June 9, 2023 - Beautiful wine (1st bottle corked) with a nose of green herbs and crisp ripe orchard fruits. The palate was unlike the usual Rhône whites we’ve had in that the core acidity provided clean forward structure for the fruit. The alcohol was restrained (13%) and this wine maintained a beautiful texture throughout. Simply astounding!
February 16, 2023 - Once again, an outstanding vintage for Chave that is sexy and soulful.
November 12, 2022 - An epic dinner of classic wines: This pours lightly cloudy light garnet with light bricking and light fleck of orange in the glass. The nose is just insane from first pour. Aromas absolutely blast olive brine, preserved meyer lemon peel, grilled meat, fresh plum, dried blueberry, toasted spices, granite, rose petal, sweaty animal fur, game, light roast coffee, and smoky incense. The palate is just as good as the nose with a bright red fruit and citrus tinged entry. Tannin is low and acid is medium plus. The finish is insanely long replaying much if the nose with a core of spectacular red and citrus fruit and massively complex secondary and tertiary notes. What an absolutely spectacular showing here. This from an immaculate bottle from a restaurant. Tremendous value at $595 CAD and sadly their last. This is a monumental wine and would please any lover of very traditional Rhones. In my mind it almost came across like a hypothetical blend of Rayas and a Northern Rhone. Wow.
September 18, 2022 - Sunday Lunch with Raveneau Chablis and Chave Hermitage (Piccino Restaurant, San Francisco): Browning throughout. Blueberry, menthol, wintergreen, and more than a bit of VA. Medium to lighter weight. Faded blue fruit. Dry, earthy finish with excessive acidity. This vintage has gotten a lot of props recently and was wonderful when I last had it in 2008 (!), but today it was simply over the hill.
June 23, 2022 - Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): This was the vintage I was the most excited to taste tonight, and boy did this bottle just hit it out of the park. Incredibly complex and layered, with classic syrah smoked meat notes supplementing an array of red and black fruit on the nose. The palate is similarly detailed and complex, with intense notes of all the above very well delineated. Fruit that isn't as rounded and sweet as the 1990, but with lovely acidity to balance. A lengthy but shapely finish. I love that this has both the intensity and concentration, but a vein of acidity coursing through it, giving an electric, dynamic excitement to the wine. Legend.
May 24, 2021 - Beautiful and expressive aromatics. Smoke, spice, dried red fruit and a bit of damp soil. Layered and complex. Classic.
January 6, 2021 - Intense and focused bottle. These really require more bottle age.
July 10, 2020 - Probably a few years past it’s best but very pleasant , had vague elements of green , good length, lightish but nice but does not deserve the price or high ratings ppl
January 7, 2020 - The 91 really appealed to me, and was utterly soulful.
December 13, 2019 - Drank a bottle with a soaked cork. Still acceptable but not outstanding.