Flowers, dark berries, dried herbs, spices, and perfume. Rich, dense, regal, yet sensual in a way. Obviously a long future ahead, but damn, this was an amazing showing. Thanks, Michael.
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The explosive nose serves up licorice, smoke, cherry liqueur, dried flowers, dark red cherries, blueberries, smoke, and Asian slices explodes in the perfume. The wine is palate staining, dense, earthy, full-bodied, and intense, the wine is also balanced, symmetrical and dense. The lush, opulent, youthful finish expands, and intensifies as it lingers on your palate. If you prefer fruit-forward wines, open and decant. Else, wait a bit. Drink from 2025-2060.
Dinner with the team at an old school ny steakhouse last night. Spotted mags of 2015 chave hermitage for less than half market price and thought what the hell! Drinking beautifully. Such elegance and authority with no hard edges at all. Surprising amount of sweet red fruit in the traditional black fruit mix. Obviously, decades to go but already very pleasurable even in the larger format.
PS Don't bother asking where as we drank the last 2 mags!
Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. Nose of dark fruit, beefy, funky, still very young, but will be good, no signs of undue heat. Best after 2030. 96+
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Late night pull from the cellar during the Almacerro tasting. Looking to impress fellow CT'ers with a wine that changed my palate forever.
Primary with the stuffing to be a legend. This 15 JLC is a structured beast of a wine. Dark red fruit, cinnamon baking spice, blood iron, pepper. Incredible mouth feel with a medium body and long palate coating finish. Undeniably Chave. I need to source more as this is only going to climb the charts.
One of the final wines of the night opened by our host, MJP.
Rich, dark, smooth, yummy goodness. Too far gone after the previous 27 bottles so limited memory, but I do remember the quality and the obvious pedigree. Many on here know by now that I am a big wine construction and structure guy, rather than say, someone like Agelvis who is a big time nose and palate 'taste' guy. I'm sure my score is too low, but if this wine had the advantage of a few hours of air (which we could not do this late at night), I'm sure the score goes much higher. Thanks again for opening this one for us, MJP!
PNP. Very deep magenta color. Cinnamon, plum, orange rind, lamb skin, and nutmeg on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This really needed more air, but it is obviously impressive. Should age beautifully. Big thank you to MJP HOU for pulling this out as our wine night was winding down. Absolutely awesome night of conversation and tasting amazing wine.
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Pop and pour, expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, blueberry concentrate, licorice, meat, lavender, dark spices and impressive limestone mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, rich yet polished and fluid, good acidity and mineral, and a long rich black fruit driven finish with a hint of licorice and limestone at the end. Although it clearly expresses the 15 ripeness, it is also fluid and beautifully balanced. It already shed opulent primary fruit. My guess is this will develop like the 05 which, for my palate, the best Chave going back to the 90.
Tasted next to 15 allemand reynard + 15 xavier Gerard La La
It was good but it felt glossier and less brilliant mouthfeel wise from the Allemand and Gerard. It had ample fruit and structure it didn’t have that extra spark the other two wines did.
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Mind-blowing in every sense of the word! This just grabbed my attention from the first, sniff and kept it there after the initial sip. The levels of concentration here are off the hook. The tannins are polished, silky and feel great on the palate. The fruit offers purity, symmetry and sweetness, along with spice, iron, crushed rock, pepper and herbal accents. The finish doesn't let go for at least 60 seconds. You should wait at least 15 years, or more, but this worth the wait, and the cost, if you find and afford it.
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2015 Northern Rhones Blind: Single blind. Yikes - this was in my bottom 2 or 3 wines of the 15 wines tonight. The oak and toast effect is simply overwhelming. The fruit is marred with vanilla and toast. With time a V.A. note comes about, likely given the ripeness of fruit. No subtlety or Northern Rhone complexity at this time. One can only assume this is akin to tasting a barrel sample and the wine will improve significantly over time. I'm cellaring my case for 10+ years before checking in on a bottle. Low 80s score tonight. Ooof.
Night 2 Update: The oak has tamed down a bit and the overt toast notes are gone. The wine is still quite fruit-centric and ripe without much subtlety. Perhaps a bit of pepper and meat is starting to emerge.
Most of the 2015 Northern Rhones worth a damn, blind (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. (Bottle 4648.) Amazing what obscuring the label can do. This was high-toned, with some really prickly oak aromas on the nose that no one really enjoyed. There was some really pretty fruit on the palate, but a slightly bitter twist of oak on the back end that I thought wasn't particularly becoming of the rest of the palate. Finishes a touch hot too. Given that sort of in-your-face oak treatment here, I thought that this was the Voge VV. In comparison to my previous note, I'll admit to a bit of egg on the face here. I think the wine might be fine in isolation, but compared to the other wines that have a low oak treatment, this will never show well this young. All this said, am I going off to market to dump my 2015 Chave? Hell no.
The great outing (Aalborg, Denmark): Tasted late in the evening, not all senses working as they should, but still, i was surprised to se this so polished and smooth; it is immensely concentrated with black fruit galore, a tight fist in the middle, but is certainly silky and dresses up as well - i remember guessing 2cru Bordeaux when blindtasting 2011 in competition. This is a different animal, yet, none os us guessed Chave.
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No. 4650 has the (mis)fortune of being the first bottle of this opened out of my stash. The nose is immediately brilliant, with a mild note of brine and a powerful whiff of black peppercorn. To underline those classic syrah tones is black fruit that is perfectly ripe. A hint of oak seems to accent all of this, but that oak is judiciously applied and truly serves to augment the nose. The palate is a little tougher to get through, though that is more than forgivable given this wine's youth. Again, the intensity shows. But this is coiled up and burly, with tons of coarse tannin and black fruit. I can find hints of salinity and meat here, but that's mostly just decoration on top of a massive, structural wine. I don't pick up the "Chave tastes like Chave" component, but that may yet emerge with time. This feels like Hermitage to me.
5/7/2024 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flowers, dark berries, dried herbs, spices, and perfume. Rich, dense, regal, yet sensual in a way. Obviously a long future ahead, but damn, this was an amazing showing. Thanks, Michael.
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2/28/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
The explosive nose serves up licorice, smoke, cherry liqueur, dried flowers, dark red cherries, blueberries, smoke, and Asian slices explodes in the perfume. The wine is palate staining, dense, earthy, full-bodied, and intense, the wine is also balanced, symmetrical and dense. The lush, opulent, youthful finish expands, and intensifies as it lingers on your palate. If you prefer fruit-forward wines, open and decant. Else, wait a bit. Drink from 2025-2060.
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7/31/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Dinner with the team at an old school ny steakhouse last night. Spotted mags of 2015 chave hermitage for less than half market price and thought what the hell! Drinking beautifully. Such elegance and authority with no hard edges at all. Surprising amount of sweet red fruit in the traditional black fruit mix. Obviously, decades to go but already very pleasurable even in the larger format.
PS Don't bother asking where as we drank the last 2 mags!
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4/24/2023 - BastardMontrachet Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow this is briliant, meaty, smokey leather. Will last long and develop great!
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12/23/2022 - SaagarPR Likes this wine: 98 Points
Really smooth, a little young, could use a bit more time, but I really liked it and will be buying as much as I can.
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12/7/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. Nose of dark fruit, beefy, funky, still very young, but will be good, no signs of undue heat. Best after 2030. 96+
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11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 92 Points
Deep garnet colour.
Pronounced and complex nose with dried fruit, raspberry, subtle pepper, well integrated cedar, cloves, slight vanilla, rose and subtle meat.
Pronounced on the palate with more red fruit and subtle pepper. High acidity, high but softening tannins, high alcohol, fully body, long finish.
Well balanced with great finish, depth, complexity and intensity.
Would be interesting to try again in a few more years.
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8/13/2022 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 97 Points
Late night pull from the cellar during the Almacerro tasting. Looking to impress fellow CT'ers with a wine that changed my palate forever.
Primary with the stuffing to be a legend. This 15 JLC is a structured beast of a wine. Dark red fruit, cinnamon baking spice, blood iron, pepper. Incredible mouth feel with a medium body and long palate coating finish. Undeniably Chave. I need to source more as this is only going to climb the charts.
97++
Hold
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8/12/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the final wines of the night opened by our host, MJP.
Rich, dark, smooth, yummy goodness. Too far gone after the previous 27 bottles so limited memory, but I do remember the quality and the obvious pedigree. Many on here know by now that I am a big wine construction and structure guy, rather than say, someone like Agelvis who is a big time nose and palate 'taste' guy. I'm sure my score is too low, but if this wine had the advantage of a few hours of air (which we could not do this late at night), I'm sure the score goes much higher. Thanks again for opening this one for us, MJP!
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8/12/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP. Very deep magenta color. Cinnamon, plum, orange rind, lamb skin, and nutmeg on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This really needed more air, but it is obviously impressive. Should age beautifully. Big thank you to MJP HOU for pulling this out as our wine night was winding down. Absolutely awesome night of conversation and tasting amazing wine.
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5/25/2022 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 98 Points
Greatest nose ever on a red wine for me, straight 100 pp for the nose. Taste was refined and quite accessible but not mature yet.
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2/16/2022 - Tubulus wrote:
Third Tuesday Group - My 5, group 5. Polarizing. The only overtly new-oaky wine of the 12. But some good florals on the nose, some funk, good fruit.
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1/31/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 99 Points
Austin 3-star food + wine; 1/30/2022-1/31/2022 (Our residence, Austin, TX): I grabbed the wrong bottle, as I wouldn't otherwise drink this so young. Today, it's enjoyable and perhaps performs at a 96-97 level. It's clearly on its way toward perfection many years from now, so rating accordingly.
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2/16/2020 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Pop and pour, expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, blueberry concentrate, licorice, meat, lavender, dark spices and impressive limestone mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, rich yet polished and fluid, good acidity and mineral, and a long rich black fruit driven finish with a hint of licorice and limestone at the end. Although it clearly expresses the 15 ripeness, it is also fluid and beautifully balanced. It already shed opulent primary fruit. My guess is this will develop like the 05 which, for my palate, the best Chave going back to the 90.
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7/29/2019 - clayfu wrote:
Tasted next to 15 allemand reynard + 15 xavier Gerard La La
It was good but it felt glossier and less brilliant mouthfeel wise from the Allemand and Gerard. It had ample fruit and structure it didn’t have that extra spark the other two wines did.
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11/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
Mind-blowing in every sense of the word! This just grabbed my attention from the first, sniff and kept it there after the initial sip. The levels of concentration here are off the hook. The tannins are polished, silky and feel great on the palate. The fruit offers purity, symmetry and sweetness, along with spice, iron, crushed rock, pepper and herbal accents. The finish doesn't let go for at least 60 seconds. You should wait at least 15 years, or more, but this worth the wait, and the cost, if you find and afford it.
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10/27/2018 - Nanda wrote:
2015 Northern Rhones Blind: Single blind. Yikes - this was in my bottom 2 or 3 wines of the 15 wines tonight. The oak and toast effect is simply overwhelming. The fruit is marred with vanilla and toast. With time a V.A. note comes about, likely given the ripeness of fruit. No subtlety or Northern Rhone complexity at this time. One can only assume this is akin to tasting a barrel sample and the wine will improve significantly over time. I'm cellaring my case for 10+ years before checking in on a bottle. Low 80s score tonight. Ooof.
Night 2 Update: The oak has tamed down a bit and the overt toast notes are gone. The wine is still quite fruit-centric and ripe without much subtlety. Perhaps a bit of pepper and meat is starting to emerge.
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10/27/2018 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Most of the 2015 Northern Rhones worth a damn, blind (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. (Bottle 4648.) Amazing what obscuring the label can do. This was high-toned, with some really prickly oak aromas on the nose that no one really enjoyed. There was some really pretty fruit on the palate, but a slightly bitter twist of oak on the back end that I thought wasn't particularly becoming of the rest of the palate. Finishes a touch hot too. Given that sort of in-your-face oak treatment here, I thought that this was the Voge VV. In comparison to my previous note, I'll admit to a bit of egg on the face here. I think the wine might be fine in isolation, but compared to the other wines that have a low oak treatment, this will never show well this young. All this said, am I going off to market to dump my 2015 Chave? Hell no.
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10/16/2018 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
The great outing (Aalborg, Denmark): Tasted late in the evening, not all senses working as they should, but still, i was surprised to se this so polished and smooth; it is immensely concentrated with black fruit galore, a tight fist in the middle, but is certainly silky and dresses up as well - i remember guessing 2cru Bordeaux when blindtasting 2011 in competition. This is a different animal, yet, none os us guessed Chave.
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4/28/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
No. 4650 has the (mis)fortune of being the first bottle of this opened out of my stash. The nose is immediately brilliant, with a mild note of brine and a powerful whiff of black peppercorn. To underline those classic syrah tones is black fruit that is perfectly ripe. A hint of oak seems to accent all of this, but that oak is judiciously applied and truly serves to augment the nose. The palate is a little tougher to get through, though that is more than forgivable given this wine's youth. Again, the intensity shows. But this is coiled up and burly, with tons of coarse tannin and black fruit. I can find hints of salinity and meat here, but that's mostly just decoration on top of a massive, structural wine. I don't pick up the "Chave tastes like Chave" component, but that may yet emerge with time. This feels like Hermitage to me.
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