Listen up people decant this wine for a long while to experience its beauty!
Went from 92-95 during its evolution. This means high quality in my book vs others putting 95 points on wines that are best suited for pasta sauce.
Aroma of lilac, white roses, jasmine and purple iris. Hypnotic. Nose better than the palate.
Decanted 3 hours then back in the bottle and on to Cafe La Haye in Sonoma. Nice meal albeit not sure the pairing fit. This wine needs red meat and lots of it.
Decanted again at the restaurant and at hour 4 all in got better. This bottle needed at least a 6hr decant. So puzzled how other reviewers don't mention this. As if they don't decant? So weird. Kinda like what's the point on drinking high end wine when you don't give it the TLC it requires. Weird. Criminal for this pedigree and vintage if so.
Regardless, the palate tasted like like lilac and purple iris. Some white pepper on the finish. Pretty interesting. Very plush. Big. Was young and was in the early stages of its drinking window. This bottle could go for 20 more years it seemed and then some.
Good wine but I felt this could be more giving. Certainly in line of character of other Chave's I've had, perhaps even a tad more acidity than others which gave it a nice backbone. Nice balance after 4 hours, smoothed out. Bit of a meaty/beafy thing came to the party and was layered in. Was a bit monolithic with a thin finish early on (92 points). IE bit short and not as complex. Hit 94/95 on the 5 hr mark. By then I was kinda done w it, had only half the bottle. Was a bit too big for the meal as had risotto. Did have short ribs as appetizer and a better fit.
Regardless, I saved half the bottle for tomorrow, will see what its like if I get a change. Actually opened a 95 Chapoutier Pavillon before this, decanted 2 hours and was still tight. Hence put it away and opened the 99 Chave! Kinda think the Chapoutier was better and will outshine this Chave. Will drink it in the next day or so.
NEXT DAY: Tried a glass of the Chave brought home. Was soooooo much better! By a wide margin actually. Just shoved the cork back in after pouring back in the bottle at the restaurant. Shows this bottle needed about a full day of air to reach its zenith for the fireworks to appear. POOR SAPS WHO DON"T DECANT THIS FOR 5+ HOURS, THEY MISS ALL THE FUN! AND OF COURSE MISS THE WINE REALLY FOR WHAT IT TRULY IS.
Ha, 3 days later still had another glass+ in the bottle, and it is still rocking. Amazing. This stuff is bullet proof.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a good time to start popping corks on this gem. Over the years, this has blossomed into a fabulous wine. Now, you find smoky red, and black fruits, dried flowers, cedar, cigar wrappers, spices, and peppery thyme. There is a refined edge to the textures on the palate. The vibrant finish blends wild cherries, spices, blackberries, herbs, and smoke. The wine evolves in your mouth leaving you with a peppery-edged, lingering finish. Drink from 2024-2045.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intakte Farbe, dezente Orangetöne am Rand. Expressive Nase, ledrige Noten, rote und dunkle Beeren, etwas Waldboden, Herbstlaub, Orangenzesten. Im Gaumen gereift, abgeschmolzene Tannine, feine Säurestruktur, die delikate Frucht ist noch präsent, der Wein zeigt Trinkfluss und Harmonie, wirkt schlank und hallt rotfruchtig und feinwürzig nach. Sehr schön aktuell, muss nicht mehr gelagert werden. Jetzt bis 2028
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby, lighter outer 10% only. Amazingly complex, poised aromas of smoke, pine needle, flowers, and blackberry. Medium weight but this expands and takes over the palate in a powerful way. Strapping and meaty yet at the same time round and harmonious. Great acidity and chocolatey tannins to give shape to the deep fruit, a bit of blood orange, and a strong dollop of olive at the end. A great Hermitage that is denser and larger scaled than the usual Chave, but it still has admirable restraint and fantastic balance. We recently had the 1998, and it too is outstanding but in a much lighter, lacier, herbaceous way than this titan of a wine.
Dark, ripe and meaty. I've always really enjoyed 99 Chave, but tonight I couldn't help but think that I may have preferred a lesser 90s vintage that was a bit more delicate and soft. This will be a fun wine to try again in 5-10 years, it's got a long life ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a huge version of this wine! Deeply concentrated and powerful and almost tough to take at this point and it overwhelmed the lamb and duck at Essentials by Christophe. That being said, it's also showing the terroir so well with incredible flavors of smoky dark fruits, tar pit and campfire coals. This should be great in time but it needs loads of it from well-stored bottles. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is undeniable matière here and nicely ripe meaty Syrah. Somehow though the pieces do not add up to greatness. How much you can remember a wine the next day is a barometer of its quality and I am struggling to recall this one.
This is a bigger, burlier wine than the ‘97 I just tried. I’m getting a little olive tapenade on the nose, but I don’t get the same bacon note on the nose. This is very good, but doesn’t quite resonate with me like the ‘97 does.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best bottle yet. The wine has gained weight since the last tasting in 2019. Needs just 20 minutes in a decanter. Has an attractive velvet mouthfeel. Expected elements of earth, tar, anise, and black cherry are all in place with a warm elegance.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Poco da dire se non che questo è un vino eterno, grandioso in ogni sua sfumatura, partendo da un colore brillante, passando per un naso oggi al meglio possibile nel suo essere accattivante e cangiante, arrivando infine a un impatto sul palato che ti colpisce per la sua energica e infinita eleganza. Tutto perfetto, va ancora lunghissimo. Un gigante
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 3 hours. This is glorious, earthy pepper and black tapenade nose, very expressive. The saline infused palate dances elegantly on your tongue with a deep yet lightly extracted blackberry flavored texture. Very much in the zone and a unique expression of Syrah.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rhône or Nôwhere 2022 (Malcom, Nebraska): Easily the classiest of the three late-90’s Hermitage selections in this flight and there really isn’t much more to say. The Chave just hits different. Plenty of life and enjoyment left in these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): I somehow had the impression that this wine was far darker and brooding than how it showed today. Next to the other vintages, this showed a little brutish and stern, with a wall of tannin behind a mix of red and black fruit. Relatively sweeter compared to the cooler wines, but obviously not over the top at all. This feels distinctly unready and would happily benefit from additional time in the cellar. As to the whole Jean-Louis/Gerard regime change, I don't think that this bottle (and the younger wines) demonstrates as distinct a cutover as bantered about. There are certainly many other different factors at play than the winemaker here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep full ruby. Lovely nose, slightly peppery red fruit with some olive. Raspberry fruit, a degree of plushness here. Mid weight, lovely line, this is really very good indeed, and a lovely drink. ****1/2
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful, almost tertiary, and a stunningly sexy bottle of wine. I've always over rated 1999 versus the consensus, and this bottle reaffirmed my opinion. I view this vintage as among the greatest.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ethereal aromas of dark plummy fruit, bacon, olive, and spice; utterly intoxicating. Silky palate impression, abundant complexity, and far fresher than its 22 years of age might suggest. Compelling, a magnificent "wow" bottle. (@ Bouche.)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave Hermitage Dinner (Greenwood - Highwood IL): Single blind in 99/00/01 flight with ringer. Very similar to the 2001 in the flight, but a small step up in its potential. Same fruit, more anise, olive tapenade and cracked black pepper, but also more structure. Again, previous bottles have been more accessible than tonight's, but this wasn't a good day for tasting in the biodynamic calendar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2021 Athens Wine Event , An event to make up for the last 2 years (Spondi , Athens): Served blind and went straight to Cote Rotie and called it Chave 1997. It’s been 5 years since we had this last ( Papies 97 ) and very happy to see this wine continue the path of greatness. As classic as expected, smoky, bacon, roast meet nose , a nose to launch a thousand shops across the Aegean if it chose too. The palate in the same wavelength , silky yet full of energy, balanced and elegant. We can go on and on and on here but really an easy 97 and along with the Rousseau 95 Chambertin ( Papies 96) the WOTN.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted an hour before service, with significant amounts of fine sediment in the bottle. In the glass, still relatively youthful in color, although the first signs of auburn were present at the rim. On the nose, a sharp high-toned note, not quite pine or cedar, but somewhere in that vicinity? On the palate, cycling between nail polish, olive tapenade, beef blood, and ground pepper, with structured but not overbearing tannins on a moderately long finish. Despite the suggestion of age in its appearance, I think this wine may still be at the early edge of its drinking window.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark fruit, ripe berries, bacon, and smoke notes on the nose. Good acidity with blackberries, ripe dark cherries, some black olives, and savory notes on the palate. Long finish. This was a bit riper and bigger than I was hoping for, but it really grew on me over the course of the evening didn't feel out of balance. Maybe just needs more time...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted to remove some sediment, left open about two hours. Didn't actually need the help but neither did it hurt. This one's gently easing into the latter stages of maturity with notes of cherry compote, sun-baked tar, antique leather book covers, pot roast, and roadside fennel. Finish goes on and on. Outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
just a touch browning at edge. complex, herbal notes in a velvety, restrained background of delicate fruitiness. bit weak, awkward, and unbalanced; somewhat past prime, but good long finish
Another great vintage of Chave, but to me this one is particularly special... a bit more on the ripe and voluptuous side, fruit is very rich and smooth as silk. Drinking very well after 15-20 minutes of air. Special wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
One of those revelatory wine tasting experiences. Been wanting to drink this for ages, and pops opened it for New Years in Miami w nay, mikey, and Reese. Beautiful pure ruby. The nose is insane right after opening—cedar, smoke, charcuterie, dark fruit, some must, minty/basil according to nay—just an insane, nuanced nose. And just gets better on the palate—mid to full bodied with all the nose accentuated. It’s just so awesome and balanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First chave. Nose a bit muted and closed. After a day in the bottle it opened up a bit. Burgundy like wine, quite different from other northern rhone syrah I had. Still delicous but not the level I expected. Probably an off bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
BM's famous brisket gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Medium expressive nose displaying subtle black and red fruit, blackberry, cherry, caramel, soy, rare steak, tea and earth. Nicely integrated palate, nicely layered subtle black and red fruit, silky and polished, medium acidity, strong mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a seamless long subtle black fruit driven finish with soy at the end. This is a fully integrated example. It suffers next to the 05 which is bigger and more concentrated. Drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sunday hangout (socially distanced) (Chicago, IL): This was my favourite of the 89-99-04 trio today. It seems ready to drink, even though there are undoubtedly more miles left in the tank. The nose is an intoxicating mix of fruit and blood, with more dark fruited character than the 1989. The palate is silky and sweet, and there is a breadth here that the other two vintages didn't quite meet. Very intense and powerful, I look forward to revisiting this wine in the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st Post-CB Crab@Bay!: Highly anticipated bottle of the night and it did not disappoint - red fruits, black fruits, dried tobacco leaves, cured meats, smokiness with balsamic and tea notes. Very nice long warm finish. Lean and structured. Enjoyed this a lot tonight! Open up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Showing better than a bottle last year. Still a beautiful nose with a less compelling palate, thin and slightly dried out. In my experience 1999 has always been an uneven vintage for Chave, ebbing and flowing throughout the years and from bottle to bottle. Still Chave, though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good but not life changing. 1999 was a legendary year in Cote Rotie, as reinforced by my experiences with Guigal La Moline and La Landonne from that year, but very different in Hermitage. The Chave was much lighter and smoother (Burgundian, as some say) than the La Las. It was delicious, but lacked the complexity required to call it profound. Could it be even better with more time and secondary flavor development? Other CT tasters think so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chassagne, Red Label and Chave (S.K.Y.): More brooding than the singing 1998. The nose is big with black fruit, meat and pepper - just not yet fully delineated and expressive. Rich and dense and packed with Syrah character. Needs another 5-10 years, I think. Upside from here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mine. I know of no nose more captivating than a maturing Chave Hermitage: black cherry, black olive, graphite, charcoal and rare prime rib all combine to a heady, hypnotic blend. This bottle had all that, and it's still on its way up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Whole Lotta Chave Hermitage (Single Blind) (Chez Kailin): 96/97/98/99/Ringer Flight. I found this less compelling than an epic bottle two years ago. This bottle is less evolved and quite primary. Nose is young, rich and forward with strawberry and blueberry and still overt toast notes. The palate is rich and decadent. The spice, meat and pepper is there but still second fiddle to the powerful, rich black fruit. Needs another decade. Perhaps a 1990 in the making? My #3, Group #3.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank side by side with the 1998 Chave Hermitage at dinner with 7 guests. Most preferred the aromatics of the 1998 and sited it as the superior wine. The 1999 for my palate, particularly the next day, showed more ripeness, body and youth. I think the 1998 was in a perfect stage of development (particularly in the aromatics) while the 1999 was more youthfully powerful.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
SQN & BBQ (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note from memory. So much here with plenty of powerful black cherry. Enjoyable, but still. It fully forthcoming, upside from here, 93+ point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pretty nose with dark red and black fruit, black olive, alongside a hint of truffle and cedar. But the palate falls short of the promises made by the nose, thin and austere, lacking oomph to the flavors of tart red fruit. Short finish. The 1999 Chave is a bit disjoint, suggestive of too much oak during élevage. But oh that nose!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grand Designs Reveal Week - Dinner #3 (Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Clearly an extraordinary wine. Tasted next to the more developed 1999, this came across as riper, more focused, more intense, and far more floral in personality. Still rather primary, compared to the quite tertiary (but still young!) 1989, this is beginning to show signs of the development that will occur in the next 10- 30 years. Tight in the mouth with a massive tannic structure, the purity of the blackberry fruit is exquisite, and almost Burgundian. Approachable now, but good things will come in time! This should be flirting with perfection within the next generation... A great, great Chave. 97+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still early days here but I think it continues to develop positively. Plenty of depth and power with flavors of black fruits, slate and violets. The texture is turning silky but the tannins are still crunchy and firm and there is more complexity to come on the finish. Clean and fine. 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Richer and riper than the 97 tasted alongside, with intense deep cherry fruit, good acidity, very intense - almost overwhelms the palate. Missing the signature Chave truffle notes, and hard to find much complexity showing through the rich fruit. A showy wine, but give me the off vintages.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine meet – Hermitage @ Lars: Quite expressive and elegant nose that leads to how it tastes. Very elegant, Burgundian style and in perfect balance with its power, sweet fruit and smoked flavors. Very long. Still on the young side with further potential. Was ranked best in a flight of 5 Hermitage wines of the 1999 vintage. Awesome.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave and cassoulet: Much bigger and darker in its fruit profile compared to the '97 poured alongside, though this is still an absolutely fantastic wine - it just feels much younger, and years from maturity whereas that felt ready to drink now. There's a blacker tinge to the fruit with lots of meaty, smoky, and briny accents building on the nose with air. The palate is dense and still has some brooding, grippy tannin on the finish - this has the potential to be something truly amazing, but definitely needs time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The King in the North! (Chicago, IL): This wine will be brilliant, and the potential is so obvious. It's more than a little clamped down, but the overall intensity and power here is just so obvious. I'll also note that this seemed to me to have a little more polish, with respect to the aromas and flavours here. It's not as feral and briny, and shows more of a sweet, ripe character. The overall intensity and power here is going to be amazing, but it feels like it's underneath or behind something and is yet waiting to emerge.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque ruby, no bricking. Has put on weight since the last bottle. Silky smooth and long on the palate with a delightful sweet-acidity on the finish. Plenty of classic plums, aromas of roses, taste of asphalt and blood. Terrific Hermitage. Just shy on complexity or it would score 95+. Ready to drink now. Decant for 20 minutes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '96 is showing much better than the '99 at this point. This was really rich, notes say "gooey". No other notes, but gave the '96 93points. Dirty Dozen N. Rhone at Taylors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A much better showing than my last encounter with this wine. Reasonable ripe dark red and black fruit. Good acid and energy. Time will tell if it can ascend to the heights of the great vintages of the early 90's and earlier, but there is enough substance here to indicate that this will at least be a good wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
La Tablee: Celebratory Dinner (BYO) (26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn): Very different than the last time I had it. This reminded me of the finger painting style of wine. A bit all over the place. Lacking some structure that you seem to find in other Rhone. Still very animal and intense.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened tonight with rack of lamb with duxelles. Dark, still fairly primary, mineral notes, black pepper, dark berryish fruit, great structure, medium body. Hard to believe that this wine won't develop for another 10-15 years based on this showing. I didn't get much gaminess or olive notes but maybe that was just me.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open for 15 minutes and the florals are blossoming, rose petals and mild cigar smoke. Soft red cherry. Pepper. Jerky. Creosote, asphalt. Excellent nose, classic palate but a touch dry and tart. More elegance and subtlety with time, but still finding this showing a little tannic and edgy. Solid wine in any case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Heady nose of black fruits, graphite, roasted meats and spices. A fully endowed Chave that tastes quite young with great flavors of black fruits, baconfat and and all those graphite minerals. There is a meaty savory texture developing here that I like very much. Hints of violets on the firm finish which seems to indicate a youngish wine. There are some naysayers regarding this wine made early in JL’s career but like many other top 99’s, I think this just needs time to find it’s greatness. 94+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
BBQ at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Having tried this 2 years ago ( Papies 97) and loved it we were expecting a lot more. This was a very muted bottle and failed to show the charm and complexity we saw before. We mark it down as an off bottle and will not rate this time round
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drunk at The Fine Wine Experience Domaine J-L Chave Dinner at Amuse Bouche Hong Kong - Performing better than '98 tonight. Ripe fresh fruit but without the richness of (say) '90 or '98; Musigny like. Lacking the gaminess of the older vintages but perhaps this evolves.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a serious flight of 99 Cornas (Allemand, Clape, Verset) and some other gems like 90 La Chapelle the 99 Chave stood out. A booming nose of red berries, spices, pepper, red pepper, cherry spice. The complexity of the nose was stunning as layers and layer waft from the glass. This was just beginning to show some secondary flavors and is in a great spot at the moment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just sensational. All kinds of savory meats, thyme, and pepper. Wild blackberry with hints of other berries. A gorgeous acidity and graphite/mineral verve folding in on the finish which reverberates with the initial flavors for over a minute.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner Vertical-Chave Hermitage from the Late 1990's (San Francisco): Opened 4 hours prior to pouring. Ruby without lightening. Ripe blackberry and smoky aroma. Full, solid, chocolatey, and fruit driven compared to the 2 older vintages. Sappy but not heavy at all, a touch of green, excellent acidity, ripe tannins. How can I put this? Ripe for its time, but tame and elegant in today's terms. Monolithic and not ready-give it another 5 years anyway. On the second night, lacier, more herbal aromatics.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Acker BYO 2017 (Tribeca Grille): Not at all what I was expecting. In general I haven't been as bought into Chave as I have been other Rhone wines, but this one I quite liked. Different style. Very soft and approachable. A bit meaty and lavender, but not overdone. It was funnily enough almost a pretty wine. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
No bricking, medium ruby color. Aromas of plums and cherry cola. Medium bodied, good acidity, cherries, tar, roses. Nice wine if a bit light. Decanted an hour and needed it. Can age further.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark dense sweet black cherry/blackberry with some hints of black pepper spices. A more powerful showy vintage. Concentrated with deep dark fruit profile that was pure and rich. This wine feels like it still has a lot more to give, although great already. With further cellaring my bet is a more dramatic spicy element will emerge, thus great upside as this gets more layered and complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 98/99/00/01 vertical. Also black and red cherry, starts out powerful and lush, then gets leaner and more powerful middle-to-finish. This wine clearly improved in the 45 minutes in glass. Less pleasure overall today vs some of the wines in this flight, but plenty of upside. 94 point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 98/99/00/01. A stunner of a wine. Full, explosive nose has rich black fruit loaded with olive, black pepper and smoked meat. The palate here is young, but perfect. Dense with intense, intense black pepper and olive. Crazy powerful and long. A wine that impresses for its power while also having depth and complexity. My WOTN and favorite along with the 95, 97 and 83.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing nose after 2 hours decant. So clean and fresh but still with ample tertiary aromas of syrah. Chave, however, is very different from the top Cote Rotie producers, were I find more blood, bacon and wet fur. Chave is more flower and fruit dominated, some tobacco and some undergrowth, but above all elegance and weightless. On the palate it is fresh, perfectly balanced, still some unresolved tannins, but finely grained. Great length. This is at the start of its drinking window.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: vanilla and new oak. Discussion at the table how this wine still has years to go before peak. Vanilla creame brule? Dark fruit rose petals? Black pepper. Taste: Medium weight, black cherry, a mouthful of a finish. Tongue and upper palate tannins still prevalent. Beautifully balanced. Truly great wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A terrific showing along side a 2001 La Mouline. Interesting contrast: the Mouline was voluptuous and round with layers of bacon fat on top of the red fruit. The Chave was ethereal and finely chiseled, with a beautifully lifted and fresh palate. The Guigal was wide and deep, and the Chave was stacked in sky-high layers. Both were superb and the WsOTN for most of the group.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: The nose is deep, layered, and highly perfumed that fills the glass with crushed rocks, charcoal, black cherries, black olives, earth, tobacco, and a lot of violets. The tones just soar from the glass with them possessing a savoriness that is quite beguiling.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it, but, it is pulling back with the tannins showing a real silkiness. The feel is powerful, but deft with crushed rocks, charcoal, black cherries, violets, leather, and tobacco notes.
Overall: This was a truly wonderful Chave. It was firing on all cylinders and showed off the class and quality that one expects from Chave. It was drinking beautifully, but it doesn't feel like it is in any danger of falling apart any time soon.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spectacular aromatics and unmistakeably Chave, with that core of ripe red and dark fruit, black olives, savoury meatiness, and more than a whiff of hickory smoke. It's a big wine showing the richness of the '99 vintage, but the balance is impeccable and it has a remarkable sense of lightness on the palate, finishing with impressive length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at 90 Miles (Chicago, IL): You know that trope where everyone writes about how such and such a wine leaps or explodes out of a glass? Yeah, this one does that, and it's not because I was jostled and it spilled out. The nose on this is absolutely incredible: there's a complete balance of bright red fruit, meat, olive brine, and other Northern Rhone goodness. The palate is more of the same, but what is impressive here is how this manages to be so light yet concentrated at the same time. Brilliant stuff.
Clear deep garnet color. Outstanding bouquet of bright fresh red fruit, mincemeat, garrigue, minerals. Similar on the palate, fresh and pure, seamless, beautiful balance, medium-full body, lingering finish. This wine had a sweet spiciness that beautifully complemented the duck confit.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still a deep rich color, not much sign of age. Great nose soars out of glass - very Syrah, with plum, dark berry and maybe some white pepper. All that and game on the palate. Not as big and rich as some vintages but very classy and nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wild game oozed from the glass, scenting the entire room like a gold rush era tavern & saloon. With a few moments we were enveloped with a risqué bouquet of dark fruits, cow hide, a dash of pepper and adultery. This must absolutely be enjoyed with roasted wild beast. Give it another 5 years to let its hair down a little further.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 30 minutes. Still quite a bit about the primary fruit, but it was open after only 30 minutes and a few secondary elements were there. I bet this would have been even better in another hour but it didn't last that long...very good, showing the vintage, and seems to be on its way to great. A-/A
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light ruby core with gentle fading. Ah, Chave-all about complexity and the inextricable interplay of the aromas and the palate. At once, charcoal, tobacco, dead leaf, and strawberry. Incredibly supple and harmonious right out of the decanter without a trace of over extraction or overripeness in this big vintage, excellent mineral finish with faded tannins. A wine without any jagged edges at all. Interestingly, the fruit seems to support everything else going on here rather than the other way around. Absolutely beautiful and bound to stay at this peak for a good long while.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright ruby core, the nose was initially muted, after an hour red fruit and floral notes with wisps of black pepper and smoked meat interlaced through. The silky texture of its tannins, good acidity and balance provides an elegant foundation for this wines clean and still quite primary red dominant fruit. Just entering its drinking window this wine is delicious now but has the stuffing to be great in 5-10 years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We planning to drink it along the 2006 Unfortunately the bottle of the 2006 was off. The 1999 made up for it and more. Still primary with floral notes dominating the present fruity notes. Elegant Acidity and fruit with the tannins supporting in the most discreet way This is a perfect wine with life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank in Antigua last nite with the Huntleys from decanter. Dark ruby core, no visible signs of age. Wonderfully aromatic nose that started off a bit funky, but then evolved to reveal lovely red fruit aromas & floral notes. The nose just kept getting better and better. Medium bodied, still plenty of red fruit, along with some black fruit notes. Some meaty and herbal elements, along with a bit of green and black pepper. Wonderfully elegant, present but soft tannins, good acidity level and excellent length. A delicious, silky smooth, elegant wine that likely will only get better with some more bottle age.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind tasted with no decanting. Andreas who had this blind said within a few minutes Mouline or Chave early 2000. The signature toasty meat coupled with elegance and purity was the key factor. This is truly a majestic wine at the start of its drinking window and can only but improve. We could be talking about this for a long time. 97 for now but could easily be 100 in a few years.
this note is from a well stored one owner bottle. paired with a tardieu-laurent CR of the same vintage. Still 5 (or 10) years away from peak, but beautiful to drink. The hermitage was awesome, it was tightly furled with blasts of cherry and super clean black fruit. but what I could not get away from was the underlying granite that gave the structure along with the texture - pure silk. Was like sucking on the Canadian Shield. This will be an epic bottle someday, the others voted for the CR, which was more mature, tonight.
The cork shows signs of weeping. Heat damaged, slightly corked? We don’t know what the cause is, but we do know it doesn’t taste right. Down the drain it goes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light ruby with gentle fading. Gorgeous, complex aromas of red fruit, camphor, fennel, grilled meat, and smoke. Medium weight, supremely elegant, silky feel. Perfectly ripe fruit that leans toward the red side, a dollop of green herb, well integrated acidity, and still some tannins to resolve. Great now, perhaps even better in another 5+ years when it will be ethereal, like an old Nebbiolo. This belies the notion of Hermitage being a strapping, masculine rendition of Syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a fine wine converter wine....the waiter wanted a glass, the sommelier wanted one too, my colleague who isn't a cork dork didn't want to share. He loved it...., need to buy more
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Heavenly rose aromas and cherry cream. Good acidity and minerality, cherry comes through in the taste along with spices, but generally lacking in complexity and depth. It should be decanted as the wine will gain some weight, but acidity remains the foremost characteristic. Recommended with food, a challenge to drink by itself.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark color and dark nose. This has lovely depth and concentration and is clearly still an adolescent but it does lack the floral lift of the older wines that followed. Keep this in the cellar for a while. 90?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A difficult experience all around. A thin and fruity nose with some redeeming light spice notes. I found the palate to be tannic, sharp and angular. Quite clunky this evening, not sure if it was the bottle or where my palate was tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little slow to start and quite, subdued and a little dry and high acidity… with a hour of air and some food (steak and chips) really started to open up and show complex red fruits and classic Chave savoury flavours - overall very enjoyable. Still young, probably with upside... but why wait? Easily beat La Chapelle 2001 drank alongside on our Oykel fishing trip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark red wine, classic meaty red fruit nose, makes me want a steak, well balanced but a bit more on sharp side. Long finish I love this wine, I hope I can save some for its 25 year anniversary
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light and transparent ruby in color. Initially intense aromas of roses, strawberries, and tar. This is tight with tart acidity clamping down on bright cherries, earth, and chalky minerality. The acidity mellows a bit with air, but it is this wine's dominate attribute. A pleasant wine but light in fruit. Better to drink in the aroma than the flavor. This will last due to the protective acidity, but I don't see it developing much complexity. Drink or hold or send to auction. Coravin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep garnet. When opened at home there was a bacon smell. But it blew off by the time I got to the restaurant and shows the perfume-y Syrah that I get with Chave. Still somewhat young but already delish. Red/black fruits, green herbs. Long finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with last note. Shouldn't really have opened another one. The nose is perhaps more expressive than last time, and there is wonderful pure cassis on the palate in amongst the spice and tobacco, but this it's still quite tight. It will be fabulous one day. Actually it's fabulous now but it will be sensational one day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruits noirs, épices, poivres, olives noires. Nez très expressif. En bouche c’est long, un peu de viande fumée et une legere acidité qui me dérange en fin de bouche. Un vin avec une bonne charpente.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark brooding wine.earthy, meaty and dark cherries on the nose. A bit avid forward but the wine fills your mouth, for manly hermitage that will go a long time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle Vertical Tasting 1969 - 2010 (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Ruby hue with some bricking. The extraordinary nose is not yet fully resolved but is aromatic and forthcoming. It features a brilliant floral quality, fresh oak, almost Burgundian fruit quality and a nice spice character. Beautiful and superb in the mouth - massive and savory, high in acid, nuance of forest floor, tobacco and superb length. This is the most Burgundian wine on the table tonight, and a great Hermitage.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
smells mature - tobacco, leather, nice ripe fruit showing through too very grippy, lots of tannin still meaty feels like it's only just opening up. i'd give this time
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Gary Danko for twentieth Anniversary. Double decanted at noon poured at 7PM. Still took an hour to show up. Beautiful animal nose. Pleasant acidity on the palate. Bright fruit. My white wine drinking wife says OMG this is good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
HDH auction tasting at Tru; 6/27/2014-6/28/2014 (Chicago, IL): I love the aromatics on this. Slightly spicy, meaty, and a good dose of red fruit. The palate has some ripe fruit and black pepper but a good wallop of acidity. This is in a very good spot right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Tasted double-blind. Guessed a 2000 Chave, so had to pat myself on the back for that. Had the classic gamey, rich nose from Chave with some darker, earthy notes mixed in too. Palate was in a good place already with brambly, dark fruit, some meat, some earth and florals. Classic Chave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this at the same time as Delas les Bessards 2009...while this wine was different in style it was still very good but not as complex and racy as the Delas. Nose had some barnyard and some tertiary notes...leather, mushrooms and a bit of blackberries. The palate showed a very polished texture, a bit of black fruit and herbs with some faint spices. Very smooth and quite mineral. Not as long and complex as the Delas but still very satisfying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Un nez très animal (bretts ou réduction?), la syrah ressort en second temps, su rle bacon et la fumée. Superbe bouche, ample, structurée et civilisée, très charmeur et accompli, grand vin! 96-97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oh my god ! Un nez très bretté au départ mais il s'adoucit par la suite. Un vin presque parfait qui gagnera encore au moins une bonne dizaine d'années. Un goût animal et bacon fûmé !! Miam... Mon #1 de la soirée
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
should have stood the bottle up for a couple days as there was a lot of fine sediment and did not decant as i was trying out my new Coravin wine preservation unit (so will try again in a month or two) lovely rich fragrant and long tannins are quite integrated now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release. Intact cork, fill into neck. Poured off a small taste at noon (pretty tight/closed) and left to slow-ox for 7 hours based on recent CT notes. Dark red core, lightening at rim but no bricking. Cherries, moist clean earth, peppery spice and smoked meat played off of each other to form a very enticing complex nose. This is a wine you could just smell all night. Medium-full body, beautiful balance between rich complex fruit, refreshing acidity and tannins which are still evident but not intrusive. Flavors follow the nose with a constantly changing, totally captivating complexity, long smooth finish. This is drinking beautifully but needs lots of time to open up. Should continue to drink well for decades. Extraordinary!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped, poured some off, breathed in bottle 45 minutes, poured. My initial impression was that this was a nice, well made, four square example of Hermitage from a quality producer. However, over the course of the next two hours, it just kept evolving, revealing more and more subtle nuance like a quartet morphing into a delicate orchestra with everything beautifully integrated. It showed no signs of stopping, improving into the final sips. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
San Francisco Wine Berserkers Offline; 9/4/2013-9/5/2013 (Radius, San Francisco): My WOTN. Stunning nose with complex spice, red fruit, dense meaty nose, woodsy; medium-full body, superb texture, silky smooth but structured and fresh, superb complex fruits, persistent subtle flavor, red and black fruit; finish is smooth, long, balanced. Truly a superb wine, one of the world's best, drinking well now but with a long life ahead. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin'd and tasted over the next hour or so. Medium to light colored. Reticent nose of tart cherry, Asian spices and pit fruit skin. So fresh and lively on the palate it is hard to believe this is a 1999. Primary and unyielding but not at all austere, this begs for another 10 years of so. Back in cellar to be tasted again at a much later date. 2023 to 2033.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A trio of Chave - 90, 99, 03. I was looking forward to this flight, but it was a bit of hit and miss. The 90, as expected, was a rock star. Beautiful from the get-go, and the fastest empty class by a wide margin. Perfect bottle, perfect juice. The 99 started with a little edge, which air healed for the most part, but in the end didn't live up to previous bottles. I still maintain it will ultimately be one of the greatest Chaves of all time. The 03, which I hadn't had for years, was a mess. Over ripe, unappealing, a real shame. Don't think it was the bottle, but will revisit with a different source and verify. Had expected this to be a killer flight, it wasn't.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
99: beautiful wine, usual Chave in a rather lean register (no bad thing). Wonderful, but the 98 immediately after seemed much more delicious in comparison, the abundance of ripe black fruits to the fore. These are great wines. Drink the 98 quicker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bearserkerfest Night 2-Chave Table (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: This is wound a bit tight, but had a perfumed yet robust with tones of violets, dark red cherries, black fruits, and meaty tones. There is really good depth with good layering already.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. Very youthful with stylish and deep tones of violets, dark red cherries, black fruits, and some meaty tones.
Overall: This is just a baby. While it's really good right now, it is just barely showing what it can do. There is a great wine that is waiting to come out, but with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chicago Berserkerfest Dinner #2 (Sun Wah): Quick taste. Dark, meaty and somewhat brooding, this was very similar to a recent magnum of the same wine. Lots of fruit and background spice, lots of structure, this will be much better a decade from now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chicago Berserkerfest; 5/18/2013-5/19/2013 (Chicago, IL): Small taste. Loved the darkness, the spice, and the rusticity. Has all the class, structure, depth and complexity to become a legend. Even today, the meatiness is gorgeous.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
(at Veritas –NYC, from Magnum) Absolutely stunning wine drinking beautifully in a youthful way. Violets, smoked meat and a whiff of white pepper. So deep, so long – absolute velvet. Will last for years and years but in a good place tonight. (97)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mad for Magnums (Ai Fiori - New York NY): From magnum. Dense black fruit, ripe and powerful but a slightly reserved, backward character. Firm and tannic today, this certainly needs more cellar time, particularly in this 1500 format.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served during a tasting. Did well in the group, second place after the Clos des Papes 2010. Very complex nose of truffle, cloves and earthy tones. On the palate very elegant but a bit dry with racy acidity. A bit more fruit would lead to a higher note. Not bad but there are better Chave Hermitages I have tasted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Really impressive. Initially it was dense, meaty, dusty and chalky on the nose and palate. Over time, more and more red fruit and brightness emerged on the nose and palate. I'm surprised at how evolved and how youthful this was. Great complexity and balance. Long finish with spice, bright fruit, meats, smoke, earth and pepper, but the brightness is what you're left with. A great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
New Year's Eve at Buku with Steve & Barb. Extremely dark ruby in color. Very open right now and very Chave. Nowhere near peak but incredibly delicious today. I continue to believe that this wine is "the next generation" of the '89 Chave showing a similar richness and depth to the fruit. Easily has 20+ years of excellent drinking ahead of it. 50+14+14+15+9.5=97.5(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chris's Birthday at Black by Ezard (Sydney, Australia): Strong kirsch along with earth, pepper and vanilla aromas. The palate is very good indeed, complex and with a lifted freshness through a line of great acidity. Very long and with excellent balance, this will drink well over the next 10-15 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ray brought this from London. Took quite a while to open up - drank after an hour but should have left it longer. Emerging blackcurrant and earth, no licorice Shiraz here!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hafif opak vişne çürüğü renkte.Tortu izleniyor. Son derece kompleks ön burnu zeytin, animal, karabiber gibi baharat, toprak, is, mint, mantar, kiraz gibi kuru meyve kuru çiçek ile katmanlı. Arka da deri gibi animal belirginleşirken zamanla bunlara et,tütün hatta silikte olsa kırmızı meyve notları da ekleniyor.Orta üstü gövdeli,yumuşak,hala yeterli meyveye sahip ve diri asidi ile fresh.Damakta olgun ve yıllanmadan gelen bukelere eşlik eden mineralsi notlarla oldukça derinlikli. Belirgin ama entegre tanen yapısı ile iskeleti sağlam.Yine sağlam bir asit ile gelen dengeli ve uzun bitimi ile büyük bir terruar'ı işaret eden bir şarap. Hemen içilebileceği gibi önümüzdeki 5-8 sene içersinde de rahatlıkla içilebilir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hafif opak vişne çürüğü renkte.Tortu izleniyor. Son derece kompleks ön burnu zeytin, animal, karabiber gibi baharat, toprak, is, mint, mantar, kiraz gibi kuru meyve kuru çiçek ile katmanlı. Arka da deri gibi animal belirginleşirken zamanla bunlara et,tütün hatta silikte olsa kırmızı meyve notları da ekleniyor.Orta üstü gövdeli,yumuşak,hala yeterli meyveye sahip ve diri asidi ile fresh.Damakta olgun ve yıllanmadan gelen bukelere eşlik eden mineralsi notlarla oldukça derinlikli. Belirgin ama entegre tanen yapısı ile iskeleti sağlam.Yine sağlam bir asit ile gelen dengeli ve uzun bitimi ile büyük bir terruar'ı işaret eden bir şarap. Hemen içilebileceği gibi önümüzdeki 5-8 sene içersinde de rahatlıkla içilebilir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first Chave, tasted from a 25 ml pour from a dispenser at The Sampler in London. Brilliant bright transparent ruby. Sweet red cherries on the nose, complemented by floral notes. There's still notable tannin in the mouth. High acid. This tastes just like a good young Piedmont to me--I would never have guessed Syrah. A nice food wine at present, but I can only presume it will blossom into something more with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just coming into its own. Beautiful dark red, no real hint of age. Subtle nose, with red fruit and a bit of barnyard. Dances on the palate, balanced and complex. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): Ruby/purple in color. This was the only wine in the flight with a clean nose (no funk). Black raspberries, cassis, cinnamon, violets and minerals. On the palate, this is young, still tight (despite being slow-oxed for 6 hours), and full of fruit. It does need more time as it improved all night. Outstanding wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark cherry-red bright and fresh but still opaque color. Reticent nose of very deep red cherries and hints of smoke and black pepper but all very primary. Palate is lovely black coffee, black cherry and black pepper. All perfectly formed but very young. Clearly a classy beast but needs 5-10 years to fully develop. Clearly top class pedigree. Very nice coffee finish. Thanks Greg.......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still very primary nose with a bit of rust/blood. Nice layering of the flavors of dark fruits,earth and leather. This got better and better through dinner. Needs time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Granto luminoso, woow che bel naso, oliva , frutti rossi dolci e pepati , tanti fiori gialli e rossi, un mazzo di fiori secchi dalle violette alle rose passando per glicine e camomilla. Bocca succosa, elegante, fresca, tannino dolce, finale lungo speziato. Il solito grande vino !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
EWG goes blind for Syrah (Elements Kitchen, Pasadena,Ca): Served blind. Iron and minerals on the nose but there is also some plastic like funk. Showing an aged character on the palate and very prominent acidity. The palate won me over but the funk on the nose was something I didn't see on this when I had it a week ago. I wonder if this bottle was a bit advanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
quick note. this was passed thru vinturi 3-4 hours before dinner. nose shows classic chave rouge profile. quite dense. on the palate, everything there and in perfect harmony tonight, and the generous flavors carry onto the med long finish. despite this, i do think that this seems like a baby and has upside worth waiting for. thanks brian!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just superb. Tannins are well integrated with the vibrant dark fruit. Classic northern Rhone meaty, savory aromas. Perfectly balanced. Only knock is that it's a little thin in the mid-palette. Probably still has some upside, but no shame in hitting it now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): One of the reasons I suggested Syrah as a theme was to get a chance to try all sorts of different styles. This is probably my favorite style of Syrah. Of course, this can't be made probably anywhere but Hermitage and from any other producer but Chave. I have had this half a dozen times now and this wine is still so young and in need of cellar time. The nose is grilled meats and black raspberries. On the palate, its switches from grilled steak to black raspberries and back. Complex and layered, but still quite tight. Long finish. Great acidity. Going back at the end of the evening, this was just starting to unwind. Ten more years and this will be even more amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Dinner at 12B (Vancouver, BC): Decanted 4 hours before pouring. Deep red in colour. Between the two La La’s and conversations going on around the table, I didn’t get to focus on this wine as much as I would have liked. Ripest nose of the flight with dark fruits, smoke, rubber, spice and leather. Profile here is once again on the black side of things with flavours of black fruits and some meaty notes as well. This wine is no different than the two La La’s when it comes to structure—there is a lot of it. It also has great balance and a very nice future ahead of it. Give it 10 years. Outstanding. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still young. Needs five years at least, but will age beautifully for 10+. Dark fruits, leather, smoke, plenty of fruit with good acidity and some unresolved tannins. Allow a few hours to decant if uncorking a bottle soon, otherwise try again in 2015. -JBL
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chave-a-thon (Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL)): Sweet ripe dark black cherry fruit driven nose with gamey note. Chewy rustic black driven flavors. Creosote with nice density and concentration, still very young. Stuffed full, but needs time. Could turn out better then them all with time. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 6 hours until we got around to it with the BBQ beef spareribs. Drank over another hour or so. Some smoked meat, dark red fruit. Layered. Finish goes on and on. And great texture. Fantastic bottle and time will continue to serve it well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was surprised by this wine - I thought there would be more to it. The bottle did not have any faults, did not seem to be scalped, but it was so lacking in character, and so diluted, the overwhelming note was "garden hose." Not typical of a '99 Norther Rhône, and not in a good way. It had a primary, blanched red fruit mid-palate, a touch of minerality, and a quick, unimpressive finish, with very little grip. The acidity was very low, so the attack was nice,the color was a pale ruby, and the bouquet was excellent, but it was all down hill from there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic wine that gives a lesson in balance. The nose shows dark fruit, the expected hints of smokey meatiness, and a nice lacing of fresh leafy herbs. None of these dominates but they meld to create a rich, dark, elegant bouquet. The palate expresses these same notes, leading with noteworthy fruit and filling out (but not becoming heavy) with meat & earth flavors that lead to a finish with the presence of fine tannins & good acid. Great length to this outstanding example of syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1999 and 1989 side by side. Both were great, and the table was split. But tonight the 89 was beautiful, somewhat restrained, with not too much bret, and simply stunning. The 99 was very good, and continues to show why, over time, it may show as the best Chave vintage to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a great wine. Nose of dark red sweet fruit. Complexity added with wood, brown sugar and touch of leather. Still mostly primary flavours, but the secondary flavours are starting to show. Tannins are still evident but the mouth feel is rich and plush. Long finish. Finished the bottle the next day and the wine was even more enjoyable. If you have to drink it now give it couple of hours in a decanter; better to wait another 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paul K in SF (San Francisco): Great nose on opening, but too a god hour or more to open up. Despite being a ripe year, this shows is soul as well as it sense of place. Olive tapenade, boysenberries, violets and damp earthiness make for an enticing nose. Layered, but tight complexity unwind all night. Fiishing the bottle back in my hotel room 4 hours after opening, the last drop is the best. Really needs five more years, but just a wonderful expression of Hermitage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich ripe nose of rasperries, plums and brown sugar. Initially the palate was a bit closed, with the fruit obscured by the oak and tannins. After about an hour in the glass, really started to open up. Palate became much bigger and more expressive with loads of wonderful red fruit. Not much in the way of tertiary flavors and aromas at this point, but this one has a ways to go before hitting its prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted alongside the 1997. This one was both juicier and more structured. Perhaps the 1997 has a bit more acid, but in all other respects the '99 is the bigger wine. Though the 1997 in some ways provides more pleasure now, this 1999 has more potential I think. The fruit is immense and leaning towards the blacker side of the spectrum. Roasted meat, new leather...yum yum. Has excellent balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red. Hints of rubber, brett and concentrated sweet red fruit. Not as interesting at first as the 97 but in the end it's equal or better. My notes say ripe but tight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WineFanatic Northern Rhone Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind. At first this wine came across very ripe with black and dark red fruits but after some time in the glass it started showing hints of charred meats and earth. A huge wine full of structure that needs serious time to evolve but what a treat to taste this now. Hold. Excellent. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WIMPs N Rhone Lunch (The Ledbury, London): Dark purple color. a meaty smokey nose with dark red fruits trying to come through. also some oak still on the nose. this is a big mouthful of wine. dark red and black fruits, wrapped in bacon and slow roasted. yum yum yum. very well balanced, very long. a delicious young rhone which is barely on the upswing. it will be a good one in the years to come
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark color, looks like a very young bottle. The nose shows black fruits, some glycerol, a bit of smokiness. the mouth is pretty much dark black fruits and still quite new woody tannic. it has quite a bit of feel and texture to it, not a lightweight. med high alcohol and long finish. i can see the line from the '82 and '83 Chave to this one, i hope it develops in that direction as it losses more of its tannins
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good, but not great. Showed some nice red fruit and bacon notes, but overall a bit underwhelming relative to expectations. My '99 Chave stash comes from three different sources (this one was from Winebid), and it'll be interesting to see if the others show differently.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
classy syrah...long time to go...fruit is still front center and majority secondary flavors should still come. Integration is awesome and with time this should be outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We drank the 99 and 89 Chave side by side. Tonight, the 99 smoked the 89. I'm really a fan of the 99. It tends to combine all the great elements of Chave, but keeps the excesses in control (particularly bret-wise). I plan on drinking the 99's all through their development - in my mind there is no need to sit on this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner @ Christiansholm (Christiansholm): Master of the hill strikes again; all though young this wine represents complete harmony. It will live long but it is all ready now the great hermitage; masculin, yet elegant, spicy, yet smooth, tannic, yet velvety. Wow. 96+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncorked DK does Northern Rhône - Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier and more (Premisse, Copenhagen): Same color as the two previous wines. Big and slightly acidic nose with sweet red berries - strawberries mainly - caramel, marzipane and tons of herbs. The intensity is turned all the way up and there are also loads of fine tannins and acidic backbone. It is incredibly delicious and the herbal touch makes you think of the 2003 version even if this 1999 is more shy and elegant than the 2003. Initially I had this elegantier as the heat winner, but is was just a bit short cmpared to the Belle Helene. If Belle Helene was the ultimate masculine wine, this is clearly its feminime opposite. (U:96,2)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bud Starr's September Tasting (Bud Starr's Clayton, MO): I've had this a half dozen or more times since release, and while it has never shut down completely, this was the wine's best showing to date. Refined, elegant, deeply fruited without being obvious. Amazing freshness and length. The wine starts off great and just gets better for me. I rated this appreciably higher than other tasters, many of whom thought it might be a California Pinot or Burgundy, so take my effusive praise with a grain of salt -- it wasn't universally praised. For me, truly great Chave and Grand Vin. Thanks, Dan. I would imagine that this wine might someday be a legend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rednecks & Rhones Chave-a-thon. Deep, rich purple in color, this showed very much like earlier bottles. Upon opening this was quite tight but showed the great potential it has. With time it was opening some but could never be seen as anything other than a very young and primary Chave. Despite this, it is a very compelling wine to drink now in it's infancy. There was a depth to the fruit that only the '89 could match today. As with previous tastings I think it's fascinating to have this next to the '89 as you can see the lineage of great vintages at Chave. Very much a wine to enjoy in 10-20 years when this should be stupendous. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sunday dinner (Scott's): Now we're talking. This was a lovely young Chave with good richness and concentration along with great bacon and pepper notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Fraziers. Very dark ruby in the glass. Very young and quite tight to start but it did open some with time in the decanter and glass. Despite the youth the greatness of this wine is quite apparent. Excellent depth and clarity of fruit. Minerals and hot stones. Some sour cherry. Very tannic and drying on the long finish. A great match with the roasted duck breast. A classic in the making. 50+13+13+8+8 = 92++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Pot Luck 03 Chave, 90 Lafite, 85 Groth Reserve et al: This Chave was right between the three we had tonight. Not just in vintage but also in style. While no where near as flamboyant as the 2003, it was immensely more pleasurable than the 1985. I don't think that a few more years of aging would hurt this wine, but based on table consensus we all felt that it would not get better. Medium bodied with a moderate finish. This wine was probably handicapped by being served in the company of the 2003.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
St John Offline (St John, London): Medium density, softer plummy fruit, a slightly different fruit profile, very solid tannins, seems to be holding a lot back. It will blossom. I bought some of this the day after.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Suckling Pin Dinner at St. John (London, UK): WOW! Should young Chave be able to drink this well? Dark ruby in the glass, this wine is clearly very young but also has a great balance to it. Still quite tannic but some how the wine's incredible raw materials melt away those tannins. A really beautiful wine, and one that may be on the path of the '89. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a meaty, dense, concentrated, powerful wine that grabs your senses. Layers of fruit pour over your palate while the perfume explodes from your glass! 99 Chave is not shy. It’s a huge wine, but it sports impeccable balance. The finish lasted over :40.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In this flight, the '99 is more restrained than either the '00 Chave or '99 Jamet. This has closed down quite a bit since my last bottle a year ago. More red fruit here -- dark cherries mostly. Big palate. Somehow, it manages to give an impression of greatness without saying too much today. Despite the faint praise, this was actually my second favorite of the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for several hours offered layers of thick, deep, black fruit with black raspberry and dark cherry flavors. Slightly rustic. Very tannic. 99 Chave will probably flesh out in another 10-15 years. Infanticide to open at this stage
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pitch black color with notes of deep, black, ripe fruit, pepper, spearmint and herbs. Huge wine. Very extracted, rich and complex. The mouthfeel takes over every nook and cranny of your tasting senses. Amazing stuff. Very young, will age for decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
France Syrah vs Australia Shiraz (Toulouse): Nose screams Hermitage! No doubt for me, this is the Chave. Superb nose, beautiful fruit with coffee. Tannins rather tight (fortunately enough it's not tight-tannic - ok, I stop now with play on words in a foreign language ), the wine is rather closed at this stage. Very enjoyable, there is some debate in the group about the finish (some find it outstanding, for me it's more regular). The style is clear and outstanding. La classe! And indeed, this is Hermitage Chave 99. Very good bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WOW!!! (3 not 2 exclamation points - see note on '83 Chave) Unbelievably good and drinking very well now. Will be amazing now or in 15 years. WOTN for many. What a treat to have this after the '83 Chave. You can see the similarities of the wines with this clearly coming from the same soil as the '83.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/5/2024 - essenceofreal wrote: 94 Points
Listen up people decant this wine for a long while to experience its beauty!
Went from 92-95 during its evolution. This means high quality in my book vs others putting 95 points on wines that are best suited for pasta sauce.
Aroma of lilac, white roses, jasmine and purple iris. Hypnotic. Nose better than the palate.
Decanted 3 hours then back in the bottle and on to Cafe La Haye in Sonoma. Nice meal albeit not sure the pairing fit. This wine needs red meat and lots of it.
Decanted again at the restaurant and at hour 4 all in got better. This bottle needed at least a 6hr decant. So puzzled how other reviewers don't mention this. As if they don't decant? So weird. Kinda like what's the point on drinking high end wine when you don't give it the TLC it requires. Weird. Criminal for this pedigree and vintage if so.
Regardless, the palate tasted like like lilac and purple iris. Some white pepper on the finish. Pretty interesting. Very plush. Big. Was young and was in the early stages of its drinking window. This bottle could go for 20 more years it seemed and then some.
Good wine but I felt this could be more giving. Certainly in line of character of other Chave's I've had, perhaps even a tad more acidity than others which gave it a nice backbone. Nice balance after 4 hours, smoothed out. Bit of a meaty/beafy thing came to the party and was layered in. Was a bit monolithic with a thin finish early on (92 points). IE bit short and not as complex. Hit 94/95 on the 5 hr mark. By then I was kinda done w it, had only half the bottle. Was a bit too big for the meal as had risotto. Did have short ribs as appetizer and a better fit.
Regardless, I saved half the bottle for tomorrow, will see what its like if I get a change. Actually opened a 95 Chapoutier Pavillon before this, decanted 2 hours and was still tight. Hence put it away and opened the 99 Chave! Kinda think the Chapoutier was better and will outshine this Chave. Will drink it in the next day or so.
NEXT DAY: Tried a glass of the Chave brought home. Was soooooo much better! By a wide margin actually. Just shoved the cork back in after pouring back in the bottle at the restaurant. Shows this bottle needed about a full day of air to reach its zenith for the fireworks to appear. POOR SAPS WHO DON"T DECANT THIS FOR 5+ HOURS, THEY MISS ALL THE FUN! AND OF COURSE MISS THE WINE REALLY FOR WHAT IT TRULY IS.
Ha, 3 days later still had another glass+ in the bottle, and it is still rocking. Amazing. This stuff is bullet proof.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is a good time to start popping corks on this gem. Over the years, this has blossomed into a fabulous wine. Now, you find smoky red, and black fruits, dried flowers, cedar, cigar wrappers, spices, and peppery thyme. There is a refined edge to the textures on the palate. The vibrant finish blends wild cherries, spices, blackberries, herbs, and smoke. The wine evolves in your mouth leaving you with a peppery-edged, lingering finish. Drink from 2024-2045.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2024 - soyhead wrote:
smoky, dark fruit, dark berry, lush but powerful and excellent with lamb chops
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 94 Points
Intakte Farbe, dezente Orangetöne am Rand. Expressive Nase, ledrige Noten, rote und dunkle Beeren, etwas Waldboden, Herbstlaub, Orangenzesten. Im Gaumen gereift, abgeschmolzene Tannine, feine Säurestruktur, die delikate Frucht ist noch präsent, der Wein zeigt Trinkfluss und Harmonie, wirkt schlank und hallt rotfruchtig und feinwürzig nach. Sehr schön aktuell, muss nicht mehr gelagert werden. Jetzt bis 2028
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2023 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep ruby, lighter outer 10% only. Amazingly complex, poised aromas of smoke, pine needle, flowers, and blackberry. Medium weight but this expands and takes over the palate in a powerful way. Strapping and meaty yet at the same time round and harmonious. Great acidity and chocolatey tannins to give shape to the deep fruit, a bit of blood orange, and a strong dollop of olive at the end. A great Hermitage that is denser and larger scaled than the usual Chave, but it still has admirable restraint and fantastic balance. We recently had the 1998, and it too is outstanding but in a much lighter, lacier, herbaceous way than this titan of a wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/13/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark, ripe and meaty. I've always really enjoyed 99 Chave, but tonight I couldn't help but think that I may have preferred a lesser 90s vintage that was a bit more delicate and soft. This will be a fun wine to try again in 5-10 years, it's got a long life ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a huge version of this wine! Deeply concentrated and powerful and almost tough to take at this point and it overwhelmed the lamb and duck at Essentials by Christophe. That being said, it's also showing the terroir so well with incredible flavors of smoky dark fruits, tar pit and campfire coals. This should be great in time but it needs loads of it from well-stored bottles. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
There is undeniable matière here and nicely ripe meaty Syrah. Somehow though the pieces do not add up to greatness. How much you can remember a wine the next day is a barometer of its quality and I am struggling to recall this one.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/9/2023 - Todd French wrote:
Meaty, rugged nose, dark red fruit, great florals, hint of pepper and mint, nice weight but bright on the palate, strong acidity - complex but rustic
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2023 - Bob H wrote:
This is a bigger, burlier wine than the ‘97 I just tried. I’m getting a little olive tapenade on the nose, but I don’t get the same bacon note on the nose. This is very good, but doesn’t quite resonate with me like the ‘97 does.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2023 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Just doesn't get me excited, lacks the purity I crave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2023 - sachsmart Likes this wine: 93 Points
Its ready in 2023 (after you decant it). Powerful nose, graphite & leather. Really tight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2023 - Lipsman wrote: 95 Points
Best bottle yet. The wine has gained weight since the last tasting in 2019. Needs just 20 minutes in a decanter. Has an attractive velvet mouthfeel. Expected elements of earth, tar, anise, and black cherry are all in place with a warm elegance.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2022 - fadincvaros Likes this wine: 96 Points
Poco da dire se non che questo è un vino eterno, grandioso in ogni sua sfumatura, partendo da un colore brillante, passando per un naso oggi al meglio possibile nel suo essere accattivante e cangiante, arrivando infine a un impatto sul palato che ti colpisce per la sua energica e infinita eleganza. Tutto perfetto, va ancora lunghissimo. Un gigante
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2022 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. This is glorious, earthy pepper and black tapenade nose, very expressive. The saline infused palate dances elegantly on your tongue with a deep yet lightly extracted blackberry flavored texture. Very much in the zone and a unique expression of Syrah.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2022 - thesternowl wrote:
Rhône or Nôwhere 2022 (Malcom, Nebraska): Easily the classiest of the three late-90’s Hermitage selections in this flight and there really isn’t much more to say. The Chave just hits different. Plenty of life and enjoyment left in these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): I somehow had the impression that this wine was far darker and brooding than how it showed today. Next to the other vintages, this showed a little brutish and stern, with a wall of tannin behind a mix of red and black fruit. Relatively sweeter compared to the cooler wines, but obviously not over the top at all. This feels distinctly unready and would happily benefit from additional time in the cellar. As to the whole Jean-Louis/Gerard regime change, I don't think that this bottle (and the younger wines) demonstrates as distinct a cutover as bantered about. There are certainly many other different factors at play than the winemaker here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2022 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Deep full ruby. Lovely nose, slightly peppery red fruit with some olive. Raspberry fruit, a degree of plushness here. Mid weight, lovely line, this is really very good indeed, and a lovely drink. ****1/2
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2022 - BradE wrote:
Beautiful, almost tertiary, and a stunningly sexy bottle of wine. I've always over rated 1999 versus the consensus, and this bottle reaffirmed my opinion. I view this vintage as among the greatest.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2021 - slanum wrote:
Ethereal aromas of dark plummy fruit, bacon, olive, and spice; utterly intoxicating. Silky palate impression, abundant complexity, and far fresher than its 22 years of age might suggest. Compelling, a magnificent "wow" bottle. (@ Bouche.)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chave Hermitage Dinner (Greenwood - Highwood IL): Single blind in 99/00/01 flight with ringer. Very similar to the 2001 in the flight, but a small step up in its potential. Same fruit, more anise, olive tapenade and cracked black pepper, but also more structure. Again, previous bottles have been more accessible than tonight's, but this wasn't a good day for tasting in the biodynamic calendar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2021 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
JK's 50th Birthday: Dryer tannin, perfect ripeness, balanced, compact fruit. 94-95
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2021 - Papies wrote: 97 Points
2021 Athens Wine Event , An event to make up for the last 2 years (Spondi , Athens): Served blind and went straight to Cote Rotie and called it Chave 1997.
It’s been 5 years since we had this last ( Papies 97 ) and very happy to see this wine continue the path of greatness. As classic as expected, smoky, bacon, roast meet nose , a nose to launch a thousand shops across the Aegean if it chose too. The palate in the same wavelength , silky yet full of energy, balanced and elegant. We can go on and on and on here but really an easy 97 and along with the Rousseau 95 Chambertin ( Papies 96) the WOTN.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2021 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Decanted an hour before service, with significant amounts of fine sediment in the bottle. In the glass, still relatively youthful in color, although the first signs of auburn were present at the rim. On the nose, a sharp high-toned note, not quite pine or cedar, but somewhere in that vicinity? On the palate, cycling between nail polish, olive tapenade, beef blood, and ground pepper, with structured but not overbearing tannins on a moderately long finish. Despite the suggestion of age in its appearance, I think this wine may still be at the early edge of its drinking window.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruit, ripe berries, bacon, and smoke notes on the nose. Good acidity with blackberries, ripe dark cherries, some black olives, and savory notes on the palate. Long finish. This was a bit riper and bigger than I was hoping for, but it really grew on me over the course of the evening didn't feel out of balance. Maybe just needs more time...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2021 - aquacongas wrote: 96 Points
semiblind
Licorice, spicy, soft tannins, still lot of acidity. 96
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2021 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Decanted to remove some sediment, left open about two hours. Didn't actually need the help but neither did it hurt. This one's gently easing into the latter stages of maturity with notes of cherry compote, sun-baked tar, antique leather book covers, pot roast, and roadside fennel. Finish goes on and on. Outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2021 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fully mature, but just beautiful. Seamless and long. Very popular at our Brian Flannery grilled steakfest. This went fast.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2021 - logos Likes this wine: 63 Points
just a touch browning at edge. complex, herbal notes in a velvety, restrained background of delicate fruitiness. bit weak, awkward, and unbalanced; somewhat past prime, but good long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (4)
2/19/2021 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Home
Beautiful but still too young. A blockbuster wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another great vintage of Chave, but to me this one is particularly special... a bit more on the ripe and voluptuous side, fruit is very rich and smooth as silk. Drinking very well after 15-20 minutes of air. Special wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - Big Dog E wrote: 98 Points
One of those revelatory wine tasting experiences. Been wanting to drink this for ages, and pops opened it for New Years in Miami w nay, mikey, and Reese. Beautiful pure ruby. The nose is insane right after opening—cedar, smoke, charcuterie, dark fruit, some must, minty/basil according to nay—just an insane, nuanced nose. And just gets better on the palate—mid to full bodied with all the nose accentuated. It’s just so awesome and balanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2020 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 92 Points
First chave. Nose a bit muted and closed. After a day in the bottle it opened up a bit. Burgundy like wine, quite different from other northern rhone syrah I had. Still delicous but not the level I expected. Probably an off bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2020 - cadamson wrote: flawed
Corked. That sucks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2020 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
BM's famous brisket gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Medium expressive nose displaying subtle black and red fruit, blackberry, cherry, caramel, soy, rare steak, tea and earth. Nicely integrated palate, nicely layered subtle black and red fruit, silky and polished, medium acidity, strong mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a seamless long subtle black fruit driven finish with soy at the end. This is a fully integrated example. It suffers next to the 05 which is bigger and more concentrated. Drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2020 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Sunday hangout (socially distanced) (Chicago, IL): This was my favourite of the 89-99-04 trio today. It seems ready to drink, even though there are undoubtedly more miles left in the tank. The nose is an intoxicating mix of fruit and blood, with more dark fruited character than the 1989. The palate is silky and sweet, and there is a breadth here that the other two vintages didn't quite meet. Very intense and powerful, I look forward to revisiting this wine in the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 94 Points
1st Post-CB Crab@Bay!: Highly anticipated bottle of the night and it did not disappoint - red fruits, black fruits, dried tobacco leaves, cured meats, smokiness with balsamic and tea notes. Very nice long warm finish. Lean and structured. Enjoyed this a lot tonight! Open up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2020 - rlove wrote: 91 Points
Showing better than a bottle last year. Still a beautiful nose with a less compelling palate, thin and slightly dried out. In my experience 1999 has always been an uneven vintage for Chave, ebbing and flowing throughout the years and from bottle to bottle. Still Chave, though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good but not life changing. 1999 was a legendary year in Cote Rotie, as reinforced by my experiences with Guigal La Moline and La Landonne from that year, but very different in Hermitage. The Chave was much lighter and smoother (Burgundian, as some say) than the La Las. It was delicious, but lacked the complexity required to call it profound. Could it be even better with more time and secondary flavor development? Other CT tasters think so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2020 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Chassagne, Red Label and Chave (S.K.Y.): More brooding than the singing 1998. The nose is big with black fruit, meat and pepper - just not yet fully delineated and expressive. Rich and dense and packed with Syrah character. Needs another 5-10 years, I think. Upside from here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chassagne Grandes-Ruchottes Dinner with Some Giacosa and Chave (S.K.Y. Restaurant - Chicago IL): Opened 5 hours before serving with a quick double decant, then served in 98/99/00/01 vertical. Black cherry, black pepper, anise and roasted meat. Very powerful, still a little awkward in the middle, then rich on fiish. Upside from here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2020 - BradE wrote:
The 99 continues to indicate greatness. This could ultimately be one of the better Chave vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
Chave Night (with some extras) (The Grunzweig Wine Room, Los Olivos): A maturing wine which showed beautifully, with complex layers of dark fruit and slate along with marked acidity. A silky texture, with evident tannins. Edged out by its 1995 brother, but only just.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2019 - MC wrote:
Lots of positive comments from others last night, but I didn't get a good chance to evaluate. A-?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Mine. I know of no nose more captivating than a maturing Chave Hermitage: black cherry, black olive, graphite, charcoal and rare prime rib all combine to a heady, hypnotic blend. This bottle had all that, and it's still on its way up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2019 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
A Whole Lotta Chave Hermitage (Single Blind) (Chez Kailin): 96/97/98/99/Ringer Flight. I found this less compelling than an epic bottle two years ago. This bottle is less evolved and quite primary. Nose is young, rich and forward with strawberry and blueberry and still overt toast notes. The palate is rich and decadent. The spice, meat and pepper is there but still second fiddle to the powerful, rich black fruit. Needs another decade. Perhaps a 1990 in the making? My #3, Group #3.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2019 - vinevents1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank side by side with the 1998 Chave Hermitage at dinner with 7 guests. Most preferred the aromatics of the 1998 and sited it as the superior wine. The 1999 for my palate, particularly the next day, showed more ripeness, body and youth. I think the 1998 was in a perfect stage of development (particularly in the aromatics) while the 1999 was more youthfully powerful.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2019 - asheio wrote: 90 Points
Still very young, opens a bit after several hours. Much more to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
SQN & BBQ (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note from memory. So much here with plenty of powerful black cherry. Enjoyable, but still. It fully forthcoming, upside from here, 93+ point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2019 - rlove wrote: 91 Points
Pretty nose with dark red and black fruit, black olive, alongside a hint of truffle and cedar. But the palate falls short of the promises made by the nose, thin and austere, lacking oomph to the flavors of tart red fruit. Short finish. The 1999 Chave is a bit disjoint, suggestive of too much oak during élevage. But oh that nose!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2019 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
Grand Designs Reveal Week - Dinner #3 (Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Clearly an extraordinary wine. Tasted next to the more developed 1999, this came across as riper, more focused, more intense, and far more floral in personality. Still rather primary, compared to the quite tertiary (but still young!) 1989, this is beginning to show signs of the development that will occur in the next 10- 30 years. Tight in the mouth with a massive tannic structure, the purity of the blackberry fruit is exquisite, and almost Burgundian. Approachable now, but good things will come in time! This should be flirting with perfection within the next generation... A great, great Chave. 97+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2019 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Nose: A- Palate: B++/A-
My #7, Group's #4 (50 pts). Tasted blind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still early days here but I think it continues to develop positively. Plenty of depth and power with flavors of black fruits, slate and violets. The texture is turning silky but the tannins are still crunchy and firm and there is more complexity to come on the finish. Clean and fine. 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2019 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
Richer and riper than the 97 tasted alongside, with intense deep cherry fruit, good acidity, very intense - almost overwhelms the palate. Missing the signature Chave truffle notes, and hard to find much complexity showing through the rich fruit. A showy wine, but give me the off vintages.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2019 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
Still needs time - but solid wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2019 - retired_and_roving wrote: flawed
From the wine list at Charlie Bird. Unfortunately this one was corked:-( Good news is we replaced it with '90 Verset
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2019 - BradE wrote:
Haven’t had 99 Chave in quite a while. This was a great bottle. This vintage continues to drink well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2019 - kenv wrote:
Decanted at 10:30am.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2019 - larsth wrote: 97 Points
Wine meet – Hermitage @ Lars: Quite expressive and elegant nose that leads to how it tastes. Very elegant, Burgundian style and in perfect balance with its power, sweet fruit and smoked flavors. Very long. Still on the young side with further potential. Was ranked best in a flight of 5 Hermitage wines of the 1999 vintage. Awesome.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2019 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Chave and cassoulet: Much bigger and darker in its fruit profile compared to the '97 poured alongside, though this is still an absolutely fantastic wine - it just feels much younger, and years from maturity whereas that felt ready to drink now. There's a blacker tinge to the fruit with lots of meaty, smoky, and briny accents building on the nose with air. The palate is dense and still has some brooding, grippy tannin on the finish - this has the potential to be something truly amazing, but definitely needs time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
The King in the North! (Chicago, IL): This wine will be brilliant, and the potential is so obvious. It's more than a little clamped down, but the overall intensity and power here is just so obvious. I'll also note that this seemed to me to have a little more polish, with respect to the aromas and flavours here. It's not as feral and briny, and shows more of a sweet, ripe character. The overall intensity and power here is going to be amazing, but it feels like it's underneath or behind something and is yet waiting to emerge.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2019 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opaque ruby, no bricking. Has put on weight since the last bottle. Silky smooth and long on the palate with a delightful sweet-acidity on the finish. Plenty of classic plums, aromas of roses, taste of asphalt and blood. Terrific Hermitage. Just shy on complexity or it would score 95+. Ready to drink now. Decant for 20 minutes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2019 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
The '96 is showing much better than the '99 at this point. This was really rich, notes say "gooey". No other notes, but gave the '96 93points.
Dirty Dozen N. Rhone at Taylors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
A much better showing than my last encounter with this wine. Reasonable ripe dark red and black fruit. Good acid and energy. Time will tell if it can ascend to the heights of the great vintages of the early 90's and earlier, but there is enough substance here to indicate that this will at least be a good wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
La Tablee: Celebratory Dinner (BYO) (26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn): Very different than the last time I had it. This reminded me of the finger painting style of wine. A bit all over the place. Lacking some structure that you seem to find in other Rhone. Still very animal and intense.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage vertical (Singapore): Starts with spicy nose, red fruit, earth. On the palate medium bodied with unfortunately drying tannins.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/15/2018 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
A little abrupt overall, but closer to type than my last experience. Generally lacking in nuance though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2018 - MLipton wrote:
Opened tonight with rack of lamb with duxelles. Dark, still fairly primary, mineral notes, black pepper, dark berryish fruit, great structure, medium body. Hard to believe that this wine won't develop for another 10-15 years based on this showing. I didn't get much gaminess or olive notes but maybe that was just me.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Open for 15 minutes and the florals are blossoming, rose petals and mild cigar smoke. Soft red cherry. Pepper. Jerky. Creosote, asphalt. Excellent nose, classic palate but a touch dry and tart. More elegance and subtlety with time, but still finding this showing a little tannic and edgy. Solid wine in any case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2018 - Beachfan wrote: 96 Points
Took 3 hours to really show
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Heady nose of black fruits, graphite, roasted meats and spices. A fully endowed Chave that tastes quite young with great flavors of black fruits, baconfat and and all those graphite minerals. There is a meaty savory texture developing here that I like very much. Hints of violets on the firm finish which seems to indicate a youngish wine. There are some naysayers regarding this wine made early in JL’s career but like many other top 99’s, I think this just needs time to find it’s greatness. 94+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2018 - Papies wrote:
BBQ at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Having tried this 2 years ago ( Papies 97) and loved it we were expecting a lot more. This was a very muted bottle and failed to show the charm and complexity we saw before. We mark it down as an off bottle and will not rate this time round
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2018 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 92 Points
11mad after ‘97 Gajs sperss - not most refined / layered
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2018 - vespa110 wrote: 96 Points
Granato limpido, naso elegantissimo, spezie, verde, carne, oliva, sangue, frutti rossi dolci, bocca di estrema finezza, setoso, fruttato, speziato, fresco e tannino sottile... vino buonissimo.
Avercene, grazie Paolo.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2018 - chatters wrote:
Cellartracker in the flesh with Stefan, Mats & Tomas (L'Effervescence, Tokyo, Japan): Earthy, red berry, spice, slight leather on the palate the fruit tends to be slightly sour backed by fine, talc textured tannins and touches of biscuit. Long. Lovely. I called Grand Cru Burgundy 1999
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2018 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at The Fine Wine Experience Domaine J-L Chave Dinner at Amuse Bouche Hong Kong - Performing better than '98 tonight. Ripe fresh fruit but without the richness of (say) '90 or '98; Musigny like. Lacking the gaminess of the older vintages but perhaps this evolves.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a serious flight of 99 Cornas (Allemand, Clape, Verset) and some other gems like 90 La Chapelle the 99 Chave stood out. A booming nose of red berries, spices, pepper, red pepper, cherry spice. The complexity of the nose was stunning as layers and layer waft from the glass. This was just beginning to show some secondary flavors and is in a great spot at the moment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2018 - robferguson1 wrote: 92 Points
Tasty with plenty of life , lovely colour
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2018 - asteff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just sensational. All kinds of savory meats, thyme, and pepper. Wild blackberry with hints of other berries. A gorgeous acidity and graphite/mineral verve folding in on the finish which reverberates with the initial flavors for over a minute.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2017 - drwine2001 wrote:
Dinner Vertical-Chave Hermitage from the Late 1990's (San Francisco): Opened 4 hours prior to pouring. Ruby without lightening. Ripe blackberry and smoky aroma. Full, solid, chocolatey, and fruit driven compared to the 2 older vintages. Sappy but not heavy at all, a touch of green, excellent acidity, ripe tannins. How can I put this? Ripe for its time, but tame and elegant in today's terms. Monolithic and not ready-give it another 5 years anyway. On the second night, lacier, more herbal aromatics.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker BYO 2017 (Tribeca Grille): Not at all what I was expecting. In general I haven't been as bought into Chave as I have been other Rhone wines, but this one I quite liked. Different style. Very soft and approachable. A bit meaty and lavender, but not overdone. It was funnily enough almost a pretty wine. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2017 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 94 Points
5 hour decant. Drank blind vs. 1996 Grange. Liked the Grange better. This wine was good, but expected a lot more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2017 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 93 Points
No bricking, medium ruby color. Aromas of plums and cherry cola. Medium bodied, good acidity, cherries, tar, roses. Nice wine if a bit light. Decanted an hour and needed it. Can age further.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2017 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark dense sweet black cherry/blackberry with some hints of black pepper spices. A more powerful showy vintage. Concentrated with deep dark fruit profile that was pure and rich. This wine feels like it still has a lot more to give, although great already. With further cellaring my bet is a more dramatic spicy element will emerge, thus great upside as this gets more layered and complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 98/99/00/01 vertical. Also black and red cherry, starts out powerful and lush, then gets leaner and more powerful middle-to-finish. This wine clearly improved in the 45 minutes in glass. Less pleasure overall today vs some of the wines in this flight, but plenty of upside. 94 point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2017 - Nanda wrote: 99 Points
Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 98/99/00/01. A stunner of a wine. Full, explosive nose has rich black fruit loaded with olive, black pepper and smoked meat. The palate here is young, but perfect. Dense with intense, intense black pepper and olive. Crazy powerful and long. A wine that impresses for its power while also having depth and complexity. My WOTN and favorite along with the 95, 97 and 83.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2017 - UTPK wrote:
Amazing nose after 2 hours decant. So clean and fresh but still with ample tertiary aromas of syrah. Chave, however, is very different from the top Cote Rotie producers, were I find more blood, bacon and wet fur. Chave is more flower and fruit dominated, some tobacco and some undergrowth, but above all elegance and weightless. On the palate it is fresh, perfectly balanced, still some unresolved tannins, but finely grained. Great length. This is at the start of its drinking window.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2017 - dglebo wrote: 95 Points
Nose: vanilla and new oak. Discussion at the table how this wine still has years to go before peak. Vanilla creame brule? Dark fruit rose petals? Black pepper.
Taste: Medium weight, black cherry, a mouthful of a finish. Tongue and upper palate tannins still prevalent.
Beautifully balanced. Truly great wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Dinner with Erin Chave (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Rich black cherry aromas and flavors with black pepper and savory spice. Dense and brawny with a very long, firm finish. Very good now with upside from here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2017 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
Côte-Rotie & Hermitage 1999 - chez moi (Frederiksberg): Mature, soft, fruit, gentle; fine acidity, complete and complex. Surprisingly forward, the vintage speaks. Grand Vin. 96+ point
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2017 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A terrific showing along side a 2001 La Mouline. Interesting contrast: the Mouline was voluptuous and round with layers of bacon fat on top of the red fruit. The Chave was ethereal and finely chiseled, with a beautifully lifted and fresh palate. The Guigal was wide and deep, and the Chave was stacked in sky-high layers. Both were superb and the WsOTN for most of the group.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
Nose: The nose is deep, layered, and highly perfumed that fills the glass with crushed rocks, charcoal, black cherries, black olives, earth, tobacco, and a lot of violets. The tones just soar from the glass with them possessing a savoriness that is quite beguiling.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it, but, it is pulling back with the tannins showing a real silkiness. The feel is powerful, but deft with crushed rocks, charcoal, black cherries, violets, leather, and tobacco notes.
Overall: This was a truly wonderful Chave. It was firing on all cylinders and showed off the class and quality that one expects from Chave. It was drinking beautifully, but it doesn't feel like it is in any danger of falling apart any time soon.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2017 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular aromatics and unmistakeably Chave, with that core of ripe red and dark fruit, black olives, savoury meatiness, and more than a whiff of hickory smoke. It's a big wine showing the richness of the '99 vintage, but the balance is impeccable and it has a remarkable sense of lightness on the palate, finishing with impressive length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2017 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at 90 Miles (Chicago, IL): You know that trope where everyone writes about how such and such a wine leaps or explodes out of a glass? Yeah, this one does that, and it's not because I was jostled and it spilled out. The nose on this is absolutely incredible: there's a complete balance of bright red fruit, meat, olive brine, and other Northern Rhone goodness. The palate is more of the same, but what is impressive here is how this manages to be so light yet concentrated at the same time. Brilliant stuff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/15/2017 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
Clear deep garnet color. Outstanding bouquet of bright fresh red fruit, mincemeat, garrigue, minerals. Similar on the palate, fresh and pure, seamless, beautiful balance, medium-full body, lingering finish. This wine had a sweet spiciness that beautifully complemented the duck confit.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2017 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a deep rich color, not much sign of age. Great nose soars out of glass - very Syrah, with plum, dark berry and maybe some white pepper. All that and game on the palate. Not as big and rich as some vintages but very classy and nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2016 - MC wrote:
Splash decanted 30 minutes. Still more about fruit than secondaries but really really good. Stunning wine with a long life ahead. A
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2016 - bthatton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wild game oozed from the glass, scenting the entire room like a gold rush era tavern & saloon. With a few moments we were enveloped with a risqué bouquet of dark fruits, cow hide, a dash of pepper and adultery. This must absolutely be enjoyed with roasted wild beast. Give it another 5 years to let its hair down a little further.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2016 - MC wrote:
Decanted 30 minutes. Still quite a bit about the primary fruit, but it was open after only 30 minutes and a few secondary elements were there. I bet this would have been even better in another hour but it didn't last that long...very good, showing the vintage, and seems to be on its way to great. A-/A
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby core with gentle fading. Ah, Chave-all about complexity and the inextricable interplay of the aromas and the palate. At once, charcoal, tobacco, dead leaf, and strawberry. Incredibly supple and harmonious right out of the decanter without a trace of over extraction or overripeness in this big vintage, excellent mineral finish with faded tannins. A wine without any jagged edges at all. Interestingly, the fruit seems to support everything else going on here rather than the other way around. Absolutely beautiful and bound to stay at this peak for a good long while.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2016 - GFischmann wrote: 96 Points
Great
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2016 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Bright ruby core, the nose was initially muted, after an hour red fruit and floral notes with wisps of black pepper and smoked meat interlaced through. The silky texture of its tannins, good acidity and balance provides an elegant foundation for this wines clean and still quite primary red dominant fruit. Just entering its drinking window this wine is delicious now but has the stuffing to be great in 5-10 years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2016 - Levantine wrote:
We planning to drink it along the 2006
Unfortunately the bottle of the 2006 was off.
The 1999 made up for it and more.
Still primary with floral notes dominating the present fruity notes.
Elegant
Acidity and fruit with the tannins supporting in the most discreet way
This is a perfect wine with life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank in Antigua last nite with the Huntleys from decanter. Dark ruby core, no visible signs of age. Wonderfully aromatic nose that started off a bit funky, but then evolved to reveal lovely red fruit aromas & floral notes. The nose just kept getting better and better. Medium bodied, still plenty of red fruit, along with some black fruit notes. Some meaty and herbal elements, along with a bit of green and black pepper. Wonderfully elegant, present but soft tannins, good acidity level and excellent length. A delicious, silky smooth, elegant wine that likely will only get better with some more bottle age.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2016 - Papies wrote: 97 Points
Blind tasted with no decanting.
Andreas who had this blind said within a few minutes Mouline or Chave early 2000. The signature toasty meat coupled with elegance and purity was the key factor. This is truly a majestic wine at the start of its drinking window and can only but improve. We could be talking about this for a long time. 97 for now but could easily be 100 in a few years.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/31/2015 - beachbum Likes this wine: 95 Points
this note is from a well stored one owner bottle. paired with a tardieu-laurent CR of the same vintage. Still 5 (or 10) years away from peak, but beautiful to drink. The hermitage was awesome, it was tightly furled with blasts of cherry and super clean black fruit. but what I could not get away from was the underlying granite that gave the structure along with the texture - pure silk. Was like sucking on the Canadian Shield. This will be an epic bottle someday, the others voted for the CR, which was more mature, tonight.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/24/2015 - timewithwine wrote:
The cork shows signs of weeping. Heat damaged, slightly corked? We don’t know what the cause is, but we do know it doesn’t taste right. Down the drain it goes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby with gentle fading. Gorgeous, complex aromas of red fruit, camphor, fennel, grilled meat, and smoke. Medium weight, supremely elegant, silky feel. Perfectly ripe fruit that leans toward the red side, a dollop of green herb, well integrated acidity, and still some tannins to resolve. Great now, perhaps even better in another 5+ years when it will be ethereal, like an old Nebbiolo. This belies the notion of Hermitage being a strapping, masculine rendition of Syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2015 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
This is a fine wine converter wine....the waiter wanted a glass, the sommelier wanted one too, my colleague who isn't a cork dork didn't want to share. He loved it...., need to buy more
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 91 Points
Heavenly rose aromas and cherry cream. Good acidity and minerality, cherry comes through in the taste along with spices, but generally lacking in complexity and depth. It should be decanted as the wine will gain some weight, but acidity remains the foremost characteristic. Recommended with food, a challenge to drink by itself.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2015 - dream wrote: 90 Points
Dark color and dark nose. This has lovely depth and concentration and is clearly still an adolescent but it does lack the floral lift of the older wines that followed. Keep this in the cellar for a while. 90?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2015 - tinybubbles wrote: 88 Points
A difficult experience all around. A thin and fruity nose with some redeeming light spice notes. I found the palate to be tannic, sharp and angular. Quite clunky this evening, not sure if it was the bottle or where my palate was tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2015 - Butty wrote: 94 Points
A little slow to start and quite, subdued and a little dry and high acidity… with a hour of air and some food (steak and chips) really started to open up and show complex red fruits and classic Chave savoury flavours - overall very enjoyable. Still young, probably with upside... but why wait? Easily beat La Chapelle 2001 drank alongside on our Oykel fishing trip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! This is great stuff. Super dark fruit and incredible spice and soft earthiness. Finish last forever. Sadly my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2015 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark red wine, classic meaty red fruit nose, makes me want a steak, well balanced but a bit more on sharp side. Long finish
I love this wine, I hope I can save some for its 25 year anniversary
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 91 Points
Light and transparent ruby in color. Initially intense aromas of roses, strawberries, and tar. This is tight with tart acidity clamping down on bright cherries, earth, and chalky minerality. The acidity mellows a bit with air, but it is this wine's dominate attribute. A pleasant wine but light in fruit. Better to drink in the aroma than the flavor. This will last due to the protective acidity, but I don't see it developing much complexity. Drink or hold or send to auction. Coravin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2015 - Pacherant wrote: 94 Points
Lovely. Herby, bloody, sour cherry. I like it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2015 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet. When opened at home there was a bacon smell. But it blew off by the time I got to the restaurant and shows the perfume-y Syrah that I get with Chave. Still somewhat young but already delish. Red/black fruits, green herbs. Long finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2014 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Classic Chave, drank wonderfully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2014 - BradE wrote:
Over time, I do think this could be one of the great Chaves. This bottle was very good, but not at the level I've had before. A wine for the ages.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2014 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Consistent with last note. Shouldn't really have opened another one. The nose is perhaps more expressive than last time, and there is wonderful pure cassis on the palate in amongst the spice and tobacco, but this it's still quite tight. It will be fabulous one day. Actually it's fabulous now but it will be sensational one day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2014 - fontaine wrote: 94 Points
Fruits noirs, épices, poivres, olives noires. Nez très expressif. En bouche c’est long, un peu de viande fumée et une legere acidité qui me dérange en fin de bouche. Un vin avec une bonne charpente.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2014 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
Dark brooding wine.earthy, meaty and dark cherries on the nose. A bit avid forward but the wine fills your mouth, for manly hermitage that will go a long time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2014 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle Vertical Tasting 1969 - 2010 (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Ruby hue with some bricking. The extraordinary nose is not yet fully resolved but is aromatic and forthcoming. It features a brilliant floral quality, fresh oak, almost Burgundian fruit quality and a nice spice character. Beautiful and superb in the mouth - massive and savory, high in acid, nuance of forest floor, tobacco and superb length. This is the most Burgundian wine on the table tonight, and a great Hermitage.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2014 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
smells mature - tobacco, leather, nice ripe fruit showing through too
very grippy, lots of tannin still
meaty
feels like it's only just opening up.
i'd give this time
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2014 - Smooth Jazz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cassis and spice in a light-on-it's-feet package
While drinkable now, would wait until post-2020 to pop the cork
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chave Hermitage Dinner with Erin & Jean-Louis Chave (MK Restaurant - Chicago IL): In 97/98/99 flight. Blackberry with pepper, clove and fat. Great density. Good now but still rather firm, so just at the earliest part of its drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2014 - Mike V wrote: 93 Points
At Gary Danko for twentieth Anniversary. Double decanted at noon poured at 7PM. Still took an hour to show up. Beautiful animal nose. Pleasant acidity on the palate. Bright fruit. My white wine drinking wife says OMG this is good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2014 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru; 6/27/2014-6/28/2014 (Chicago, IL): I love the aromatics on this. Slightly spicy, meaty, and a good dose of red fruit. The palate has some ripe fruit and black pepper but a good wallop of acidity. This is in a very good spot right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2014 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Tasted double-blind. Guessed a 2000 Chave, so had to pat myself on the back for that. Had the classic gamey, rich nose from Chave with some darker, earthy notes mixed in too. Palate was in a good place already with brambly, dark fruit, some meat, some earth and florals. Classic Chave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2014 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark dense, sweet dark fruit on the nose, some earthiness and sweat (or brett) in the mouth full dark slightly polished big long wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2014 - jcomm wrote: 93 Points
Had this at the same time as Delas les Bessards 2009...while this wine was different in style it was still very good but not as complex and racy as the Delas.
Nose had some barnyard and some tertiary notes...leather, mushrooms and a bit of blackberries.
The palate showed a very polished texture, a bit of black fruit and herbs with some faint spices. Very smooth and quite mineral. Not as long and complex as the Delas but still very satisfying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2014 - Villon wrote: 96 Points
Un nez très animal (bretts ou réduction?), la syrah ressort en second temps, su rle bacon et la fumée. Superbe bouche, ample, structurée et civilisée, très charmeur et accompli, grand vin! 96-97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2014 - phil the agony wrote: 96 Points
Oh my god ! Un nez très bretté au départ mais il s'adoucit par la suite.
Un vin presque parfait qui gagnera encore au moins une bonne dizaine d'années.
Un goût animal et bacon fûmé !! Miam...
Mon #1 de la soirée
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2013 - pointrob wrote: 96 Points
should have stood the bottle up for a couple days as there was a lot of fine sediment and did not decant as i was trying out my new Coravin wine preservation unit (so will try again in a month or two)
lovely rich fragrant and long tannins are quite integrated now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2013 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Intact cork, fill into neck. Poured off a small taste at noon (pretty tight/closed) and left to slow-ox for 7 hours based on recent CT notes. Dark red core, lightening at rim but no bricking. Cherries, moist clean earth, peppery spice and smoked meat played off of each other to form a very enticing complex nose. This is a wine you could just smell all night. Medium-full body, beautiful balance between rich complex fruit, refreshing acidity and tannins which are still evident but not intrusive. Flavors follow the nose with a constantly changing, totally captivating complexity, long smooth finish. This is drinking beautifully but needs lots of time to open up. Should continue to drink well for decades. Extraordinary!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Some Wine Tasted at the Zachys Auction; 9/19/2013-9/20/2013 (Smith & Wollensky - New York NY): Tasting. From magnum. Much more accessible and charming than other times I've tried this wine in the past few years. Black cherry, black pepper, allspice come through on nose and palate. Very well balanced and elegant. No surprise, the last sip was the best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2013 - rsbeck wrote: 96 Points
Popped, poured some off, breathed in bottle 45 minutes, poured. My initial impression was that this was a nice, well made, four square example of Hermitage from a quality producer. However, over the course of the next two hours, it just kept evolving, revealing more and more subtle nuance like a quartet morphing into a delicate orchestra with everything beautifully integrated. It showed no signs of stopping, improving into the final sips. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
San Francisco Wine Berserkers Offline; 9/4/2013-9/5/2013 (Radius, San Francisco): My WOTN. Stunning nose with complex spice, red fruit, dense meaty nose, woodsy; medium-full body, superb texture, silky smooth but structured and fresh, superb complex fruits, persistent subtle flavor, red and black fruit; finish is smooth, long, balanced. Truly a superb wine, one of the world's best, drinking well now but with a long life ahead. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2013 - jfagan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Coravin'd and tasted over the next hour or so. Medium to light colored. Reticent nose of tart cherry, Asian spices and pit fruit skin. So fresh and lively on the palate it is hard to believe this is a 1999. Primary and unyielding but not at all austere, this begs for another 10 years of so. Back in cellar to be tasted again at a much later date. 2023 to 2033.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2013 - BradE wrote:
A trio of Chave - 90, 99, 03. I was looking forward to this flight, but it was a bit of hit and miss. The 90, as expected, was a rock star. Beautiful from the get-go, and the fastest empty class by a wide margin. Perfect bottle, perfect juice. The 99 started with a little edge, which air healed for the most part, but in the end didn't live up to previous bottles. I still maintain it will ultimately be one of the greatest Chaves of all time. The 03, which I hadn't had for years, was a mess. Over ripe, unappealing, a real shame. Don't think it was the bottle, but will revisit with a different source and verify. Had expected this to be a killer flight, it wasn't.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2013 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
Deep dark fruits, a bit smoked meat, I could drink chave every day
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2013 - jamesabdavis wrote:
99: beautiful wine, usual Chave in a rather lean register (no bad thing). Wonderful, but the 98 immediately after seemed much more delicious in comparison, the abundance of ripe black fruits to the fore. These are great wines. Drink the 98 quicker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Bearserkerfest Night 2-Chave Table (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: This is wound a bit tight, but had a perfumed yet robust with tones of violets, dark red cherries, black fruits, and meaty tones. There is really good depth with good layering already.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. Very youthful with stylish and deep tones of violets, dark red cherries, black fruits, and some meaty tones.
Overall: This is just a baby. While it's really good right now, it is just barely showing what it can do. There is a great wine that is waiting to come out, but with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Chicago Berserkerfest Dinner #2 (Sun Wah): Quick taste. Dark, meaty and somewhat brooding, this was very similar to a recent magnum of the same wine. Lots of fruit and background spice, lots of structure, this will be much better a decade from now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2013 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
Chicago Berserkerfest; 5/18/2013-5/19/2013 (Chicago, IL): Small taste. Loved the darkness, the spice, and the rusticity. Has all the class, structure, depth and complexity to become a legend. Even today, the meatiness is gorgeous.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2013 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
(at Veritas –NYC, from Magnum) Absolutely stunning wine drinking beautifully in a youthful way. Violets, smoked meat and a whiff of white pepper. So deep, so long – absolute velvet. Will last for years and years but in a good place tonight. (97)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Mad for Magnums (Ai Fiori - New York NY): From magnum. Dense black fruit, ripe and powerful but a slightly reserved, backward character. Firm and tannic today, this certainly needs more cellar time, particularly in this 1500 format.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Served during a tasting. Did well in the group, second place after the Clos des Papes 2010. Very complex nose of truffle, cloves and earthy tones. On the palate very elegant but a bit dry with racy acidity. A bit more fruit would lead to a higher note. Not bad but there are better Chave Hermitages I have tasted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2013 - BradE wrote:
Continues to be a candidate for best vintage of Chave. Lovely juice, and paired nicely with an 89 Chave and Cassoulet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Really impressive. Initially it was dense, meaty, dusty and chalky on the nose and palate. Over time, more and more red fruit and brightness emerged on the nose and palate. I'm surprised at how evolved and how youthful this was. Great complexity and balance. Long finish with spice, bright fruit, meats, smoke, earth and pepper, but the brightness is what you're left with. A great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2013 - BradE wrote:
A rocking bottle of 99 Chave. This is such a pleasurable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - JeffGMorris wrote: 97 Points
New Year's Eve at Buku with Steve & Barb. Extremely dark ruby in color. Very open right now and very Chave. Nowhere near peak but incredibly delicious today. I continue to believe that this wine is "the next generation" of the '89 Chave showing a similar richness and depth to the fruit. Easily has 20+ years of excellent drinking ahead of it. 50+14+14+15+9.5=97.5(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2012 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple and nice expressive nose. Some earthyness and long finish. Nice wine but I expected a bit more at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2012 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
Drank in Hong Kong
Drank this with a '95 GPL with my brother (thanks).
Takes a couple of hours to open up but when it does WOW. Lot's of cherries, vanilla and spice. Rich complex mouth and a great length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2012 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Chris's Birthday at Black by Ezard (Sydney, Australia): Strong kirsch along with earth, pepper and vanilla aromas. The palate is very good indeed, complex and with a lifted freshness through a line of great acidity. Very long and with excellent balance, this will drink well over the next 10-15 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 94 Points
Ray brought this from London. Took quite a while to open up - drank after an hour but should have left it longer. Emerging blackcurrant and earth, no licorice Shiraz here!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2012 - ŞarapTutkunları wrote: 95 Points
Hafif opak vişne çürüğü renkte.Tortu izleniyor. Son derece kompleks ön burnu zeytin, animal, karabiber gibi baharat, toprak, is, mint, mantar, kiraz gibi kuru meyve kuru çiçek ile katmanlı. Arka da deri gibi animal belirginleşirken zamanla bunlara et,tütün hatta silikte olsa kırmızı meyve notları da ekleniyor.Orta üstü gövdeli,yumuşak,hala yeterli meyveye sahip ve diri asidi ile fresh.Damakta olgun ve yıllanmadan gelen bukelere eşlik eden mineralsi notlarla oldukça derinlikli. Belirgin ama entegre tanen yapısı ile iskeleti sağlam.Yine sağlam bir asit ile gelen dengeli ve uzun bitimi ile büyük bir terruar'ı işaret eden bir şarap.
Hemen içilebileceği gibi önümüzdeki 5-8 sene içersinde de rahatlıkla içilebilir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2012 - Ilker Ozdemir wrote: 95 Points
Hafif opak vişne çürüğü renkte.Tortu izleniyor. Son derece kompleks ön burnu zeytin, animal, karabiber gibi baharat, toprak, is, mint, mantar, kiraz gibi kuru meyve kuru çiçek ile katmanlı. Arka da deri gibi animal belirginleşirken zamanla bunlara et,tütün hatta silikte olsa kırmızı meyve notları da ekleniyor.Orta üstü gövdeli,yumuşak,hala yeterli meyveye sahip ve diri asidi ile fresh.Damakta olgun ve yıllanmadan gelen bukelere eşlik eden mineralsi notlarla oldukça derinlikli. Belirgin ama entegre tanen yapısı ile iskeleti sağlam.Yine sağlam bir asit ile gelen dengeli ve uzun bitimi ile büyük bir terruar'ı işaret eden bir şarap.
Hemen içilebileceği gibi önümüzdeki 5-8 sene içersinde de rahatlıkla içilebilir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2012 - cooberp wrote:
My first Chave, tasted from a 25 ml pour from a dispenser at The Sampler in London. Brilliant bright transparent ruby. Sweet red cherries on the nose, complemented by floral notes. There's still notable tannin in the mouth. High acid. This tastes just like a good young Piedmont to me--I would never have guessed Syrah. A nice food wine at present, but I can only presume it will blossom into something more with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2012 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just coming into its own. Beautiful dark red, no real hint of age. Subtle nose, with red fruit and a bit of barnyard. Dances on the palate, balanced and complex. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2012 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Decanted 2+ hours. Soft tannins and nice well balanced fruit with a soft finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2012 - shemmy wrote: flawed
Totally shut down, giving nothing. Undrinkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): Ruby/purple in color. This was the only wine in the flight with a clean nose (no funk). Black raspberries, cassis, cinnamon, violets and minerals. On the palate, this is young, still tight (despite being slow-oxed for 6 hours), and full of fruit. It does need more time as it improved all night. Outstanding wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2012 - Kriz wrote: 97 Points
J.L. Chave tasting with Gerard & Jean-Louis Chave and Louis & Xavier Kat (Okhuysen) (De Zwethheul (**) Schipluiden, Holland): Four words for this magnificent wine: Acidity, tannins, fruit and most important: balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Dark cherry-red bright and fresh but still opaque color. Reticent nose of very deep red cherries and hints of smoke and black pepper but all very primary. Palate is lovely black coffee, black cherry and black pepper. All perfectly formed but very young. Clearly a classy beast but needs 5-10 years to fully develop. Clearly top class pedigree. Very nice coffee finish. Thanks Greg.......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2012 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Still very primary nose with a bit of rust/blood. Nice layering of the flavors of dark fruits,earth and leather. This got better and better through dinner. Needs time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2012 - vespa110 wrote: 94 Points
Granto luminoso, woow che bel naso, oliva , frutti rossi dolci e pepati , tanti fiori gialli e rossi, un mazzo di fiori secchi dalle violette alle rose passando per glicine e camomilla. Bocca succosa, elegante, fresca, tannino dolce, finale lungo speziato. Il solito grande vino !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2012 - BradE wrote:
An okay but less than perfect bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2011 - WetRock wrote:
EWG goes blind for Syrah (Elements Kitchen, Pasadena,Ca): Served blind. Iron and minerals on the nose but there is also some plastic like funk. Showing an aged character on the palate and very prominent acidity. The palate won me over but the funk on the nose was something I didn't see on this when I had it a week ago. I wonder if this bottle was a bit advanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2011 - Pacherant wrote: 93 Points
Tannin still present, but great balance and good ripe fruit. Lovely stuff and a way to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2011 - chcook wrote: 94 Points
quick note. this was passed thru vinturi 3-4 hours before dinner. nose shows classic chave rouge profile. quite dense. on the palate, everything there and in perfect harmony tonight, and the generous flavors carry onto the med long finish. despite this, i do think that this seems like a baby and has upside worth waiting for. thanks brian!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2011 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at Collichio and Sons with Mike and Stuart et al (Collichio and Sons): Purple, dense and powerful. Dark berries,rich, concentrated with an undercurrent of cassis and spices. This is going to be a great wine in 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2011 - Khamaj wrote: 93 Points
Just superb. Tannins are well integrated with the vibrant dark fruit. Classic northern Rhone meaty, savory aromas. Perfectly balanced. Only knock is that it's a little thin in the mid-palette. Probably still has some upside, but no shame in hitting it now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): One of the reasons I suggested Syrah as a theme was to get a chance to try all sorts of different styles. This is probably my favorite style of Syrah. Of course, this can't be made probably anywhere but Hermitage and from any other producer but Chave. I have had this half a dozen times now and this wine is still so young and in need of cellar time. The nose is grilled meats and black raspberries. On the palate, its switches from grilled steak to black raspberries and back. Complex and layered, but still quite tight. Long finish. Great acidity. Going back at the end of the evening, this was just starting to unwind. Ten more years and this will be even more amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2011 - godx wrote: 93 Points
Wine Dinner at 12B (Vancouver, BC): Decanted 4 hours before pouring. Deep red in colour. Between the two La La’s and conversations going on around the table, I didn’t get to focus on this wine as much as I would have liked. Ripest nose of the flight with dark fruits, smoke, rubber, spice and leather. Profile here is once again on the black side of things with flavours of black fruits and some meaty notes as well. This wine is no different than the two La La’s when it comes to structure—there is a lot of it. It also has great balance and a very nice future ahead of it. Give it 10 years. Outstanding. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2010 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still young. Needs five years at least, but will age beautifully for 10+. Dark fruits, leather, smoke, plenty of fruit with good acidity and some unresolved tannins. Allow a few hours to decant if uncorking a bottle soon, otherwise try again in 2015. -JBL
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2010 - KenK wrote: 95 Points
Chave-a-thon (Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL)): Sweet ripe dark black cherry fruit driven nose with gamey note.
Chewy rustic black driven flavors. Creosote with nice density and concentration, still very young. Stuffed full, but needs time. Could turn out better then them all with time. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2010 - DavidF90210 wrote: 95 Points
Great balance and long finish. ripe fruit and sexy earthy flavors. good but not in the running for WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2010 - ajmorton wrote: 95 Points
little nose but spectacular taste - reminds me of dujac.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2010 - JFish wrote:
Decanted 6 hours until we got around to it with the BBQ beef spareribs. Drank over another hour or so. Some smoked meat, dark red fruit. Layered. Finish goes on and on. And great texture. Fantastic bottle and time will continue to serve it well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
this only lacked the 10 extra years the other two had in bottle. otherwise, it is a legend in the making. expansive. young!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2010 - NonCuratLex wrote: 86 Points
I was surprised by this wine - I thought there would be more to it. The bottle did not have any faults, did not seem to be scalped, but it was so lacking in character, and so diluted, the overwhelming note was "garden hose." Not typical of a '99 Norther Rhône, and not in a good way. It had a primary, blanched red fruit mid-palate, a touch of minerality, and a quick, unimpressive finish, with very little grip. The acidity was very low, so the attack was nice,the color was a pale ruby, and the bouquet was excellent, but it was all down hill from there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2010 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic wine that gives a lesson in balance. The nose shows dark fruit, the expected hints of smokey meatiness, and a nice lacing of fresh leafy herbs. None of these dominates but they meld to create a rich, dark, elegant bouquet. The palate expresses these same notes, leading with noteworthy fruit and filling out (but not becoming heavy) with meat & earth flavors that lead to a finish with the presence of fine tannins & good acid. Great length to this outstanding example of syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2010 - BradE wrote:
1999 and 1989 side by side. Both were great, and the table was split. But tonight the 89 was beautiful, somewhat restrained, with not too much bret, and simply stunning. The 99 was very good, and continues to show why, over time, it may show as the best Chave vintage to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2010 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Surprisingly advanced bottle, but great. A medium amount of brett, with beautiful fruit. Would have guessed 89 vs. 99 blind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2009 - Milos wrote: 95 Points
This is a great wine. Nose of dark red sweet fruit. Complexity added with wood, brown sugar and touch of leather. Still mostly primary flavours, but the secondary flavours are starting to show. Tannins are still evident but the mouth feel is rich and plush. Long finish. Finished the bottle the next day and the wine was even more enjoyable. If you have to drink it now give it couple of hours in a decanter; better to wait another 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2009 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Paul K in SF (San Francisco): Great nose on opening, but too a god hour or more to open up. Despite being a ripe year, this shows is soul as well as it sense of place. Olive tapenade, boysenberries, violets and damp earthiness make for an enticing nose. Layered, but tight complexity unwind all night. Fiishing the bottle back in my hotel room 4 hours after opening, the last drop is the best. Really needs five more years, but just a wonderful expression of Hermitage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2009 - HenryW wrote: 95 Points
Rich ripe nose of rasperries, plums and brown sugar. Initially the palate was a bit closed, with the fruit obscured by the oak and tannins. After about an hour in the glass, really started to open up. Palate became much bigger and more expressive with loads of wonderful red fruit. Not much in the way of tertiary flavors and aromas at this point, but this one has a ways to go before hitting its prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2009 - Blair Curtis wrote: 93 Points
Tasted alongside the 1997. This one was both juicier and more structured. Perhaps the 1997 has a bit more acid, but in all other respects the '99 is the bigger wine. Though the 1997 in some ways provides more pleasure now, this 1999 has more potential I think. The fruit is immense and leaning towards the blacker side of the spectrum. Roasted meat, new leather...yum yum. Has excellent balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Red. Hints of rubber, brett and concentrated sweet red fruit. Not as interesting at first as the 97 but in the end it's equal or better. My notes say ripe but tight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2009 - godx wrote: 92 Points
WineFanatic Northern Rhone Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind. At first this wine came across very ripe with black and dark red fruits but after some time in the glass it started showing hints of charred meats and earth. A huge wine full of structure that needs serious time to evolve but what a treat to taste this now. Hold. Excellent. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2009 - BradE wrote:
Simply spectacular. This wine rocks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2009 - BradE wrote:
Showed even younger than usual, but still a great young Chave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2009 - BradE wrote:
Subpar performance for this bottle - a first with 99 Chave. From same parcel as prior bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2009 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
WIMPs N Rhone Lunch (The Ledbury, London): Dark purple color. a meaty smokey nose with dark red fruits trying to come through. also some oak still on the nose. this is a big mouthful of wine. dark red and black fruits, wrapped in bacon and slow roasted. yum yum yum. very well balanced, very long. a delicious young rhone which is barely on the upswing. it will be a good one in the years to come
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2009 - theeb wrote: 95 Points
Vielschichtig, pfeffrig mit dichter Frucht und immer noch erstaunlich frisch. Unendlich langer Abgang. Wunderbar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2009 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark color, looks like a very young bottle. The nose shows black fruits, some glycerol, a bit of smokiness. the mouth is pretty much dark black fruits and still quite new woody tannic. it has quite a bit of feel and texture to it, not a lightweight. med high alcohol and long finish. i can see the line from the '82 and '83 Chave to this one, i hope it develops in that direction as it losses more of its tannins
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2009 - Siggy wrote:
Good, but not great. Showed some nice red fruit and bacon notes, but overall a bit underwhelming relative to expectations. My '99 Chave stash comes from three different sources (this one was from Winebid), and it'll be interesting to see if the others show differently.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2009 - BradE wrote:
Simply beautiful. Can't keep my hands off these. Love it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2009 - rstark wrote: 94 Points
Four Seasons Wine Dinner - Burgs and Northern Rhones (Four Seasons, Beverly Hills): Deep plum ... I forgot how tarry and dark Chaves can be. Great smoky, cigar ash finish. Huge improvement after 2 hours in glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2009 - JBVino wrote:
classy syrah...long time to go...fruit is still front center and majority secondary flavors should still come. Integration is awesome and with time this should be outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2009 - BradE wrote:
We drank the 99 and 89 Chave side by side. Tonight, the 99 smoked the 89. I'm really a fan of the 99. It tends to combine all the great elements of Chave, but keeps the excesses in control (particularly bret-wise). I plan on drinking the 99's all through their development - in my mind there is no need to sit on this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2009 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
Dinner @ Christiansholm (Christiansholm): Master of the hill strikes again; all though young this wine represents complete harmony. It will live long but it is all ready now the great hermitage; masculin, yet elegant, spicy, yet smooth, tannic, yet velvety. Wow. 96+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2009 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby. Big mouth filling wine . Big bacon fat aromas with dark fruits. This wine is a baby. Tannins are not obtrusive. Outstanding wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2009 - BradE wrote:
Great bottle. Loved by all. Wonderful nose, more pure and less bret. Really a good wine now, but no hurry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2009 - BradE wrote:
Fabulous wine. Grew and grew with air. Money.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2009 - gorm wrote: 97 Points
Uncorked DK does Northern Rhône - Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier and more (Premisse, Copenhagen): Same color as the two previous wines. Big and slightly acidic nose with sweet red berries - strawberries mainly - caramel, marzipane and tons of herbs. The intensity is turned all the way up and there are also loads of fine tannins and acidic backbone. It is incredibly delicious and the herbal touch makes you think of the 2003 version even if this 1999 is more shy and elegant than the 2003. Initially I had this elegantier as the heat winner, but is was just a bit short cmpared to the Belle Helene. If Belle Helene was the ultimate masculine wine, this is clearly its feminime opposite.
(U:96,2)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2008 - BordeauxNut wrote: 99 Points
Bud Starr's September Tasting (Bud Starr's Clayton, MO): I've had this a half dozen or more times since release, and while it has never shut down completely, this was the wine's best showing to date. Refined, elegant, deeply fruited without being obvious. Amazing freshness and length. The wine starts off great and just gets better for me. I rated this appreciably higher than other tasters, many of whom thought it might be a California Pinot or Burgundy, so take my effusive praise with a grain of salt -- it wasn't universally praised. For me, truly great Chave and Grand Vin. Thanks, Dan. I would imagine that this wine might someday be a legend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2008 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Rednecks & Rhones Chave-a-thon. Deep, rich purple in color, this showed very much like earlier bottles. Upon opening this was quite tight but showed the great potential it has. With time it was opening some but could never be seen as anything other than a very young and primary Chave. Despite this, it is a very compelling wine to drink now in it's infancy. There was a depth to the fruit that only the '89 could match today. As with previous tastings I think it's fascinating to have this next to the '89 as you can see the lineage of great vintages at Chave. Very much a wine to enjoy in 10-20 years when this should be stupendous. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2008 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Sunday dinner (Scott's): Now we're talking. This was a lovely young Chave with good richness and concentration along with great bacon and pepper notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
decanted 90 minutes. superb and will only get better. wish i had a case (or more!).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 95 Points
dark fruits, meats, earth. good balance, very complex with long finish. blueberry, blackberry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Fraziers. Very dark ruby in the glass. Very young and quite tight to start but it did open some with time in the decanter and glass. Despite the youth the greatness of this wine is quite apparent. Excellent depth and clarity of fruit. Minerals and hot stones. Some sour cherry. Very tannic and drying on the long finish. A great match with the roasted duck breast. A classic in the making. 50+13+13+8+8 = 92++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2007 - DelYap wrote: 91 Points
Wine Pot Luck 03 Chave, 90 Lafite, 85 Groth Reserve et al: This Chave was right between the three we had tonight. Not just in vintage but also in style. While no where near as flamboyant as the 2003, it was immensely more pleasurable than the 1985. I don't think that a few more years of aging would hurt this wine, but based on table consensus we all felt that it would not get better. Medium bodied with a moderate finish. This wine was probably handicapped by being served in the company of the 2003.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 95 Points
St John Offline (St John, London): Medium density, softer plummy fruit, a slightly different fruit profile, very solid tannins, seems to be holding a lot back. It will blossom. I bought some of this the day after.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2006 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Suckling Pin Dinner at St. John (London, UK): WOW! Should young Chave be able to drink this well? Dark ruby in the glass, this wine is clearly very young but also has a great balance to it. Still quite tannic but some how the wine's incredible raw materials melt away those tannins. A really beautiful wine, and one that may be on the path of the '89. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is a meaty, dense, concentrated, powerful wine that grabs your senses. Layers of fruit pour over your palate while the perfume explodes from your glass! 99 Chave is not shy. It’s a huge wine, but it sports impeccable balance. The finish lasted over :40.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2006 - BordeauxNut wrote:
In this flight, the '99 is more restrained than either the '00 Chave or '99 Jamet. This has closed down quite a bit since my last bottle a year ago. More red fruit here -- dark cherries mostly. Big palate. Somehow, it manages to give an impression of greatness without saying too much today. Despite the faint praise, this was actually my second favorite of the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for several hours offered layers of thick, deep, black fruit with black raspberry and dark cherry flavors. Slightly rustic. Very tannic. 99 Chave will probably flesh out in another 10-15 years. Infanticide to open at this stage
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Pitch black color with notes of deep, black, ripe fruit, pepper, spearmint and herbs. Huge wine. Very extracted, rich and complex. The mouthfeel takes over every nook and cranny of your tasting senses. Amazing stuff. Very young, will age for decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2004 - Will wrote:
France Syrah vs Australia Shiraz (Toulouse): Nose screams Hermitage! No doubt for me, this is the Chave. Superb nose, beautiful fruit with coffee. Tannins rather tight (fortunately enough it's not tight-tannic - ok, I stop now with play on words in a foreign language ), the wine is rather closed at this stage. Very enjoyable, there is some debate in the group about the finish (some find it outstanding, for me it's more regular). The style is clear and outstanding. La classe! And indeed, this is Hermitage Chave 99. Very good bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2003 - JeffGMorris wrote:
WOW!!! (3 not 2 exclamation points - see note on '83 Chave) Unbelievably good and drinking very well now. Will be amazing now or in 15 years. WOTN for many. What a treat to have this after the '83 Chave. You can see the similarities of the wines with this clearly coming from the same soil as the '83.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment