A lazy Sunday afternoon Chave lunch

Since we all love Chave, five of us got together to drink a nice collection of Chave Hermitages. The wines showed well and reaffirmed that Chave is the greatest Hermitage producer.

• 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 97 Points

  France, Champagne

  Ken generously shares with us so from a new source and equally brilliant showing. Beautiful energetic nose displaying fresh white fruit, Tom mentions grapefruit, granny smith, lemon curd, candied lemon rind, honey, acacia, white flowers, cool mountain stream and mineral. Perfectly harmonious palate, abundant very fine mousse, finely layered fresh white fruit, bright acidity, incredible amount of mineral and a long fresh white fruit and mineral driven finish. I doubt anyone can find flaw in the 06 CdC as it is clean and perhaps being BdB, there is no bitterness associate with a young Champagne. As usual, once the ample supply dries up, i.e. the next vintage gets released, the price will go up.

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• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  Clearly have some bottle age. According to Tom, the first release after the label change. Perfectly mature nose displaying peach, apricot, apple pie, oyster shell, anise, almond paste, sweet spices and mineral. Beautifully integrated palate, generous fine mousse, nicely layered sweet yellow fruit, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long seamless sweet yellow fruit and mineral driven finish. Another great example that demonstrates the reason to cellar Krug MV.

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• 1981 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Paul was unable to join but generously contributed this magnum. Initially a bit straightforward. With air, gets fresher and more precise. Beautiful fully mature nose displaying succulent sweet yellow fruit, peach, apricot marmalade, a hint of raspberry, smoked oyster, sweet spices and mineral. Fully mature harmonious palate, still showing generous medium fine mousse, airy and refined, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a lovely long succulent yellow fruit driven finish. Showing beautifully en magnum format.

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• 2010 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Clearly the freshest of the flight. After tasting the 09 which seems to be entering the awkward stage, the nose seems to resemble Corton Charlemagne, lemon curd, a hint of honey, sesame, flint and strong wet stone mineral. The palate, on the other hand, displays heat and cream which tells you the origin. With air, lemon curd, baked apple, cream brulee, sweet and spicy spices, honey, cream soda and wet stone. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered, dense and oily, mouth puckering acidity, strong mineral and a medium to long sweet yellow fruit and mineral driven finish with lingering acidity. This particular bottle remains remarkable fresh and energetic. It clearly shows a bit of heat that could be bothersome to white Burgundy lovers. Having had the 80s versions, this will age beautifully for a few decades.

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• 2009 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This particular bottle has entered the dormant period. The darkest color of the flight. Medium expressive nose displaying deeply tone yellow fruit, grapefruit, orange marmalade, lemon oil, cracker jack, candied pecans, a hint of vin jaune, sweet spices and crushed rock. Excellent concentration, unctuous, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a long ripe yellow fruit and sweet spices driven finish. There is a hint of heat which is not unusual in Rhone whites. It is a big scale ripe wine that needs to be cellared for a decade or two.

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• 2011 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This bottle also has entered the dormant period. Significantly darker than the 10. Medium expressive nose displaying dry yellow fruit, dry apricot, dry peach, orange marmalade, honey, a hint of vin jaune, sweet and spicy spices, oyster jus and crushed rock. Excellent concentration, though slightly lighter than the 09 and 10, unctuous, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long ripe yellow fruit and spicy spice driven finish. There is a hint of heat which is not unusual in Rhone whites. It is a big scale ripe wine that needs to be cellared for a decade or two.

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• 1983 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Fully mature classic northern rhone nose displaying subtle red fruit, strawberry jam, dry cherry, rose, a hint of mint, garrigue, ash, rare steak, tapenade and limestone. Fully resolved palate, slightly thin and short, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a medium subtle red fruit and rare steak driven finish. The nose is still expressive but the palate is starting to fade. If you are a fan of Jamet or a member of AFWE, you will love this wine. It would be nice to try from a mag.

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• 1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 97 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  A very well stored youthful example. Perfectly mature beautifully perfumed nose displaying concentrated sweet red fruit, raspberry, strawberry jam, a hint of cherry liqueur, a hint of blackberry, charred steak and blood, garrique, wild flowers, perfume, tapenade and limestone. Perfectly integrated palate, nicely layered sweet red fruit, silky and polished, excellent detail, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a long sweet slightly dry red fruit and charred steak driven finish. Drinking at the peak, perhaps the best example of the 89 Chave of my life. The slightly prefer the 05 and the 10 for greater concentration while retaining the same level of balance, detail and freshness

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• 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Served blind by Tom as the 88 that he was bringing was corked. The ripe fruit expression reminds me of an Aussie Shiraz but no strong oak note. So it has to be 2003 and my guess is the La Chapelle. Expressive youthful nose displaying cherry liqueur, Chambord, plum, licorice, sweet spices, caramel and earth. Excellent concentration, intense red fruit like Chambord, unctuous yet silky and polished, medium acidity, medium earthy mineral, no noticeable tannins and a long Chambord and sweet spices driven finish. This is an atypical Chave that the vintage character dominates. With time, another decade or two, the kinky and rip expression will subside. I imagine and hope that this will develop like the 47 CB or the 76 Bordeaux/Burgundy.

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• 1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Tom mentions not the best example. I am liking it. Classic Chave nose, subtle slightly dry red fruit, beef blood, charred stead, a hint of spearmint, tapenade, garrigue, white pepper and limestone. Fully integrated yet youthful plate, subtle red fruit, silky, medium acidity, medium good mineral presence and a medium to long subtle red fruit and beef blood driven finish. For my palate, the 95 French reds all have a hint of roasted fruit and this is no exception. It is a classic Chave at this stage. Very good showing.

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• 2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 100 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Unbelievably intense nose displaying decadent yet pure concentrated black fruit, blackberry concentrate, crushed blackberry, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, wild flowers, incense, perfume, dark spices, a hint of tapenade and garriuge and crushed rock. Incredibly concentrated yet perfectly balanced, layers upon layers of intense blackberry, 10W-40 like viscosity yet silky and weightless a la Yquem, perfect amount of acidity, strong presence of limestone mineral and the finish that last forever. The incense, wild flowers and intense black fruit resonate and ringer. The tannins are completely masked by intense black fruit. I now am convinced that this is the best Chave Hermitage made at lease since the 80s. It remains incredibly young. For my palate, it will reach the peak in another two decades. Monumental! FWIW, Tom prefers the 10 this time and I can’t argue.

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• 2010 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 99 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Another incredible wine. Already showing perfectly balanced and detailed nose, intense pure black fruit, blackberry, black cherry, ink, licorice, lavender, rose, sweet spices, a hint of tapenade and garrigue and crushed rock. Incredibly pure, precise and energetic palate, very finely layered fresh black fruit, silky and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a long intense yet pure black fruit driven finish with licorice and rose at the end. My impression this time is that it is slightly less concentrated than the 05 but purer, fresher and more precise. Another legend in making.

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As usual, a great time was had by all and the lunch last over five hours. A nice way to spend drizzly Sunday afternoon.