the time of my visit, meaning several parcels had already been combined with others, so there were fewer components to taste. A sample that included some L'Ermite, Les Beaumes and Péléat was fragrant, loaded with peppery spice and came across as slightly open-knit (93 - 95). A second component, mostly Le Méal, was richer and riper-tasting, with lush fruit and hints of roasted meat (97 - 99). Finally, a sample Jean-Louis described as "more the core of the blend" (mainly Les Bessards) was simultaneously firm and generous, with notes of crushed stone, cassis and licorice (98 - 100). December 2019 Drink to 2040 WA (96-99)