Wonderful syrah. WOTN in a pretty serious lineup with Meo C Vosne Romanee Premier Cru '05 and Trapet Chambertin '06++ Drinking well, but can probably stored for a long time as well. 94-95p
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Kräftiges Rubinrot, praktisch keine Alterstöne. Die Nase ist anfangs still, braucht etwas Zeit, zeigt dann sortentypische Noten nach weissem Pfeffer, Leder, dahinter eine reife Frucht und etwas Eukalyptus, florale Noten. Der Auftakt ist rund und weich, dann packt der Wein zu, die Tannine sind markant, jedoch von sehr guter Qualität, seidig mit der Frucht verwoben, harmonisch mit der Säure. Ein ausgewogener Wein, mit Würze und Lebendigkeit, einem sehr langen Abgang und würzig-rotfruchtigen Rückaromen. In einem Top Trinkfenster, jedoch mit Reserven. Jetzt bis 2032
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No proper notes but I just remember this being so elegant and Burgundian. This bottle could have used more time but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. I really understand the appeal. A good amount of sediment. Probably should have been stood up.
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Definitely has another 15 years ahead of it but boy was the leather nose and tapenade mouth singing today !!! Drank with a beef wellington, gratin dauphinois and haricot verts. As in a different league to a nonetheless very nice Bonneau Chateauneuf 2001 altogether
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93/94 points I would say, but only had one glass at dinner (four hours after decanting)... this is a full bodied Rhone wine (no surprise) and I gotta say I think if I had discipline maybe I should have given it another 15 -20 years... this thing seemed super nice and yet sooo young at this stage... oh well, patience didn't win out this time
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Soo's birthday: Wow everyone guessed a high-class Burg for this. So perfumed, silky and with velvety tannins I thought it had to be from a very good maker like M-G. I adored the red-fruited nature, supreme elegance and sensual finish here. Agreed with the person who brought this that Chave in cool years might be the play here, and another northern rhone that was mistaken for a Burg to add to the list. One of my best wines of the year.
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Much better than last bottle 3 yrs ago. Decanted about 2.5 hrs before dinner, back in the bottle then decanted again at Auberge in Napa. Had some bubbles to let it further evolve.
Was super tasty after 3 hr decant and even more so after 4. Added an extra point for last glass after 5 hours decanted.
This wine does seem to be in a long peak window. Drinking gloriously. Glad I have a few more. No rush but I would be surprised if it gets better, will be interesting to try again in a few years and see. This bottle had everything well integrated after a few hrs decanted. Makes me think I should try an 01 as have a few of those as well.
Extremely suave. Old world Chave with elegant balance.
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loved this, was a bottle that I had 'Coravin'd' about five years ago, it was pretty fresh (ie the Coravin worked!), but had the appropriate amount of age... at peak in my point of view
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I've drank through most of the 80s and 90s vintages of Chave since last tasting this 04' a few years ago. I think this is a nice vintage for Chave, youthful and structured and mostly primary fruit at this stage, needs an hour or so of air. I'd think this starts to become even more interesting in 5 years or so.
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Intoxicating aromas of smoke, herbs, some dark black fruit. Elegant structure with deep layers, aery and light on its toes, but without sacrificing its deep dimensionality. Fantastic and young.
Maybe WOTN amongst a diverse and interesting set of wines.
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No decant but maybe we should have had at this young stage. Impressive still and quite approachable albeit at this stage one sees but a small glimpse of what this wine can deliver with another 5yrs minimum of cellaring. Will the 2004 be like the beautiful yet light 1994? soft herby, spice, light smoky , soft on the edges and in no way a heavy wine. Needs more time to hit its full stride and would really like to cross paths with it in a few years. Beautiful 93 -94 for now but with a lot of potential. A must buy wine.
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This one fooled all of us. Once the brown bag was pulled we were all staring at 04 JLC. There was a decent amount of oxidation and sediment. Owner had bought at wine bid which has me questioning storage. Very enjoyable but not the best showing for this wine. A lot of guesses of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
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Chave's 2004 Hermitage is excellent tonight, in the zone with a nose both floral and smokey also redolent of crunchy red fruit and earth. Medium in body with fine, softening tannins and a bright acidity. Always a pleasure.
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Ouvert peu avant le service et non carafé. C’est très bon, complexe, changeant tout le long de la soirée, encore assez solide (et même le lendemain). À la fin il a développé des notes plus délicates de fleurs et de mousse, mais encore beaucoup de tannins. Ma dernière mais si vous en avez, soyez sans crainte: ça va encore tenir la route et gagner en complexité à mon avis.
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My first thought was "crap, I have made a big mistake not buying more of this!!" Medium to medium deep dried blood red, amazing nose of dried cherries, gently roasted meat, and a host of other herby and savoury delights. The palate follows thru, with dried cherry, even dehydrated strawberry, all with a spicy, savoury edge. Really has me salivating to taste beside the prime rib. Totally smoothed out and ready to go, the fairly high acidity will probably allow this to remain at this level for quite some time. With more swirling, it draws out the meaty element, but the balance is perfect and this is drinking a point. Loving this.
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Two bottles tonight, same vintage from different sources and I blinded folks on the second bottle. The first had a fair amount of funk and smoke, which I quite liked. The second was brighter, with punchier fruit. Both good but I liked #1 better. An enjoyable, but not great, vintage of Chave.
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Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): I've been very bullish on this particular wine in the past, but today, I don't think it performed as well as some of the bottles I opened before. This does have a little more of the smoked meat/briney character of syrah, but it just felt a little simplistic. A slight animale note detracted from an otherwise very clean wine. The texture is consistent with my other experiences -- it's a silky smooth, resolved wine that is really nice for drinking now.
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Just starting to show well, the wine is vibrant, fresh, floral, smoky, and spicy with sweet, ripe, fresh, crunchy red berries, red plums, thyme, and peppery spices. Medium/full-bodied, this is good now, but it should be even better with another 2-3 years of age.
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This wine is really intellectual. The meatiness balanced with lighter floral notes, the dark cherry tones with pepper nuances. Layered softness with length. Very elegant for a Hermitage. Tension makes this very complex and nothing overdone. Not the most hedonistic wine but makes you pensive.
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Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): Slightly subdued nose displaying subtle red fruit, cherry and raspberry, a hint of rose, tapenade, cedar, black pepper and limestone. Medium concentration, silky and fluid, good acidity and mineral and a medium long cool red fruit driven finish with white pepper at the end. This has been cellared ideally since release. Although there is no obviously flaws, this never opens up.
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Delicious, classic Chave aromas and flavours but a little lacking in weight. Not really a criticism: I just think this needs drinking over the next decade rather than the next three, which would be more normal for Chave.
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« Doux et goûteux » dit ma maman. Je le trouve effectivement assagi, une belle texture d’un vin autrefois puissant, encore énergique, bien équilibré, avec une certaine rusticité des tanins. Un beau fruité délicat qui évoque les framboises, la longueur est toutefois modeste, à l’image du millésime. Agréable, avec une bonne fraîcheur, une certaine minéralité, bien qu’il lui manque la profondeur des meilleurs Chave. 91 pts
Éclipsé par le Stephan VV ce soir là, issu d’une bien meilleure année.
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Ladybug taint, some called it overly green. Nobody wanted to drink this, and I suspect this bottle is representative -- i.e. it's the wine that's the problem not just an off bottle.
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Spot on right now. A great success and reflection of what makes Chave special — dependably awesome Hermitage year-after-year. Lovely aromatics that have meat, smoke and spice filled black fruit. Medium concentration and weight. Peppery finish.
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#6756. The King in the North! As I've remarked repeatedly, this is (one of) the best younger Chaves for drinking right now. The nose is quintessential Chave, a magical blend of polish and rusticity. There are aromas of cherry, olive, and smoke. The palate is on the red side of the spectrum, with a sweetness that evokes primary fruit, although there are plenty of the meaty, briny secondary flavours too. Alas, this bottle doesn't have the aromatic explosiveness of other bottles that I've had, but it is nevertheless a truly delicious bottle of syrah.
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This is killer and drinking really well right now; served with elk "wellington". The nose was beautiful with rich dark berry fruits, sanguine and game meat hints, violets, a bit of pepper and slightly sweeter spices. The palate was beautifully balanced with very good concentration and depth. A lovely long finish. A very good vintage, not in the caliber of the 05, but still a fabulous Hermitage.
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Lovely nose of violets, lavander, dried leaves, slight smoke, and very pretty floral cornucopia. Not the heaviest of Chave but very suave and persistent. The palate still has a little bit of tannins, great acidity and medium mouthfeel. Dark fruit flavors like blackberry, plum and black cherry, but it also has a lot of savory and mineral characteristics. Dried flowers, leather, and a really nice slight saline minerality are quite prominent on the palate. Gorgeous balance as it floats in your mouth, like a really nice Burgundy, iron fist in a velvet glove.
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If this is controversial/shitty chave, what is great chave?! Decanted off last ounce of fine and gritty sediment. Only 2 hour decant. Open nose of dark berry, and some smoke and funk. Love the texture: sleek and a little polished. Palate of cherries with juicy acidity and subtle green. Juicy and not all the way angular for me, but still prevents a 96+ score. In a line up of great wines I can see this one slipping through as the juicy personality may be offputting. Don't endorse the QPR/price, but you can taste this is an expensive wine.
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[Blind] Subtle smoke but with real purity. Clean, punchy, striking red and black fruit. Lively and fresh but showing nice secondary development. Notes getting shorter at this stage in the evening.. 93 - 94.
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Very interesting. Youthful deep ruby color. Deeply red fruited nose is supported by earth, pickle juice and blueberry jam. Kind of wild and seeming a touch modern (which is very strange). The palate is layered and rugged. Good acidity on the finish. The depth is incredible. I think this needs time to settle. I can see how JLL calls this international - again not something I would ever say about Chave. All that said, it’s a great bottle of Syrah if not what I want from a bottle from this producer. (93+?)
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It has taken herculean patience on my part to not open any bottles since my last one a few years ago. But hey, it's 2020, and with all that's happened, it seems silly (to me, anyway) to engage in petty hoarding of a fruity beverage drink. Patience is so last decade haha! And with this wine, it's about time anyway. With a refined floral nose speckled with notes of toast, black berries and pipe ash, it has matured nicely. The rim has lightened, as has the body, which has lost some of its past inkiness. The fruit is calmly settled, the tannin has taken a seat in the back row, and what we have now is layers of velvety flavor that roll on in a long and gentle finish. I have a few more bottles, and I'm sure they won't last long!
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Drinking extremely well, tannins are well integrated, lots of fruit but very restrained and nicely balanced. I'm sure this will last for a long time, but no reason not to open now, it's in a really good place.
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Had on the backs of a 1994 Chave and 1996 August Clape Cornas. This showed its youthfulness with wonderful dark fruit and leather notes and a silky finish. Definitely can go a while, but superb now.
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Sunday hangout (socially distanced) (Chicago, IL): A brilliant wine in what I consider one of the best vintages for drinking now in the northern Rhône. This wine shows a mild herbal tinge and a lithe elegance that seems to epitomize the vintage, at least for me. Surprisingly, this may be a little darker-fruited than the other two bottles of Hermitage today (89 and 99), but there is no mistaking the racy elegance here. Some thought it youthful, and while I would agree with that assessment, I think it is amply adequate for drinking and full enjoyment now.
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This was given a minimal decant, but I didn't think this was at all in a great place to drink with limited air. Somewhat angular and with the oak poking out, this felt more like a Jaboulet to me than a Chave (this is not a complement). For 2004, a vintage that is otherwise drinking phenomenally right now in the northern Rhone, this was a letdown. Post 99 Chave continues to disappoint.
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Wines. Decanted 6 hrs each 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. Alc 14%. Still full color. Earthy leather nose. Just wonderful on the palate with violets and leather. Still quite young. Long finish. Great with the smoked meat Great things ahead
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Fine Wines SG - "Who makes the best Syrah wine?" (Zoom): Pale ruby, with significant browning fading edges. A somewhat dusty nose, as if barnyardy, and some purple flowers. Some nice lightness and elegance one the palate, yet markedly ripe redcurrant and blackberry flavours, even juicy and slightly candied, with a big floral bouquet. The minty and floral freshness persisted towards the finish, which was pretty long. Nice!
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Quarantine; 3/12/2020-5/29/2020 (Chicago, IL): Leftovers from a bottle from the evening before, but the quality is stark and apparent here. To my taste, probably one of the most classically styled wines of the post-Gerard era, this is a wine with ample earthy complexity. Generous and velvety fruit, with a good dose of tapenade as well. Fully resolved now, and while it's almost a given that there is more to go in terms of longevity, the quality here seems to be at some sort of local maximum, and I would feel no regret as to opening bottles of my own right now.
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Covid-19 Intro/Retro (Chez Hughes): Blind. Clearly N. Rhone with the moderate (relative to the preceding CA and OZ flights) black fruit loaded with pepper, smoke and meat with just a kiss of funk. Bright and lively on the palate with pepper, smoke and leather accenting the mid-weight black fruit. Long finish. My #2, Group #1. Regrettably, missed this as Chave and guessed LaLa.
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Monday night heaters (Chicago, IL): #6753. Yeah, that's the stuff. The nose was initially slightly reticent, but it just expanded in complexity and breadth over the course of the evening. Silky elegance with a beautiful balance of red and black fruit in a perfectly mature example of Hermitage. Slightly polished in the way Chave can be, but with the thinner vintage, it actually balances out very nicely. Racy acidity, complex, and layered. One of the best drinking Chaves right now.
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Classic Hermitage nose of roasted meats, campfire char and dark red fruits. Lots of acidity and energy in this wine with delicious flavors of blackberries, coal dust and dark spices. There is a decadence here but its hiding under the structure and the finish has a nice mineral crunch with complex notes of charcoal, smoked game and a hint of violets. Still young and a bit strict and high-toned but I do enjoy the roasted flavors immensely. 93+ Even better the second day!
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dark maroon core, sediment; intense nose, cinnamon, herbaceous, earthy, touch of VA, red apple skin, black cherry, medicinal, licorice, plums, clay, smoke, bigger and powerful, warm year, cedar, menthol; called '05 Sizerranne.
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Grand Designs Reveal Week - Dinner #3 (Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Tasted after the 89 and 99, this feels quite suave, supple and modern - albeit with a classic Syrah/Hermitage intensity. Rather less structured than the older wines (but only in comparison to them), this wine is approachable now for its purity of blackberry and plum fruit, but I see this wine developing in a more supple manner over the next 15 years. Lip smacking acids, alongside pinpoint clarity, brings a lot of interest to the table. Not a great Chave, but a great wine.
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Dark fruit, spices, plums, black olives, and dark cherries on the nose. Good acidity with flavors of dark berries, tart fruit, and surprising sweetness on the palate. Long finish.
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From memory at a great lunch at Cap Grille with Charlie & after a 1 hour double decant, med. ruby, dark fruit with a touch of bacon; delicious & has entered its prime drinking window that should last a decade
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3 hour decant. Steadily opened. Pure, direct, some light spice notes, but fooled people... couldn’t really place it due to its complexity. Delicious. Long finish. Secondary notes; not near tertiary phase.
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Chave and cassoulet: Not the best showing for this wine - I liked this with a lot of pretty black and red fruit and some meatiness, but there's also a slightly dirty bretty/funky character on the nose that detracts and never fully blows off with air. Still a very good wine, but a touch below the others in the lineup tonight.
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The King in the North! (Chicago, IL): This isn't as good as the last bottle that I had (not from my cellar). Immediately on the nose, there's a whiff of brett, but some vigorous swirling does make it go away. There's a light red fruit profile here, and a really awesome perfume. Nonetheless, I do still really love this wine, with its lighter profile and fairly resolved structure. 2004 isn't the most highly-regarded vintage, but I think it is the best-drinking young vintage right now, and this bottle is certainly a case in point. A smidgen of green to help with the acid keeps this very fresh.
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On the nose, modest smoke, black olives, dark berries, crushed violets, and rocks, on the palate, the fruits were powerful but achieved pretty good balance with great amount of spices, pepper, chewy tannin, minerals, red wine minareted spicy olives, and gentle acidity. It was certainly a big wine but not overwhelming, got great complexity and little sense of overoak or heat
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Deep ruby/garnet core, narrow pale garnet rim. Nose shows red and black berries, florals, spice. Medium/full bodied, initially red fruited then blackberry coming through, florals, really silky tannins, fresh acidity, good length harmonious finish with a touch of spice. Elegant, silky and refined. Excellent, drinking well.
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Dinner at NoMad NYC. Decanted. Lovely nose of black fruits, creosote and leather. The palate is lithe and silky, showing a tart crunchy texture and lightweight mouthfeel. Great stuff.
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Nez complexe de laurier, d’anis, de fruit noir, qui évoque beaucoup plus le Rhône sud, comme le disaient avec raison les amis. Le vin est riche et goûteux, assez puissant, il montre beaucoup de fond et de complexité aromatique, un peu d’alcool. Les tanins sont fondus mais le vin parait encore bien jeune, il entame à peine un long plateau de maturité. Un très beau vin. J'aimerais le revoir dans cinq ans, il s'épanouira et s'affinera encore davantage. 93+ pt
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It's a privilege to write a second tasting note for this wine. This is what an excellent wine needs. It's wine but in everything 10 times better than other wines. Deep complex nose, powerful but dicrete palate and a neverending finish. WOW!
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A classic, spicy syrah. There's a nice purity and detail that comes across in the slightly lighter vintage. It's still fairly structured, and I might give it a couple of hours of air in hindsight, but this is showing very well.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia; 6/22/2018-6/23/2018 (Chicago, IL): I had bought a six pack of this based solely on faith that the greatest extant Hermitage producer would render an incredible wine in this so-called "off" vintage. The feeling of vindication is immense. This is a stunning bottle of syrah, and hits me as exactly what I am looking for when I open a bottle of syrah. It's elegant, with just enough red fruit to balance the structural elements. There's salinity and earth too, and acidity to balance it.
Tasted blind: Very dark color; dark fruited, rich, peppery with aging meat cooler scents, spices, mint and olive tapenade, umami. Gravitas yet not weighty. Very classy wine.
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Beautiful wine just starting to show its stuff. Dark savory fruit with some herbal, floral, and hung meat notes. Just beginning to move from primary to secondary, but already showing great class, balance, and length. Would hold for 5-10 more years for it to really sing.
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Beautiful nose with game, pepper, olives. Fresh attack and medium weight on the palate. Succulent and totally integrated acidity. The balance of Chave, aahhh! Long and elegant finish. This is not a blockbuster vintage but a very harmonious and enjoyable one.
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A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Raveneau and Chave Vertical (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Beautiful classic Chave nose displaying fresh cherry, raspberry, blackberry, lavender, rose, perfume, tapenade, black pepper, a hint of charred rare steak and limestone. Medium concentration, finely layered subtle red and black fruit, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, a medium to long cherry and black pepper driven finish with a hint of tapenade at the end. I drank this next to the 05 in 2013 and the impression remains the same. It feels almost light compare to the 05 in concentration yet it is no less expressive in nose. This is a classic Chave hermitage that has reached the youthful peak. My educated guess is that this will develop like the 83, becoming very Burgundian in another decade. If you are a lover of Jamet, you will also love this.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+: Maroon, clarity, pale rim; candy cane, peppermint, mouth filling, dried floral, strawberry and cherry, reminiscent of Nebbiolo, cedar, a pop of tannin, youngish, tasty and interesting though not showing classic Syrah character.
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Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 04/06/07/09 vertical flight. Black and meaty fruit with good power, just not the most nuanced vintage. Accessible now, with upside. Previous bottles have showed slightly better.
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Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 04/06/07/09. Wow, very young with forward young black fruit, violets and some black pepper. Lots of good raw material here, with light-to-medium bodied forward rich black fruit and juicy acids. Great purity and elegance, but not showing much complexity, yet. Give it 5-7 years. 2-4 points of upside.
Tasted blind. Very floral on the nose with bright red fruit, which threw me to Cote Rotie. Quite sweet on the palate which detracts from the balance. Nice wine but not a stellar performance for a Chave.
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This bottle was a vivid reminder of why I fell in love with Chave in the first place. Perfectly situated right now in its development, equal parts elegance and muscle, layered, well-resolved tannic structure, slightly on the riper side, but nonetheless my top Rhone of the year. I find these to be equal to some of the great Bordeaux 1st Growths, for my palate, and am happy to have more, though not this vintage. Enjoy now - it is simply wonderful.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dark maroon core with dull rim; white pepper, cedar, incense, aged, a certain brightness and lift to the wine, root vegetables, underbrush, bacon fat, bay leaf, sous bois, more tart cherry and framboise, aged- seemed old but well stored, also served at great cooler temperature, olive, mushroom, old school, Hermitage, Chave- called '96, at an age where the grape really shines; this bottle seemed like the wine will not improving much more in cellar outside of texture; sexy and delicious.
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Northern Rhone Offline (Bar Agricole, San Francisco): Highly aromatic nose with spice, black pepper, tons of fruit, very nice; high acid, medium bodied, lovely primary red fruit throughout, medium youthful tannins; long finish. This is superb, but a decade too young. 94-97++, easily on the higher side with time. After an hour: some exotic spice, almost like Vosne-Romanée. This is superb.
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Fabulous dark crushed syrah fruit nose, with roasted mushrooms, truffle, earthy and floral; richer and slightly rounder than the 2001 and 2000 along side, with excellent acidity, nice earthy/rocky/meaty/leather complexity, long finish. So young, but fabulous interest and complexity already, boding for an outstanding future.
This was a surprising bottle, given some earlier tastings of the 04, which suggested it was a somewhat lighter, earlier drinking vintage. Based on this one, I'll hold my remaining bottles for the long term.
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From magnum, decanted for about 2 hours prior to service. Served in a double blind line up (although I knew what this was since I brought the bottle) directly after the '95 Quintarelli Alzero. The transition from the Alzero which was off dry to the Chave which is totally savory was a bit jarring. I love the style of this wine though, it is all about the savory elements, black olive, bacon, blood and iron with savory blackberries and bramble. It is definitely on the young side and really should have a lot more cellar time, but if you do serve now, give it a super long decant - 2 hours was not enough. In ten years I think this will be a real beauty.
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At Acker's Hermitage tasting (Cafe Tallulah, Upper West Side).
This developed quite nicely over the evening. At first I wasn't too keen but it developed a nice eucalyptus and mint nose with dark fruit and menthol on the finish. Very nice and unique, haven't had this before in my limited experience of Rhone.
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A classic Chave and drinking great. Smooth and concentrated long and with good black pepper spice. Quite seamless and lovely. Iron fist in a velvet glove texture. Yum. Long way to go here as still some nice baby fat fruit.
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Decanted for 7 hours and it probably could have withstood 7 more. Very dark ruby. Some Chave stoniness on the nose but thevwinevwas mostly dominated by its texture - plush and rich. Loa dead with red fruits, though they were tough to clearly identify. Wonderful with a great tomahawk steak I grilled. 50+13+13+9+9=94
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If this is an 'off vintage' for Chave, I must not be sufficiently qualified to drink his 'on vintages' -- because to me, this was already superb. Very dark character, thanks to the black fruit, squid ink and cold stones, with a bit of savoriness and meat juices. Silly me, I thought the 2004 should be well into middle age by now, hence would be an easy approachable target. But this wine still puts up a youthful fight. I think best to enjoy past 2020, if you have a few bottles and more patience than I do...
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Mørk, dyp, ren og delikat nese. Bjørnebær, pepper, lakris og urter. Frukten beveger seg i retning av skogsbær og jordbær. Saftig og fantastisk ren og moden frukt, tett og intens. Energiske tanniner, hissig syre. Flott lengde.
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The 04 Chave are excellent value right now & drinking beautifully. Dark fruit, pepper, violets. The finish is quite long & lovely. Enjoyed paired with A5 Wagyu & Lamb at Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA.
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Potent nose of classic Hermitage with notes of violets, black fruits, camphor, charcoal, wet animal fur, etc. This bottle is quite firm on the palate and a long decant was needed to coax out its deeper flavors. There is beautiful purply black raspberry fruit with strong notes of black pepper and floral spice. Quite silky and pure with plenty of cool-weather acidity and character. The finish is grippy, succulent and moderately tannic with hints of game and leathers but it's still quite young and not showing much secondary flavor development. This is supposed to be an off vintage but I love its long term potential to be a classic Chave. 92+
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RODANO AIS TORINO: Miele di castagno, corteccia del legno, mostarda cotta. E' caloroso e maturo, ma non bruciato dal sole né invaso dall' alcool. La bocca è un capolavoro di eleganza sferica e vellutata. La componente di verdura bollita e catrame preparano a un finale lungo, glicerico e maturo, ma senza peso. Regna un equilibrio estremo tra le parti e il finale fumé ha un tocco amaro ricco di fascino nobiliare. Grande vino, una seta.
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Tour de Gaule d'anniversaire: (Ouvert 4h30 avant, non épaulé. 1 heure avant, décanté lentement, rincé la bouteille et remis dans sa bouteille d’origine. Il y avait un peu de lies (10cc environ))
Le nez est légèrement fermier, puis ouvre la voie aux fruits noirs et aux épices. En bouche, ces arômes se précisent: mûres, poivre, olives. C’est tannique mais pas astringent, complexe et long. Je crois qu’il entre dans la fenêtre où on peut le boire mais est définitivement loin de son apogée. Ma 2e expérience avec ce vin - j’en encave sans faute et je le laisse dormir. 93 en ce moment mais probablement plus dans quelques années...
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drank blindly, ripe red and dark berries, powerful and the finish is cold and subtile, refreshing acidity, ripe fine grained tannins, alcohol a little bit noticeable, drinkable over the next 8-10 years, 93+
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Served during a tasting. Dark garnet with purple core. Expressive and complex nose of dark fruits, forest, pepper, spice box, very fresh (no heat at all) and refined. On the palate just as impressive as the nose suggests. Medium tannins with good acidity. This wine does not primarily impress with its power but with its elegance and aromatic depth. It is a perfect example of a refined Syrah from Rhone. Very popular with the group, it blew two high calibre Shiraz Astralis away. Ready now with a short decant. A huge success for Chave in the 04 vintage. Note: Given the price of the 03, 05, 09, 10, this together with the 06 is where the smart money goes for JL Chave.
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A beautiful wine. Great depth of flavors without being heavy at all. A light but elegant frame. It is starting to hit a nice level of maturity now with some secondary notes on the nose. Everything is beautifully integrated and really enjoyable to drink.
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Not the greatest vintage of Chave Hermitsge, but wow drinking beautifully now. Black cherry, black pepper, forest floor all working together for maximum enjoyment now. Super tasty.
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This bottle was opened as a back up in a friends place, so it was popped and poured - and it is ssssoooo young now... Tasted blind, we all said northern Rhone, then Hermitage. Spicy nose but very full now. Palate was tight, full bodied, red fruit, develops in the glass, then keep developing, but still not there. This has a great future ahead of it. Hold for 3-5 years and then drink for a decade I guess. 91-2 now, 93-96 points potentially.
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Popped and poured. Nicely expressive nose just starting to show some maturity. Game/leather, herb, spice and black fruits compose the nose. Very silky and supple palate with a saline quality. Still a little clenched and drying on the finish, with a dollop of acidity.
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8 Vintages of Chave tasted at VVW (2004-2011) Groups #5 and my #4 wine of the tasting. Floral nose, very burgundian in character, with red fruits and a lovely spice. Thinner palate, fairly muted flavors that are surprisingly tight and unyielding. Drying finish.
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Day later from memory. I recently splurged and won a mixed case of '04, '05, and '07 Chave Hermitage at auction. I don't think I exactly stole it, but the per bottle average was a few percent below recent auctions and way below current retail. I'd never had one before and given the ever-present provenance risk, this may not have been the best way to dip my toe in the water, but it's too late now!
I've been drinking a lot of less exalted Northern Rhone lately with great enjoyment, so my expectations were commensurately high last night. It was easily one of the best syrahs I've ever tasted (recognizing I'm not that experienced in the high end here), but I was surprised how it seemed to reflect elegance and refinement over power. In fact, it reminded me curiously of a recent '04 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo, not in any way the flavor, but in its purity, quiet confidence, and harmony.
Still reasonably purple, nose a heady mix of blackberry, pepper, and restrained minerality. The dark fruit carried through in the mouth, bolstered by gentle tannins and the stony quality that seemed more like a stream bed than a rocky assault. Beautiful texture: I was bracing for a punch and it was more like a warm embrace. It was slinky and sinuous, entirely beguiling. 14% ABV though I would have guessed less.
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Deep, thick ruby color softening on the edges. Powerful nose of roasted game, black pepper, sweet violets, bitter chocolate and minerals. On the palate, it's quite big and fairly open with a thick texture and chocolaty flavors at first but then the fresh finish kicks in with good acidity and crispness to balance everything out. A meaty wine yet with floral lift that keeps it light on its feet. More chocolaty and meaty than other older vintages of Chave I've had but it still works for me. Enjoyable tonight and this wine always surprises to the upside as it ages even with the obvious ripeness here. 93+
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Nose of herb, leaf, licorice, currant, pepper, black olive, toast. Palate of pepper, olive, herb, licorice, blackcurrant, spice, black cherry, espresso, dark chocolate. Beautiful massive finish, showing power and poise.
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What R&R said. This wine too would have been even more impressive with a few hours in the decanter as opposed to PnP. I liked my last sips of this more than the first. Still youthfully tannic though. Probably best after 2020.
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A Tour Through France Tuesday at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark purple red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Very nice nose, earthy, roasted meats, dried herbs, blackberry liqueur, black plum, cassis. The palate is dense, full bodied, heavy, glycerin, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, plum, tar, meat, scorched earth, long finish. This kept getting better in the glass. A couple more hours and who knows...
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Now this is a proper Hermitage - starting to unfurl a touch but this is still about pure, focussed, crystal clear fruit cut through with beautiful tannins and acidity - the raw ingredients are there for some serious ageing potential. Beautiful now, but will be stunning in 10.
Quite primary but very easy to like. voluptuous fruit without the farminess or acidity one often associate with rhone syrah. if served blind prob would have guessed bordeaux.
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Chave Hermitage Dinner with Erin & Jean-Louis Chave (MK Restaurant - Chicago IL): I don't think I've had this since shortly after release, but it is evolving slowly but continuing to show its great potential. Huge fruit, huge spice, very long, just slightly background right now. There was enough for one glass left at the end of the night, which came home with me. It was even better the next evening.
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The first pour in my glass had this intense aromatic nose of dark fruits, a bit of smoke, and game. However the nose wasn't a strong after we decanted the bottle for abt 30 to 45 mins or so. The nose seemed to fade and wasn't as intense as before. However the wine was still quite smooth almost silky on the palate. went perfectly with the lamb. Next time would pop it open and not decant.
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After decanting for almost 2 hours, this had an explosively aromatic nose of cherries, game and olives. On the palate, this was incredibly silky, with layers of dark fruits, pepper and leather, leading to a very long and expressive finish. This wine was intense without being overbearing. An excellent effort, and a bargain relative to other vintages.
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New Year's Eve, almost a decade old, a somewhat softer, "lesser" vintage, have a few more, seems like time to open one. And glad I did! Fairly dark red, though not opaque, medium bodied, shows really nice, though slightly reserved intensity, dark cherry, some earthy truffle, touch of grilled meat, and a nice dried cherry hard candy note; mild, fine tannins, good acidity, still quite young but drinks very well. I wouldn't hesitate to open one now, but it will improve and develop the trademark Chave leather/truffle/mushroom notes over the next decade and more.
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Syrah perfume on the nose that can only come from Hermitage with notes of smoke, roasted game, black fruits and dark minerals. This has gobs of gorgeous smoky black fruits but is still structured and high in acids but all is in balance for a fine evolution. The finish is already complex with notes of dark minerals and spicy game. This is a very terroir-driven vintage for this great wine and it shows beautifully now with extended airtime but really needs 5 more years for the acids to calm down. 93+
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Northern Rhone Dinner Part 2 - Hermitage (Vancouver, BC): Juicy and youthful on the nose with a perfumed profile and classic syrah notes and a hint of bell pepper. More structured than the 2000 but with a beautifully polished and balanced feel. Great now, better with another 5+ years. Excellent. 92+
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Dinner at home with friends who brought this bottle. My first Hermitage, and what a wine. Intriguing nose with dark fruit and spices. Pepper yes, but was also getting something like a sweet curry touch. Absolutely lovely texture of the palate. Fine tannins and the right dose of acidity make it crunchy and precisely delineated. Impressively long finish (95). A very nice contrast to the 92 Mount Edelstone which was showing just as well as last time. While quality-wise almost at par with the Hermitage in my eyes, it has richer and sweeter flavors (more of the blueberry pie, dark chocolate camp) with an equally long finish. Would go for the Hermitage but perhaps more a question of style preference than quality. (94)
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Another lazy Sunday dinner with La Las, Chaves, Chapelles, Rayas, Plume and Celestins (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): A mini vertical is always educational and this was served along with the 05. Noticeable difference in concentration but the flavor profile is very similar. Fresh crushed blackberry, raspberry, wild flowers, white pepper, limestone and earth. Medium concentration, silky palate, integrated tannins and good length. It is ready to go in terms of the palate expression but the fruit is still very youthful, ie it hasn’t achieved the Chave typicity of burgundian red fruits, charred steak and garrigue. Need to decant for two hours minimum but possibly four.
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Dark red with some sediment and a good bit of color change; pine, pepper, and cherry are just a few things I could decipher from the powerful nose; very elegant palate (almost Cote Rotie like), some radish and pen ink; resolving but still lots of stuffing to last a while.
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Appearance: Ruby red, dark center, medium+ tears (prob med+ body/alc). Bright, but unfiltered. Nose (in a riesling glass): Blackberry, primary wood character, beef jerky and spice. Aromatics open nicely over an hour to reveal a little violet, mossy earth. Young on the nose. Palate: Big black fruit, blackberry and currant. Tight and unrevealing out of the bottle, but after 1.5 hours rounds out with more earth, spice, and pepper. Medium-high acid here, still very youthful and vigorous. Muscular but balanced, weighty texture. Notes: Drinkable at this young age (Dec 2012), but I'd hold for several more years if you've got 'em. A beautiful wine for solo drinking, or pair with gently seasoned beef stew, game casserole, seared pork.
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Eating a nice piece of humble pie, 2008 Bionic Frog vs 2004 Chave Hermitage (Capital Grill at Tysons corner, VA): Drank along with the 08 Cayuse Bionic Frog. Pop and pour, the nose is sweet but tight. The palate displays dense sweet fruits, noticeable minerality and bright acidity but seems a bit clumsy. I am convinced that this is the 08 BF with the initial rating of 92. We decide to decant and with an hour of air, it gets more expressive; cherries, candied cherry, smoked meat, blood and tapenade. The palate displays impressive concentration, chewy and dense but with nice lifting acidity. There is also noticeable structure underneath the sweet fruits. If I were to use “context”, this is an awkward adolescent phase where some tertiary flavors are emerging but the fruit while still dense and sweet is no longer fresh. It will take another five to ten years bring back the balance and harmony. I love Chave and hope that this will outshine the BF but not so on this night.
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An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): There is a definite difference in style from the 99 and 97 to the later vintages it seems. Also, many things in common. This has a nice nose with cassis, black cherries and anise. Also some funk. It is much softer on the palate. Nice solid black cherry fruit. It has a nice acidity though that work with food. The finish is slightly drying with an oak note. Still, on any other night, an outstanding wine.
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Wine dinner at L'Etranger: What a great nose, cassis, cherry and pepper. I little too much alcohol, but one glass with dinner was a fantastic experience. We had it with the Black Roasted Sea bass fillet. Worth the money.
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I bought this wine after the highly praised and expensive 100 Point 2003 vintage to see what it can do in a average year. A very positive surprise indeed! Drank well from the day I got it. The wine is well balanced and by no means too lean/acidic as one might fear in this vintage. I really appreciate the freshness, complexity and aromatic precision of Chave's 04. Consider its relatively reasonable price vs. the 03,09,10 vintages, a must buy. Really good!
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decanted 1.5 hours. rather light color. tons of funky aromas, most of them fairly favorable. Very acidic on the palate. Improved a little with time in the glass. Overall very disappointed... it is possible this was a flawed bottle.
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Leaked in a wine fridge that when on the fritz heated up. Still an excellent wine but hard to judge since there were notes of heat and cork taint. Big, powerful structure. Clearly Chave's style can impression old world palettes while still having enough of a hedonistic streak to please the likes of Parker. Makes me wonder what Chave's older bottles are like since it is apparent that he has changed his style to incorporate newer trends in wine consumption.
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Nez plus renfrogné, sur le noyau de cerise et les épices. Très frais en bouche, avec un côté minéral bien affirmé. Les tanins sont toujours anguleux dans ce vin un peu austère pour la série, mais très sérieux.
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Slowly coming along. May be a better wine than I initially thought. Needs to be decanted for a couple of hours, as the last glass is materially better than the first. Keep drinking, or hold if you only have a couple.
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Chave-a-thon (Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL)): Aromas of crushed violets, black olive, and dark earth. Flavors were of dark roasted coffee had some zip, but a touch hollow in middle, missing some punch, but nice sweet depth, good finish. Purple flavors A few thought a touch of TCA that I did not find. Perhaps just not a perfect bottle. 91
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Coming along nicely. Showing much less primary than even six months ago. Will be a fun Chave, but my guess is not likely to be a rock star or anything close. The "professional" reviews are quite a bit more bullish than I would be (and I'm a Chave lover).
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This is drinking remarkably well right now. Concentrated but with just the right amount of acidity balancing it out. Fragrant but extremely integrated on all levels. Just another level up. Will get much better. Highly recommended
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Awesome. Still incredibly primary; tightly wound at first but started opening up nicely after an hour+ in the decanter - and after that it's a wild ride of a wine, starting with bright red and dark berried flavours accented with leathery and meaty elements, and evolving constantly with air, showing earthy, smoky, floral and slightly spicy elements as it keeps expanding and changing. Still quite young and tannic in the mouth, but there's a sense of incredible grace and polish to it with fantastic balance and length.
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A very solid wine. Words like concrete, substancial, goliath came to mind as we worked our way through this. Needs serious decanting as it's young, but after 2-3 hours, it's enough to handle me and my friends. It's the kind of syrah that other regions hold up as the example of what they would love to be someday.
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killer wine. super sexy and seductive wine with bright red fruits, floral tones, a great sweetness and some bakers spice. Still young, but truly enjoyable and will become something special in a few years.
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Obviously very young, but an elegant, classic Chave Hermitage with sweet, spicy red fruits and floral notes. Great styling, medium body, and everything in place for the future.
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Second time I've had the 2004 rouge from bottle. Tasting the component parts at the domaine in 2006 makes drinking the final blend even more enjoyable...! Deep nose of dark fruit, natural prune and spice / pepper. On the palate, layers of roasted meat, tar and black fruit. Nice balance and texture. Quite impressive, though clearly this will improve with time in the cellar.
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First arrival today of this wine, so popped and poured. Intense red berry fruit, with the meat and tar taking a secondary role. Liked it a lot, but can't wait for it to tame down in five years. Well worth an early try if you have a case.
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Lieu-dit-Cru White Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Full opaque purple color. Wow, HUGE big blackberry fruit floral cassis spicy nose - killer! Incredible sweet black fruit with pepper and cassis notes. Good balanced acidity. Unlike the overhyped 03, this 04 actually tastes like Hermitage (and at a fraction of the price)...
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Sampled at Papa Joe's. Cost $11 per ounce. Dark purplish-black colour. Dry, smokey, complex nose. Ditto on the taste, with barnyard, woodshed and wild game. Very long and delightful finish. Outstanding (90.5).
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Decanted for 2+ hours and followed for 2 more. What a nice wine. My first 2004 Northern Rhone. Early there was some coffee oak which was a bit distracting, but it really integrated with air. Nicely structured without overt tannic grip, elegant and pretty smooth. All the right fruit notes, acid and complexity. Surprisingly smooth. Nice! 95+
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remarkably accessable, dense, rich and sophisticated. a grown-up's wine. hints of all the meaty, smokey notes to come. beautifully balanced and structured. wonderful deep black raspberries on the finish.
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France Trip Part 2 - Northern Rhône; 6/18/2006-6/20/2006: Barrel samples tasted at the domaine w/ Jean-Louis Chave. #1 (Les Baumes): Bright, pure cherry fruit. Beautifully smoky and meaty. #2 (Les Peleat): Beautiful, high-toned fruit. Good acidity. #3 (Le Geuniere): Rich blackberry fruit and bright acidity. #4 (Meal): Dust, minerals, and bright fruit. Great purity, balance, and finesse. #5 (L'Hermite): Darker, rich, deep black fruit. #6 (Bessards): Very tannic and structured. Clearly the backbone of the finished blend. Chave looks to have a huge success with his 2004 Hermitage.
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4/28/2024 - manemis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful syrah. WOTN in a pretty serious lineup with Meo C Vosne Romanee Premier Cru '05 and Trapet Chambertin '06++ Drinking well, but can probably stored for a long time as well. 94-95p
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3/30/2024 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Floral, ripe red fruit, and a bit of bloody iron. Soft, elegant, Chave is wonderful.
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3/13/2024 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bought on release, one of many bottles consumed, sound cork. Lovely classic Hermitage, superb tannins, ready to go. Super with duck meal.
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3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 95 Points
Kräftiges Rubinrot, praktisch keine Alterstöne. Die Nase ist anfangs still, braucht etwas Zeit, zeigt dann sortentypische Noten nach weissem Pfeffer, Leder, dahinter eine reife Frucht und etwas Eukalyptus, florale Noten. Der Auftakt ist rund und weich, dann packt der Wein zu, die Tannine sind markant, jedoch von sehr guter Qualität, seidig mit der Frucht verwoben, harmonisch mit der Säure. Ein ausgewogener Wein, mit Würze und Lebendigkeit, einem sehr langen Abgang und würzig-rotfruchtigen Rückaromen. In einem Top Trinkfenster, jedoch mit Reserven. Jetzt bis 2032
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1/29/2024 - Theamateurwinesnob Likes this wine:
No proper notes but I just remember this being so elegant and Burgundian. This bottle could have used more time but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. I really understand the appeal. A good amount of sediment. Probably should have been stood up.
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12/24/2023 - Neuneuil Likes this wine: 95 Points
Definitely has another 15 years ahead of it but boy was the leather nose and tapenade mouth singing today !!! Drank with a beef wellington, gratin dauphinois and haricot verts. As in a different league to a nonetheless very nice Bonneau Chateauneuf 2001 altogether
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12/23/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
93/94 points I would say, but only had one glass at dinner (four hours after decanting)... this is a full bodied Rhone wine (no surprise) and I gotta say I think if I had discipline maybe I should have given it another 15 -20 years... this thing seemed super nice and yet sooo young at this stage... oh well, patience didn't win out this time
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12/8/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Birthday Celebration (State Street Manor & Racquet Club - Chicago IL): Magnum, Perhaps slightly corked.
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11/3/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 96 Points
Soo's birthday: Wow everyone guessed a high-class Burg for this. So perfumed, silky and with velvety tannins I thought it had to be from a very good maker like M-G. I adored the red-fruited nature, supreme elegance and sensual finish here. Agreed with the person who brought this that Chave in cool years might be the play here, and another northern rhone that was mistaken for a Burg to add to the list. One of my best wines of the year.
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10/14/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Expressive nose of brett intermixed with raspberry, sweet spices, underbrush, very complex. Medium- palate. A success in a cool vintage.
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10/2/2023 - jakakun wrote:
Corked.
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10/1/2023 - clayfu wrote:
Allemand v Chave Los Angeles edition: TCA BOMB
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9/1/2023 - essenceofreal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much better than last bottle 3 yrs ago. Decanted about 2.5 hrs before dinner, back in the bottle then decanted again at Auberge in Napa. Had some bubbles to let it further evolve.
Was super tasty after 3 hr decant and even more so after 4. Added an extra point for last glass after 5 hours decanted.
This wine does seem to be in a long peak window. Drinking gloriously. Glad I have a few more. No rush but I would be surprised if it gets better, will be interesting to try again in a few years and see.
This bottle had everything well integrated after a few hrs decanted. Makes me think I should try an 01 as have a few of those as well.
Extremely suave. Old world Chave with elegant balance.
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7/1/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
loved this, was a bottle that I had 'Coravin'd' about five years ago, it was pretty fresh (ie the Coravin worked!), but had the appropriate amount of age... at peak in my point of view
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3/21/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
I've drank through most of the 80s and 90s vintages of Chave since last tasting this 04' a few years ago. I think this is a nice vintage for Chave, youthful and structured and mostly primary fruit at this stage, needs an hour or so of air. I'd think this starts to become even more interesting in 5 years or so.
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2/27/2023 - mchern02 wrote: 96 Points
2 Hours of Air
Intoxicating aromas of smoke, herbs, some dark black fruit. Elegant structure with deep layers, aery and light on its toes, but without sacrificing its deep dimensionality. Fantastic and young.
Maybe WOTN amongst a diverse and interesting set of wines.
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2/13/2023 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
No decant but maybe we should have had at this young stage.
Impressive still and quite approachable albeit at this stage one sees but a small glimpse of what this wine can deliver with another 5yrs minimum of cellaring. Will the 2004 be like the beautiful yet light 1994? soft herby, spice, light smoky , soft on the edges and in no way a heavy wine. Needs more time to hit its full stride and would really like to cross paths with it in a few years. Beautiful 93 -94 for now but with a lot of potential. A must buy wine.
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2/11/2023 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smoke, cedarwood, blended dark and red fruit on the nose. Medium body palate with gentle acidity and similar fruit sensations as from the nose.
Drinking perfectly now.
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2/2/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 93 Points
Men who wine blind tasting.
This one fooled all of us. Once the brown bag was pulled we were all staring at 04 JLC. There was a decent amount of oxidation and sediment. Owner had bought at wine bid which has me questioning storage. Very enjoyable but not the best showing for this wine. A lot of guesses of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
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12/23/2022 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Chave's 2004 Hermitage is excellent tonight, in the zone with a nose both floral and smokey also redolent of crunchy red fruit and earth. Medium in body with fine, softening tannins and a bright acidity. Always a pleasure.
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12/3/2022 - Mazy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ouvert peu avant le service et non carafé. C’est très bon, complexe, changeant tout le long de la soirée, encore assez solide (et même le lendemain). À la fin il a développé des notes plus délicates de fleurs et de mousse, mais encore beaucoup de tannins. Ma dernière mais si vous en avez, soyez sans crainte: ça va encore tenir la route et gagner en complexité à mon avis.
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9/8/2022 - winot Likes this wine: 95 Points
My first thought was "crap, I have made a big mistake not buying more of this!!"
Medium to medium deep dried blood red, amazing nose of dried cherries, gently roasted meat, and a host of other herby and savoury delights. The palate follows thru, with dried cherry, even dehydrated strawberry, all with a spicy, savoury edge. Really has me salivating to taste beside the prime rib. Totally smoothed out and ready to go, the fairly high acidity will probably allow this to remain at this level for quite some time. With more swirling, it draws out the meaty element, but the balance is perfect and this is drinking a point. Loving this.
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8/14/2022 - BradE wrote:
Two bottles tonight, same vintage from different sources and I blinded folks on the second bottle. The first had a fair amount of funk and smoke, which I quite liked. The second was brighter, with punchier fruit. Both good but I liked #1 better. An enjoyable, but not great, vintage of Chave.
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6/23/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): I've been very bullish on this particular wine in the past, but today, I don't think it performed as well as some of the bottles I opened before. This does have a little more of the smoked meat/briney character of syrah, but it just felt a little simplistic. A slight animale note detracted from an otherwise very clean wine. The texture is consistent with my other experiences -- it's a silky smooth, resolved wine that is really nice for drinking now.
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6/22/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Just starting to show well, the wine is vibrant, fresh, floral, smoky, and spicy with sweet, ripe, fresh, crunchy red berries, red plums, thyme, and peppery spices. Medium/full-bodied, this is good now, but it should be even better with another 2-3 years of age.
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1/19/2022 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes after a 1 hour double decant; outstanding & drinking at peak, likely no rush
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1/13/2022 - jusuf Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is fun. Starts nicely and gets better all the time (over 3 hours). Soft and elegant. Still rather a powerful body.
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10/1/2021 - Andice wrote: 93 Points
This wine is really intellectual. The meatiness balanced with lighter floral notes, the dark cherry tones with pepper nuances. Layered softness with length. Very elegant for a Hermitage. Tension makes this very complex and nothing overdone. Not the most hedonistic wine but makes you pensive.
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9/10/2021 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): Slightly subdued nose displaying subtle red fruit, cherry and raspberry, a hint of rose, tapenade, cedar, black pepper and limestone. Medium concentration, silky and fluid, good acidity and mineral and a medium long cool red fruit driven finish with white pepper at the end. This has been cellared ideally since release. Although there is no obviously flaws, this never opens up.
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8/8/2021 - jamesabdavis Likes this wine:
Delicious, classic Chave aromas and flavours but a little lacking in weight. Not really a criticism: I just think this needs drinking over the next decade rather than the next three, which would be more normal for Chave.
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8/7/2021 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
« Doux et goûteux » dit ma maman. Je le trouve effectivement assagi, une belle texture d’un vin autrefois puissant, encore énergique, bien équilibré, avec une certaine rusticité des tanins. Un beau fruité délicat qui évoque les framboises, la longueur est toutefois modeste, à l’image du millésime. Agréable, avec une bonne fraîcheur, une certaine minéralité, bien qu’il lui manque la profondeur des meilleurs Chave. 91 pts
Éclipsé par le Stephan VV ce soir là, issu d’une bien meilleure année.
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7/3/2021 - Alex G. Does not like this wine:
Ladybug taint, some called it overly green. Nobody wanted to drink this, and I suspect this bottle is representative -- i.e. it's the wine that's the problem not just an off bottle.
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6/4/2021 - merlotsmile Likes this wine:
Vinminnen 2
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5/16/2021 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Spot on right now. A great success and reflection of what makes Chave special — dependably awesome Hermitage year-after-year. Lovely aromatics that have meat, smoke and spice filled black fruit. Medium concentration and weight. Peppery finish.
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5/16/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
COVID-19 in the Rear-View Mirror...with Lots of Dom Perignon (Park Ridge Country Club): So charming now with great balance, but surprisingly medium+ weight. I would have thought this already at its peak performance based on tonight's bottle, but maybe it was too late in the evening....
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3/13/2021 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. So lovely, complex, fresh. This is at peak for me. Pure pleasure.
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3/5/2021 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
#6756. The King in the North! As I've remarked repeatedly, this is (one of) the best younger Chaves for drinking right now. The nose is quintessential Chave, a magical blend of polish and rusticity. There are aromas of cherry, olive, and smoke. The palate is on the red side of the spectrum, with a sweetness that evokes primary fruit, although there are plenty of the meaty, briny secondary flavours too. Alas, this bottle doesn't have the aromatic explosiveness of other bottles that I've had, but it is nevertheless a truly delicious bottle of syrah.
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2/15/2021 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is killer and drinking really well right now; served with elk "wellington". The nose was beautiful with rich dark berry fruits, sanguine and game meat hints, violets, a bit of pepper and slightly sweeter spices. The palate was beautifully balanced with very good concentration and depth. A lovely long finish. A very good vintage, not in the caliber of the 05, but still a fabulous Hermitage.
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1/30/2021 - angryphoton wrote: 94 Points
Lovely nose of violets, lavander, dried leaves, slight smoke, and very pretty floral cornucopia. Not the heaviest of Chave but very suave and persistent. The palate still has a little bit of tannins, great acidity and medium mouthfeel. Dark fruit flavors like blackberry, plum and black cherry, but it also has a lot of savory and mineral characteristics. Dried flowers, leather, and a really nice slight saline minerality are quite prominent on the palate. Gorgeous balance as it floats in your mouth, like a really nice Burgundy, iron fist in a velvet glove.
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1/22/2021 - SARED wrote: 95 Points
If this is controversial/shitty chave, what is great chave?! Decanted off last ounce of fine and gritty sediment. Only 2 hour decant. Open nose of dark berry, and some smoke and funk. Love the texture: sleek and a little polished. Palate of cherries with juicy acidity and subtle green. Juicy and not all the way angular for me, but still prevents a 96+ score. In a line up of great wines I can see this one slipping through as the juicy personality may be offputting. Don't endorse the QPR/price, but you can taste this is an expensive wine.
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1/15/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
[Blind] Subtle smoke but with real purity. Clean, punchy, striking red and black fruit. Lively and fresh but showing nice secondary development. Notes getting shorter at this stage in the evening.. 93 - 94.
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12/19/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Very interesting. Youthful deep ruby color. Deeply red fruited nose is supported by earth, pickle juice and blueberry jam. Kind of wild and seeming a touch modern (which is very strange). The palate is layered and rugged. Good acidity on the finish. The depth is incredible. I think this needs time to settle. I can see how JLL calls this international - again not something I would ever say about Chave. All that said, it’s a great bottle of Syrah if not what I want from a bottle from this producer. (93+?)
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12/6/2020 - ilee Likes this wine: 95 Points
It has taken herculean patience on my part to not open any bottles since my last one a few years ago. But hey, it's 2020, and with all that's happened, it seems silly (to me, anyway) to engage in petty hoarding of a fruity beverage drink. Patience is so last decade haha! And with this wine, it's about time anyway. With a refined floral nose speckled with notes of toast, black berries and pipe ash, it has matured nicely. The rim has lightened, as has the body, which has lost some of its past inkiness. The fruit is calmly settled, the tannin has taken a seat in the back row, and what we have now is layers of velvety flavor that roll on in a long and gentle finish. I have a few more bottles, and I'm sure they won't last long!
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11/29/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking extremely well, tannins are well integrated, lots of fruit but very restrained and nicely balanced. I'm sure this will last for a long time, but no reason not to open now, it's in a really good place.
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10/12/2020 - MLR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had on the backs of a 1994 Chave and 1996 August Clape Cornas. This showed its youthfulness with wonderful dark fruit and leather notes and a silky finish. Definitely can go a while, but superb now.
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9/27/2020 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Sunday hangout (socially distanced) (Chicago, IL): A brilliant wine in what I consider one of the best vintages for drinking now in the northern Rhône. This wine shows a mild herbal tinge and a lithe elegance that seems to epitomize the vintage, at least for me. Surprisingly, this may be a little darker-fruited than the other two bottles of Hermitage today (89 and 99), but there is no mistaking the racy elegance here. Some thought it youthful, and while I would agree with that assessment, I think it is amply adequate for drinking and full enjoyment now.
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9/12/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
This was given a minimal decant, but I didn't think this was at all in a great place to drink with limited air. Somewhat angular and with the oak poking out, this felt more like a Jaboulet to me than a Chave (this is not a complement). For 2004, a vintage that is otherwise drinking phenomenally right now in the northern Rhone, this was a letdown. Post 99 Chave continues to disappoint.
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7/4/2020 - ssouth wrote:
Wines. Decanted 6 hrs each
2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. Alc 14%. Still full color. Earthy leather nose. Just wonderful on the palate with violets and leather. Still quite young. Long finish. Great with the smoked meat
Great things ahead
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6/13/2020 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fine Wines SG - "Who makes the best Syrah wine?" (Zoom): Pale ruby, with significant browning fading edges. A somewhat dusty nose, as if barnyardy, and some purple flowers. Some nice lightness and elegance one the palate, yet markedly ripe redcurrant and blackberry flavours, even juicy and slightly candied, with a big floral bouquet. The minty and floral freshness persisted towards the finish, which was pretty long. Nice!
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5/23/2020 - acyso wrote:
Quarantine; 3/12/2020-5/29/2020 (Chicago, IL): Leftovers from a bottle from the evening before, but the quality is stark and apparent here. To my taste, probably one of the most classically styled wines of the post-Gerard era, this is a wine with ample earthy complexity. Generous and velvety fruit, with a good dose of tapenade as well. Fully resolved now, and while it's almost a given that there is more to go in terms of longevity, the quality here seems to be at some sort of local maximum, and I would feel no regret as to opening bottles of my own right now.
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3/13/2020 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Covid-19 Intro/Retro (Chez Hughes): Blind. Clearly N. Rhone with the moderate (relative to the preceding CA and OZ flights) black fruit loaded with pepper, smoke and meat with just a kiss of funk. Bright and lively on the palate with pepper, smoke and leather accenting the mid-weight black fruit. Long finish. My #2, Group #1. Regrettably, missed this as Chave and guessed LaLa.
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3/12/2020 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at 67
Mature and drinking now
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2/23/2020 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Outstanding. Complex and great.
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2/15/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior note after a 1 hour double decant; outstanding, ready to drink
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11/25/2019 - Nordy wrote:
TJ Martell Wine Dinner 11/21/19
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11/4/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Monday night heaters (Chicago, IL): #6753. Yeah, that's the stuff. The nose was initially slightly reticent, but it just expanded in complexity and breadth over the course of the evening. Silky elegance with a beautiful balance of red and black fruit in a perfectly mature example of Hermitage. Slightly polished in the way Chave can be, but with the thinner vintage, it actually balances out very nicely. Racy acidity, complex, and layered. One of the best drinking Chaves right now.
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10/25/2019 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
2/3. A touch reticent, red fruited, elegant, creamy old vine edge, a touch of savour, still tight and a bit unyielding but has potential.
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10/8/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Hermitage nose of roasted meats, campfire char and dark red fruits. Lots of acidity and energy in this wine with delicious flavors of blackberries, coal dust and dark spices. There is a decadence here but its hiding under the structure and the finish has a nice mineral crunch with complex notes of charcoal, smoked game and a hint of violets. Still young and a bit strict and high-toned but I do enjoy the roasted flavors immensely. 93+ Even better the second day!
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10/1/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dark maroon core, sediment; intense nose, cinnamon, herbaceous, earthy, touch of VA, red apple skin, black cherry, medicinal, licorice, plums, clay, smoke, bigger and powerful, warm year, cedar, menthol; called '05 Sizerranne.
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8/16/2019 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Grand Designs Reveal Week - Dinner #3 (Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Tasted after the 89 and 99, this feels quite suave, supple and modern - albeit with a classic Syrah/Hermitage intensity. Rather less structured than the older wines (but only in comparison to them), this wine is approachable now for its purity of blackberry and plum fruit, but I see this wine developing in a more supple manner over the next 15 years. Lip smacking acids, alongside pinpoint clarity, brings a lot of interest to the table. Not a great Chave, but a great wine.
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8/9/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark fruit, spices, plums, black olives, and dark cherries on the nose. Good acidity with flavors of dark berries, tart fruit, and surprising sweetness on the palate. Long finish.
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6/17/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Kracher and Roumier Dinner with Gerhard Kracher (Brasserie Margeaux - Chicago IL): Popped and poured, this was so rich, jammy and precocious that it was fun and accessible, but just hinting at its great 93-94+ point potential.
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5/24/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
From memory at a great lunch at Cap Grille with Charlie & after a 1 hour double decant, med. ruby, dark fruit with a touch of bacon; delicious & has entered its prime drinking window that should last a decade
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4/27/2019 - aChave Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 hour decant. Steadily opened. Pure, direct, some light spice notes, but fooled people... couldn’t really place it due to its complexity. Delicious. Long finish. Secondary notes; not near tertiary phase.
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3/25/2019 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Chave and cassoulet: Not the best showing for this wine - I liked this with a lot of pretty black and red fruit and some meatiness, but there's also a slightly dirty bretty/funky character on the nose that detracts and never fully blows off with air. Still a very good wine, but a touch below the others in the lineup tonight.
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3/25/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
The King in the North! (Chicago, IL): This isn't as good as the last bottle that I had (not from my cellar). Immediately on the nose, there's a whiff of brett, but some vigorous swirling does make it go away. There's a light red fruit profile here, and a really awesome perfume. Nonetheless, I do still really love this wine, with its lighter profile and fairly resolved structure. 2004 isn't the most highly-regarded vintage, but I think it is the best-drinking young vintage right now, and this bottle is certainly a case in point. A smidgen of green to help with the acid keeps this very fresh.
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3/5/2019 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
On the nose, modest smoke, black olives, dark berries, crushed violets, and rocks, on the palate, the fruits were powerful but achieved pretty good balance with great amount of spices, pepper, chewy tannin, minerals, red wine minareted spicy olives, and gentle acidity. It was certainly a big wine but not overwhelming, got great complexity and little sense of overoak or heat
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12/21/2018 - glassnost Likes this wine: 95 Points
Enjoyed with the Grape Nuts at Tabule. Elegant and silky, mature, complex and balanced.
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12/1/2018 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
1/3, bottle # 17976, excellent cork. Decanted 1/2 hr.
Deep ruby/garnet core, narrow pale garnet rim. Nose shows red and black berries, florals, spice. Medium/full bodied, initially red fruited then blackberry coming through, florals, really silky tannins, fresh acidity, good length harmonious finish with a touch of spice. Elegant, silky and refined. Excellent, drinking well.
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11/30/2018 - pren wrote: 93 Points
闻起来，有一点橡木掩盖下的老酒味道，不太Syrah。口中尚有Syrah特色。是不同的体验，回想一年前的2012也是这么一种柔软放松的感觉。
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11/6/2018 - LB88 wrote: 91 Points
Big wine best with meats
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9/10/2018 - llink wrote:
Dinner at NoMad NYC. Decanted. Lovely nose of black fruits, creosote and leather. The palate is lithe and silky, showing a tart crunchy texture and lightweight mouthfeel. Great stuff.
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8/18/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Nez complexe de laurier, d’anis, de fruit noir, qui évoque beaucoup plus le Rhône sud, comme le disaient avec raison les amis. Le vin est riche et goûteux, assez puissant, il montre beaucoup de fond et de complexité aromatique, un peu d’alcool. Les tanins sont fondus mais le vin parait encore bien jeune, il entame à peine un long plateau de maturité. Un très beau vin. J'aimerais le revoir dans cinq ans, il s'épanouira et s'affinera encore davantage. 93+ pt
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7/27/2018 - Kriz Likes this wine: 96 Points
It's a privilege to write a second tasting note for this wine. This is what an excellent wine needs. It's wine but in everything 10 times better than other wines. Deep complex nose, powerful but dicrete palate and a neverending finish. WOW!
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6/23/2018 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
A classic, spicy syrah. There's a nice purity and detail that comes across in the slightly lighter vintage. It's still fairly structured, and I might give it a couple of hours of air in hindsight, but this is showing very well.
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6/23/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia; 6/22/2018-6/23/2018 (Chicago, IL): I had bought a six pack of this based solely on faith that the greatest extant Hermitage producer would render an incredible wine in this so-called "off" vintage. The feeling of vindication is immense. This is a stunning bottle of syrah, and hits me as exactly what I am looking for when I open a bottle of syrah. It's elegant, with just enough red fruit to balance the structural elements. There's salinity and earth too, and acidity to balance it.
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5/28/2018 - jmoore431 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind: Very dark color; dark fruited, rich, peppery with aging meat cooler scents, spices, mint and olive tapenade, umami. Gravitas yet not weighty. Very classy wine.
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4/28/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine just starting to show its stuff. Dark savory fruit with some herbal, floral, and hung meat notes. Just beginning to move from primary to secondary, but already showing great class, balance, and length. Would hold for 5-10 more years for it to really sing.
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3/31/2018 - UTPK wrote:
Beautiful nose with game, pepper, olives. Fresh attack and medium weight on the palate. Succulent and totally integrated acidity. The balance of Chave, aahhh! Long and elegant finish. This is not a blockbuster vintage but a very harmonious and enjoyable one.
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2/23/2018 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Raveneau and Chave Vertical (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Beautiful classic Chave nose displaying fresh cherry, raspberry, blackberry, lavender, rose, perfume, tapenade, black pepper, a hint of charred rare steak and limestone. Medium concentration, finely layered subtle red and black fruit, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, a medium to long cherry and black pepper driven finish with a hint of tapenade at the end. I drank this next to the 05 in 2013 and the impression remains the same. It feels almost light compare to the 05 in concentration yet it is no less expressive in nose. This is a classic Chave hermitage that has reached the youthful peak. My educated guess is that this will develop like the 83, becoming very Burgundian in another decade. If you are a lover of Jamet, you will also love this.
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12/8/2017 - robferguson1 wrote: 91 Points
Showing age but lots to go, wonderful fruit, and good finish but not so lingering as u would hope.
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11/21/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+: Maroon, clarity, pale rim; candy cane, peppermint, mouth filling, dried floral, strawberry and cherry, reminiscent of Nebbiolo, cedar, a pop of tannin, youngish, tasty and interesting though not showing classic Syrah character.
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10/29/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 04/06/07/09 vertical flight. Black and meaty fruit with good power, just not the most nuanced vintage. Accessible now, with upside. Previous bottles have showed slightly better.
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10/29/2017 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 04/06/07/09. Wow, very young with forward young black fruit, violets and some black pepper. Lots of good raw material here, with light-to-medium bodied forward rich black fruit and juicy acids. Great purity and elegance, but not showing much complexity, yet. Give it 5-7 years. 2-4 points of upside.
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10/2/2017 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Very floral on the nose with bright red fruit, which threw me to Cote Rotie. Quite sweet on the palate which detracts from the balance. Nice wine but not a stellar performance for a Chave.
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6/30/2017 - Todd French Likes this wine:
This bottle was a vivid reminder of why I fell in love with Chave in the first place. Perfectly situated right now in its development, equal parts elegance and muscle, layered, well-resolved tannic structure, slightly on the riper side, but nonetheless my top Rhone of the year. I find these to be equal to some of the great Bordeaux 1st Growths, for my palate, and am happy to have more, though not this vintage. Enjoy now - it is simply wonderful.
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5/30/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dark maroon core with dull rim; white pepper, cedar, incense, aged, a certain brightness and lift to the wine, root vegetables, underbrush, bacon fat, bay leaf, sous bois, more tart cherry and framboise, aged- seemed old but well stored, also served at great cooler temperature, olive, mushroom, old school, Hermitage, Chave- called '96, at an age where the grape really shines; this bottle seemed like the wine will not improving much more in cellar outside of texture; sexy and delicious.
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4/27/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Northern Rhone Offline (Bar Agricole, San Francisco): Highly aromatic nose with spice, black pepper, tons of fruit, very nice; high acid, medium bodied, lovely primary red fruit throughout, medium youthful tannins; long finish. This is superb, but a decade too young. 94-97++, easily on the higher side with time.
After an hour: some exotic spice, almost like Vosne-Romanée. This is superb.
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3/27/2017 - alanr wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous dark crushed syrah fruit nose, with roasted mushrooms, truffle, earthy and floral; richer and slightly rounder than the 2001 and 2000 along side, with excellent acidity, nice earthy/rocky/meaty/leather complexity, long finish. So young, but fabulous interest and complexity already, boding for an outstanding future.
This was a surprising bottle, given some earlier tastings of the 04, which suggested it was a somewhat lighter, earlier drinking vintage. Based on this one, I'll hold my remaining bottles for the long term.
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2/19/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break (the second); 2/17/2017-2/19/2017 (Various spots (homes, Mis en Place, Capital Grille)): Poured from a magnum. Just a baby of a wine. Still a bit tight and not quite ready for business. It's very old world in style - lots of leather and cigar and saddle. Enjoyable wine. Went back to revisit and thought it was starting open up even more - liked my second pour better than the first.
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2/18/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
From magnum, decanted for about 2 hours prior to service. Served in a double blind line up (although I knew what this was since I brought the bottle) directly after the '95 Quintarelli Alzero. The transition from the Alzero which was off dry to the Chave which is totally savory was a bit jarring. I love the style of this wine though, it is all about the savory elements, black olive, bacon, blood and iron with savory blackberries and bramble. It is definitely on the young side and really should have a lot more cellar time, but if you do serve now, give it a super long decant - 2 hours was not enough. In ten years I think this will be a real beauty.
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12/25/2016 - fatboi Likes this wine: 93 Points
A Dark violet color and same aromatic nose I remembered. Game meats and dark red fruit. A smooth and long finish. a lovely bottle. Sad it was my last.
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12/9/2016 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 92 Points
At Acker's Hermitage tasting (Cafe Tallulah, Upper West Side).
This developed quite nicely over the evening. At first I wasn't too keen but it developed a nice eucalyptus and mint nose with dark fruit and menthol on the finish. Very nice and unique, haven't had this before in my limited experience of Rhone.
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12/6/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
A classic Chave and drinking great. Smooth and concentrated long and with good black pepper spice. Quite seamless and lovely. Iron fist in a velvet glove texture. Yum. Long way to go here as still some nice baby fat fruit.
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9/18/2016 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Cloudy end of bottle next day--a bit raisinated, brown sauce, chewy, very little fruit.This was a bit oxidized. not bad though.
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6/19/2016 - JeffGMorris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 7 hours and it probably could have withstood 7 more. Very dark ruby. Some Chave stoniness on the nose but thevwinevwas mostly dominated by its texture - plush and rich. Loa dead with red fruits, though they were tough to clearly identify. Wonderful with a great tomahawk steak I grilled. 50+13+13+9+9=94
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6/3/2016 - ilee Likes this wine: 94 Points
If this is an 'off vintage' for Chave, I must not be sufficiently qualified to drink his 'on vintages' -- because to me, this was already superb. Very dark character, thanks to the black fruit, squid ink and cold stones, with a bit of savoriness and meat juices. Silly me, I thought the 2004 should be well into middle age by now, hence would be an easy approachable target. But this wine still puts up a youthful fight. I think best to enjoy past 2020, if you have a few bottles and more patience than I do...
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4/27/2016 - heiamat.no wrote: 93 Points
Mørk, dyp, ren og delikat nese. Bjørnebær, pepper, lakris og urter. Frukten beveger seg i retning av skogsbær og jordbær. Saftig og fantastisk ren og moden frukt, tett og intens. Energiske tanniner, hissig syre. Flott lengde.
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4/9/2016 - Nick4378 wrote: 95 Points
The 04 Chave are excellent value right now & drinking beautifully. Dark fruit, pepper, violets. The finish is quite long & lovely. Enjoyed paired with A5 Wagyu & Lamb at Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA.
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4/2/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Potent nose of classic Hermitage with notes of violets, black fruits, camphor, charcoal, wet animal fur, etc. This bottle is quite firm on the palate and a long decant was needed to coax out its deeper flavors. There is beautiful purply black raspberry fruit with strong notes of black pepper and floral spice. Quite silky and pure with plenty of cool-weather acidity and character. The finish is grippy, succulent and moderately tannic with hints of game and leathers but it's still quite young and not showing much secondary flavor development. This is supposed to be an off vintage but I love its long term potential to be a classic Chave. 92+
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4/2/2016 - galenico Likes this wine: 94 Points
RODANO AIS TORINO: Miele di castagno, corteccia del legno, mostarda cotta. E' caloroso e maturo, ma non bruciato dal sole né invaso dall' alcool. La bocca è un capolavoro di eleganza sferica e vellutata. La componente di verdura bollita e catrame preparano a un finale lungo, glicerico e maturo, ma senza peso. Regna un equilibrio estremo tra le parti e il finale fumé ha un tocco amaro ricco di fascino nobiliare. Grande vino, una seta.
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3/25/2016 - Mazy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tour de Gaule d'anniversaire: (Ouvert 4h30 avant, non épaulé. 1 heure avant, décanté lentement, rincé la bouteille et remis dans sa bouteille d’origine. Il y avait un peu de lies (10cc environ))
Le nez est légèrement fermier, puis ouvre la voie aux fruits noirs et aux épices. En bouche, ces arômes se précisent: mûres, poivre, olives. C’est tannique mais pas astringent, complexe et long. Je crois qu’il entre dans la fenêtre où on peut le boire mais est définitivement loin de son apogée. Ma 2e expérience avec ce vin - j’en encave sans faute et je le laisse dormir. 93 en ce moment mais probablement plus dans quelques années...
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3/15/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
drank blindly, ripe red and dark berries, powerful and the finish is cold and subtile, refreshing acidity, ripe fine grained tannins, alcohol a little bit noticeable, drinkable over the next 8-10 years, 93+
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3/6/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
Served during a tasting. Dark garnet with purple core. Expressive and complex nose of dark fruits, forest, pepper, spice box, very fresh (no heat at all) and refined. On the palate just as impressive as the nose suggests. Medium tannins with good acidity. This wine does not primarily impress with its power but with its elegance and aromatic depth. It is a perfect example of a refined Syrah from Rhone. Very popular with the group, it blew two high calibre Shiraz Astralis away. Ready now with a short decant. A huge success for Chave in the 04 vintage. Note: Given the price of the 03, 05, 09, 10, this together with the 06 is where the smart money goes for JL Chave.
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2/18/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful wine. Great depth of flavors without being heavy at all. A light but elegant frame. It is starting to hit a nice level of maturity now with some secondary notes on the nose. Everything is beautifully integrated and really enjoyable to drink.
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2/7/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Not the greatest vintage of Chave Hermitsge, but wow drinking beautifully now. Black cherry, black pepper, forest floor all working together for maximum enjoyment now. Super tasty.
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11/7/2015 - AMRS wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was opened as a back up in a friends place, so it was popped and poured - and it is ssssoooo young now... Tasted blind, we all said northern Rhone, then Hermitage. Spicy nose but very full now. Palate was tight, full bodied, red fruit, develops in the glass, then keep developing, but still not there. This has a great future ahead of it. Hold for 3-5 years and then drink for a decade I guess. 91-2 now, 93-96 points potentially.
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9/29/2015 - RayOB wrote: 90 Points
Drank at The Sampler
Quite mature for its age. Lot's of red fruit and spice on the nose with a smooth round palate. Nice.
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9/12/2015 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Nicely expressive nose just starting to show some maturity. Game/leather, herb, spice and black fruits compose the nose. Very silky and supple palate with a saline quality. Still a little clenched and drying on the finish, with a dollop of acidity.
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6/20/2015 - Pacherant Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking really well with a lot of life ahead. Tart, savory fruit, great length
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4/22/2015 - llink wrote: 91 Points
8 Vintages of Chave tasted at VVW (2004-2011)
Groups #5 and my #4 wine of the tasting.
Floral nose, very burgundian in character, with red fruits and a lovely spice. Thinner palate, fairly muted flavors that are surprisingly tight and unyielding. Drying finish.
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4/10/2015 - bevetroppo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Day later from memory. I recently splurged and won a mixed case of '04, '05, and '07 Chave Hermitage at auction. I don't think I exactly stole it, but the per bottle average was a few percent below recent auctions and way below current retail. I'd never had one before and given the ever-present provenance risk, this may not have been the best way to dip my toe in the water, but it's too late now!
I've been drinking a lot of less exalted Northern Rhone lately with great enjoyment, so my expectations were commensurately high last night. It was easily one of the best syrahs I've ever tasted (recognizing I'm not that experienced in the high end here), but I was surprised how it seemed to reflect elegance and refinement over power. In fact, it reminded me curiously of a recent '04 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo, not in any way the flavor, but in its purity, quiet confidence, and harmony.
Still reasonably purple, nose a heady mix of blackberry, pepper, and restrained minerality. The dark fruit carried through in the mouth, bolstered by gentle tannins and the stony quality that seemed more like a stream bed than a rocky assault. Beautiful texture: I was bracing for a punch and it was more like a warm embrace. It was slinky and sinuous, entirely beguiling. 14% ABV though I would have guessed less.
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4/10/2015 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, thick ruby color softening on the edges. Powerful nose of roasted game, black pepper, sweet violets, bitter chocolate and minerals. On the palate, it's quite big and fairly open with a thick texture and chocolaty flavors at first but then the fresh finish kicks in with good acidity and crispness to balance everything out. A meaty wine yet with floral lift that keeps it light on its feet. More chocolaty and meaty than other older vintages of Chave I've had but it still works for me. Enjoyable tonight and this wine always surprises to the upside as it ages even with the obvious ripeness here. 93+
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3/14/2015 - PT insurgent wrote:
Nose of herb, leaf, licorice, currant, pepper, black olive, toast.
Palate of pepper, olive, herb, licorice, blackcurrant, spice, black cherry, espresso, dark chocolate.
Beautiful massive finish, showing power and poise.
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12/23/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
What R&R said. This wine too would have been even more impressive with a few hours in the decanter as opposed to PnP. I liked my last sips of this more than the first. Still youthfully tannic though. Probably best after 2020.
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12/23/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
A Tour Through France Tuesday at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark purple red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Very nice nose, earthy, roasted meats, dried herbs, blackberry liqueur, black plum, cassis. The palate is dense, full bodied, heavy, glycerin, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, plum, tar, meat, scorched earth, long finish. This kept getting better in the glass. A couple more hours and who knows...
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11/4/2014 - pjaines Likes this wine:
Now this is a proper Hermitage - starting to unfurl a touch but this is still about pure, focussed, crystal clear fruit cut through with beautiful tannins and acidity - the raw ingredients are there for some serious ageing potential. Beautiful now, but will be stunning in 10.
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10/17/2014 - cortoncharlie wrote: 92 Points
Quite primary but very easy to like. voluptuous fruit without the farminess or acidity one often associate with rhone syrah. if served blind prob would have guessed bordeaux.
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8/10/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Chave Hermitage Dinner with Erin & Jean-Louis Chave (MK Restaurant - Chicago IL): I don't think I've had this since shortly after release, but it is evolving slowly but continuing to show its great potential. Huge fruit, huge spice, very long, just slightly background right now. There was enough for one glass left at the end of the night, which came home with me. It was even better the next evening.
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6/7/2014 - BradE wrote:
A good Chave, that continues to develop slowly. It will be interesting to see where this wine ends up.
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3/23/2014 - fatboi Likes this wine: 92 Points
The first pour in my glass had this intense aromatic nose of dark fruits, a bit of smoke, and game. However the nose wasn't a strong after we decanted the bottle for abt 30 to 45 mins or so. The nose seemed to fade and wasn't as intense as before. However the wine was still quite smooth almost silky on the palate. went perfectly with the lamb. Next time would pop it open and not decant.
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2/2/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: flawed
Sadly corked
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2/1/2014 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Highly Rated Rhones and a Few More (Shari's house, Mpls, MN): corked. sadly.
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1/15/2014 - eluebchow Likes this wine: 96 Points
After decanting for almost 2 hours, this had an explosively aromatic nose of cherries, game and olives. On the palate, this was incredibly silky, with layers of dark fruits, pepper and leather, leading to a very long and expressive finish. This wine was intense without being overbearing. An excellent effort, and a bargain relative to other vintages.
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12/31/2013 - alanr wrote: 94 Points
New Year's Eve, almost a decade old, a somewhat softer, "lesser" vintage, have a few more, seems like time to open one. And glad I did! Fairly dark red, though not opaque, medium bodied, shows really nice, though slightly reserved intensity, dark cherry, some earthy truffle, touch of grilled meat, and a nice dried cherry hard candy note; mild, fine tannins, good acidity, still quite young but drinks very well. I wouldn't hesitate to open one now, but it will improve and develop the trademark Chave leather/truffle/mushroom notes over the next decade and more.
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11/15/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Syrah perfume on the nose that can only come from Hermitage with notes of smoke, roasted game, black fruits and dark minerals. This has gobs of gorgeous smoky black fruits but is still structured and high in acids but all is in balance for a fine evolution. The finish is already complex with notes of dark minerals and spicy game. This is a very terroir-driven vintage for this great wine and it shows beautifully now with extended airtime but really needs 5 more years for the acids to calm down. 93+
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10/29/2013 - godx wrote: 92 Points
Northern Rhone Dinner Part 2 - Hermitage (Vancouver, BC): Juicy and youthful on the nose with a perfumed profile and classic syrah notes and a hint of bell pepper. More structured than the 2000 but with a beautifully polished and balanced feel. Great now, better with another 5+ years. Excellent. 92+
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10/20/2013 - ecnemergut wrote:
No formal notes, but very good.
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9/17/2013 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
I love this
wow what a nose, leather, tobacco, furniture polish, it's like an antique shop
grippy
ripe fruit, medium-bodied, poised
some maturity
very long
delicious
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9/7/2013 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at home with friends who brought this bottle. My first Hermitage, and what a wine. Intriguing nose with dark fruit and spices. Pepper yes, but was also getting something like a sweet curry touch. Absolutely lovely texture of the palate. Fine tannins and the right dose of acidity make it crunchy and precisely delineated. Impressively long finish (95).
A very nice contrast to the 92 Mount Edelstone which was showing just as well as last time. While quality-wise almost at par with the Hermitage in my eyes, it has richer and sweeter flavors (more of the blueberry pie, dark chocolate camp) with an equally long finish. Would go for the Hermitage but perhaps more a question of style preference than quality. (94)
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7/21/2013 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Stunning wine. Dark red hue, big earthy nose, balanced, complex and elegant a wine with soul. Should last another 25 years.
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7/7/2013 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Another lazy Sunday dinner with La Las, Chaves, Chapelles, Rayas, Plume and Celestins (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): A mini vertical is always educational and this was served along with the 05. Noticeable difference in concentration but the flavor profile is very similar. Fresh crushed blackberry, raspberry, wild flowers, white pepper, limestone and earth. Medium concentration, silky palate, integrated tannins and good length. It is ready to go in terms of the palate expression but the fruit is still very youthful, ie it hasn’t achieved the Chave typicity of burgundian red fruits, charred steak and garrigue. Need to decant for two hours minimum but possibly four.
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5/21/2013 - Rezy13 wrote: 93 Points
Dark red with some sediment and a good bit of color change; pine, pepper, and cherry are just a few things I could decipher from the powerful nose; very elegant palate (almost Cote Rotie like), some radish and pen ink; resolving but still lots of stuffing to last a while.
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1/4/2013 - defigio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Appearance: Ruby red, dark center, medium+ tears (prob med+ body/alc). Bright, but unfiltered.
Nose (in a riesling glass): Blackberry, primary wood character, beef jerky and spice. Aromatics open nicely over an hour to reveal a little violet, mossy earth. Young on the nose.
Palate: Big black fruit, blackberry and currant. Tight and unrevealing out of the bottle, but after 1.5 hours rounds out with more earth, spice, and pepper. Medium-high acid here, still very youthful and vigorous. Muscular but balanced, weighty texture.
Notes: Drinkable at this young age (Dec 2012), but I'd hold for several more years if you've got 'em. A beautiful wine for solo drinking, or pair with gently seasoned beef stew, game casserole, seared pork.
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9/22/2012 - MGrange wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as last time. Meat juice, bit of citrus and cherry. Next bottle will be drunk with a steak.
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9/21/2012 - mikeaukenbals wrote: 94 Points
at daniel. not quite as good as other Chaves i've had but obviously still great.
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5/22/2012 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Eating a nice piece of humble pie, 2008 Bionic Frog vs 2004 Chave Hermitage (Capital Grill at Tysons corner, VA): Drank along with the 08 Cayuse Bionic Frog. Pop and pour, the nose is sweet but tight. The palate displays dense sweet fruits, noticeable minerality and bright acidity but seems a bit clumsy. I am convinced that this is the 08 BF with the initial rating of 92. We decide to decant and with an hour of air, it gets more expressive; cherries, candied cherry, smoked meat, blood and tapenade. The palate displays impressive concentration, chewy and dense but with nice lifting acidity. There is also noticeable structure underneath the sweet fruits. If I were to use “context”, this is an awkward adolescent phase where some tertiary flavors are emerging but the fruit while still dense and sweet is no longer fresh. It will take another five to ten years bring back the balance and harmony. I love Chave and hope that this will outshine the BF but not so on this night.
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4/15/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): There is a definite difference in style from the 99 and 97 to the later vintages it seems. Also, many things in common. This has a nice nose with cassis, black cherries and anise. Also some funk. It is much softer on the palate. Nice solid black cherry fruit. It has a nice acidity though that work with food. The finish is slightly drying with an oak note. Still, on any other night, an outstanding wine.
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3/28/2012 - MGrange wrote: 95 Points
Wine dinner at L'Etranger:
What a great nose, cassis, cherry and pepper. I little too much alcohol, but one glass with dinner was a fantastic experience. We had it with the Black Roasted Sea bass fillet.
Worth the money.
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3/19/2012 - Kriz wrote: 95 Points
J.L. Chave tasting with Gerard & Jean-Louis Chave and Louis & Xavier Kat (Okhuysen) (De Zwethheul (**) Schipluiden, Holland): fruity with hints of mint, leather and herbs. Still very young but an endless length and a star in the making. To try for yourself is the only way to understand what I mean...
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3/17/2012 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
I bought this wine after the highly praised and expensive 100 Point 2003 vintage to see what it can do in a average year. A very positive surprise indeed! Drank well from the day I got it. The wine is well balanced and by no means too lean/acidic as one might fear in this vintage. I really appreciate the freshness, complexity and aromatic precision of Chave's 04. Consider its relatively reasonable price vs. the 03,09,10 vintages, a must buy. Really good!
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12/28/2011 - jinks wrote: 89 Points
decanted 1.5 hours. rather light color. tons of funky aromas, most of them fairly favorable. Very acidic on the palate. Improved a little with time in the glass. Overall very disappointed... it is possible this was a flawed bottle.
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8/28/2011 - wrrntl wrote: flawed
Leaked in a wine fridge that when on the fritz heated up. Still an excellent wine but hard to judge since there were notes of heat and cork taint. Big, powerful structure. Clearly Chave's style can impression old world palettes while still having enough of a hedonistic streak to please the likes of Parker. Makes me wonder what Chave's older bottles are like since it is apparent that he has changed his style to incorporate newer trends in wine consumption.
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7/4/2011 - the godfather wrote:
ripe style, good balance, nice juice
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7/3/2011 - JOsgood wrote:
Big and ripe, totally young tasting. Perfect balance with a long finish. This will go for many, many years.
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6/6/2011 - ludwigbpm wrote: 93 Points
Nez plus renfrogné, sur le noyau de cerise et les épices. Très frais en bouche, avec un côté minéral bien affirmé. Les tanins sont toujours anguleux dans ce vin un peu austère pour la série, mais très sérieux.
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4/28/2011 - ricknat1 wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Collichio and Sons with Mike and Stuart et al (Collichio and Sons): Better than I had expected although very, very tight you could see glimpses of very nice wine down the road
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1/16/2011 - BradE wrote:
Slowly coming along. May be a better wine than I initially thought. Needs to be decanted for a couple of hours, as the last glass is materially better than the first. Keep drinking, or hold if you only have a couple.
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10/26/2010 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Chave-a-thon (Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL)): Aromas of crushed violets, black olive, and dark earth.
Flavors were of dark roasted coffee had some zip, but a touch hollow in middle, missing some punch, but nice sweet depth, good finish. Purple flavors A few thought a touch of TCA that I did not find. Perhaps just not a perfect bottle. 91
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8/25/2010 - BradE wrote:
Coming along nicely. Showing much less primary than even six months ago. Will be a fun Chave, but my guess is not likely to be a rock star or anything close. The "professional" reviews are quite a bit more bullish than I would be (and I'm a Chave lover).
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7/15/2010 - beachnic wrote: 95 Points
This is drinking remarkably well right now. Concentrated but with just the right amount of acidity balancing it out. Fragrant but extremely integrated on all levels. Just another level up. Will get much better. Highly recommended
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6/12/2010 - psmith wrote:
Deep red fruits. Flashy, spicy wine. Round and forward. Background fine tannins and finishing acidity. Very nice.
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3/11/2010 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Still incredibly primary; tightly wound at first but started opening up nicely after an hour+ in the decanter - and after that it's a wild ride of a wine, starting with bright red and dark berried flavours accented with leathery and meaty elements, and evolving constantly with air, showing earthy, smoky, floral and slightly spicy elements as it keeps expanding and changing. Still quite young and tannic in the mouth, but there's a sense of incredible grace and polish to it with fantastic balance and length.
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2/11/2010 - BradE wrote:
Still a young pup, but this is a good wine that will get better. Also fine for early drinking IMO.
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4/12/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 94 Points
A very solid wine. Words like concrete, substancial, goliath came to mind as we worked our way through this. Needs serious decanting as it's young, but after 2-3 hours, it's enough to handle me and my friends. It's the kind of syrah that other regions hold up as the example of what they would love to be someday.
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12/6/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 94 Points
killer wine. super sexy and seductive wine with bright red fruits, floral tones, a great sweetness and some bakers spice. Still young, but truly enjoyable and will become something special in a few years.
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11/29/2008 - psmith wrote:
Obviously very young, but an elegant, classic Chave Hermitage with sweet, spicy red fruits and floral notes. Great styling, medium body, and everything in place for the future.
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7/30/2008 - BradE wrote:
Fun wine. Great nose, still a bit young and primary. Liked it.
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3/26/2008 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Second time I've had the 2004 rouge from bottle. Tasting the component parts at the domaine in 2006 makes drinking the final blend even more enjoyable...! Deep nose of dark fruit, natural prune and spice / pepper. On the palate, layers of roasted meat, tar and black fruit. Nice balance and texture. Quite impressive, though clearly this will improve with time in the cellar.
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3/1/2008 - muchomaas wrote: 91 Points
Great, complex nose with nice fruits, blackberry, wood. Felt a little young but look forward to the next taste.
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12/22/2007 - BradE wrote:
First arrival today of this wine, so popped and poured. Intense red berry fruit, with the meat and tar taking a secondary role. Liked it a lot, but can't wait for it to tame down in five years. Well worth an early try if you have a case.
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12/1/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Third Annual White Truffle Dinner (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Black cherry and cassis on nose with great meaty spice. Same fruit comes through on palate with incredible balance, acidity and textures. Great spice on very long finish.
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12/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 96 Points
Lieu-dit-Cru White Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Full opaque purple color. Wow, HUGE big blackberry fruit floral cassis spicy nose - killer! Incredible sweet black fruit with pepper and cassis notes. Good balanced acidity. Unlike the overhyped 03, this 04 actually tastes like Hermitage (and at a fraction of the price)...
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9/15/2007 - Ombibulous wrote: 90 Points
Sampled at Papa Joe's. Cost $11 per ounce. Dark purplish-black colour. Dry, smokey, complex nose. Ditto on the taste, with barnyard, woodshed and wild game. Very long and delightful finish. Outstanding (90.5).
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8/31/2007 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Incredible nose; A bit of pencil lead; Cedar; Dark fruit; Ripe; Cinnamon; Almost raison
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7/30/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours and followed for 2 more. What a nice wine. My first 2004 Northern Rhone. Early there was some coffee oak which was a bit distracting, but it really integrated with air. Nicely structured without overt tannic grip, elegant and pretty smooth. All the right fruit notes, acid and complexity. Surprisingly smooth. Nice! 95+
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6/17/2007 - br wrote:
remarkably accessable, dense, rich and sophisticated. a grown-up's wine. hints of all the meaty, smokey notes to come. beautifully balanced and structured. wonderful deep black raspberries on the finish.
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6/19/2006 - Siggy wrote:
France Trip Part 2 - Northern Rhône; 6/18/2006-6/20/2006: Barrel samples tasted at the domaine w/ Jean-Louis Chave. #1 (Les Baumes): Bright, pure cherry fruit. Beautifully smoky and meaty. #2 (Les Peleat): Beautiful, high-toned fruit. Good acidity. #3 (Le Geuniere): Rich blackberry fruit and bright acidity. #4 (Meal): Dust, minerals, and bright fruit. Great purity, balance, and finesse. #5 (L'Hermite): Darker, rich, deep black fruit. #6 (Bessards): Very tannic and structured. Clearly the backbone of the finished blend. Chave looks to have a huge success with his 2004 Hermitage.
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