Nose from heaven. Could live in that glass. Tannins fully resolved. Just a juicy silk bomb. Decanted briefly but not needed (perfect on PnP). Raspberry, plum, tobacco, leather. Just so bright, youthful, and entrancing.
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Dichte Farbe, herrlicher Duft, tiefgründig, offen, pfeffrig, kirschig, reife Frucht, jedoch nicht verkocht, Leder schwingt mit, ein Archetyp. Im Gaumen auf den Punkt gereift, noch immer mit Frucht, jedoch schon gut verpackten, jedoch mit flockigen, leicht trocknenden Gerbstoffen, die Säure belebt, die Harmonie stimmt, sehr gute Länge, viel Schwarzkirsche und Kräuterwürze im Rückaroma. Auf dem Peak, mit 10 bis 15 Jahren Genussfenster vor sich. Bis 2038
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Smoke, herbs, cedar, spice, cigar box, and peppery red fruits form the nose. Full-bodied, chalky, very Brant, fresh and crunchy. The wine is young, fresh, energetic and reserved, with a long future ahead of. It. Drink from 2030-2065.
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Rather epic showing that will continue to age gracefully. Elegant red and blue fruits, turned soil, forest and herbal notes mixed with freshly cut flowers. It's all here. As good as the '95? Better? who cares, both are stunning?!
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From memory. Grilled meat, red and dark red fruits, rosemary. Just a brilliantly balanced bottle. Super powerful but also finesse. I agree with others that this still could use some age. Wait another 3-5 for next bottle.
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dark red, brick rim - effusive nose of black fruits with prominent mineral and black pepper aromas, some oak and barnyard, but not that noticeable - abundant fruit early on, but faded by the mid-mouth - acidity predominates in the mouth - tannins are prominent, but not aggressive - 15-20 sec finish - agree with most previous tasting notes that this is a monumental wine, but as someone who resides on the complexity side of the fruit-complexity development spectrum, I think this wine needs another 5-10 years to achieve its full potential (I noticed that most tasting notes paired this wine with rare steak, but it compliments freshly made kielbasa nicely too!)
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This is just killer; 05 may be one of my favorite Chave vintages of the ones I've tried. The nose is explosive with blackberry and raspberry in peak summer; a hint of spice, smoke, violet, and just a tiny hint of salumi. The power and intensity is incredible and this continues to grow with 3 hours of air. Still primary and will drink well for decades ahead.
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Northern Rhone Dinner (2012/2005/1998 focus) (Chez Lagragne): Wow, gorgeous and effusive aromas of black fruit, meat, black pepper, spice and florals. Decadent palate with layers and layers of meaty fruit with plenty of structure to support. Delicious enough and a clear WOTF for current enjoyment, but the greatness will truly come out in 10+ years.
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(Mostly) 1998, 2005, 2012 Northern Rhône (Chicago, IL): Explosive nose that seriously smells like blood -- there is so much iron here. Very, very intense with lots of fruit on the palate. That said, this isn't as tightly put-together as the 2009 or 2015. An impressive wine for its stature, but I think the handling of hot vintages at the Domaine is done better now than back in 2005. It feels weird to say, but this edition might be a little over-the-top. I'm curious to see where this goes, but that's probably a 20+ year trip.
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Houston Northern Rhone Blowout: Tasted next to the 1998, this was quite a bit more burly and structured darker fruit to with most of the oak influence having faded. It’s drinking great, but still a long ways to go for further development. Quite reminiscent of the 2010 in that way.
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Drunk alongside an 01 (and after an 85). Utterly brilliant, massive power, huge acidity, great grip. Hugely promising, and it's enjoyable now, but it was hard to pick up its nuances after the more evolved older wine.
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Very tight upon opening so I decanted for 8 hours! It really smoothed out and delivered a fabulous Chave experience despite its youth and even from magnum. Full-bodied but very fine in the Chave way with incredible flavors of black fruits, coal dust, campfire char and slate minerals. Layered and surprisingly ready with the long decant showing off an incredible finish with notes of smoked rocks and hearty violet spice. 95+
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Still all primary, even after 1 hour of decant. nose of ripe dark cherries. Mouth-coating tannings, gains complexity with more air, and better on the second day, where the smokiness comes through even if just by a bit
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Decanted for about two hours and notes taken over the next three. Medium and deep purple - no sign of age. Nose is intense with the typical dark red fruit, black pepper and bacon. Palate is still fruit driven with incredible intensity and complexity behind the fruit. Tannins are ripe and present, but hard to notice behind the fruit. Approachable now but will get better. Decades to go.
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TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: “We got the funk…yeah… Chave got the funk…” If you’re billet is a barnyard and your palate is a pistol pinging for peat, then the 2005 Chave Hermitage is a call of the wild for you my friend. Earth and dry soil (AKA dirt), strawberry water, smoke, old spice (not the deodorant), bresaola, and grandma’s hope chest signal an advanced Chave that would surely be in my “drink now if ya got ‘em” category.
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Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): Probably the best Northern Rhone I have tasted. This wine exemplifies everything you look for in Northern Rhone, and is in a zone right now, bridging the gap between fruit and tertiary flavors. In a perfect spot for my palate, although those who place a higher value on tertiary goodness may want to hold off on opening this for a few more years, or give it a good decant (2+ hours). For me, this was still tipping on the fruit side of the spectrum (black and red), but showed some blood, earth, leather and bacon fat, as well as a healthy dose of spice. Totally different animal than SQN or Grange. This is a wine that would be nice to sit with alone....it commands your full attention, and will reward you with awesome tasting experience. Hopefully someday, I will be able to do that! 97 points and the highest I have rated any Northern Rhone and ties the highest I have ever rated a Syrah/Shiraz.
Note....my friend who provided this wine thinks they should be drunk young....I say good things come to those who wait! In short, if you have a palate that favors big Napa wines, stick with SQN! On the other hand, if you enjoy elegance and complexity, and a wine that you can sit back and just enjoy life with, then this wine is for you! Since I am in both categories, I would be happy with either one!
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Another bucket list wine and late in the tasting entrant. With just 3 bottles of syrah, this tasting did cover an amazing universe of tasting high end participants of the varietal with the young SQNs (I mistakenly put the ‘05 Atlantis in this bucket, but it’s a grenache; oops), the ‘04 Grange and this. This was lighter, browner, more acid-driven and subtler, although the Grange was not in any way an unsubtle wine. Dry earth, funk, hard to pin down florals, exotic spice, red and black currants and berries and plums. Taut to the point where the description of CT friend mjp of Burgundian seems not unfair. I adored the Grange, which seemed the perfect balance of power and elegance, and the SQN (yes, a grenache, but bear with me) seemed powerful to the point of being a bit disjointed; with this bottle, I wished for a bit more intensity, and although my starting point is a long way from CT friend WBW’s, wondered if I’d have found that earlier in its life. I wouldn’t think so, in light of the quality of the producer and vintage—this seems like a production decision—but having not had Chave wines previously—most of my Rhone endeavors have tilted South—I just don’t know, and would probably drink this sooner than later. Wonderful by any standards, when glancing to the right of the page and looking at pricing, I’d certainly choose the Grange and a very good dinner, but giant thanks to whomever delivered this lovely wine. 96+
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Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: Hermitage funk. I have tried to get into these wines but alas, I might have to delay this journey to the Rhone. I like Syrah, but maybe my palate is just looking for a slightly different Syrah style. Super interesting and the story behind Hermitage and Chave the producer is incredible. But I might need to table my opinions and scores for another day when I am maybe not bombarded with a bunch of spectacular Napa cabs.
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Flavors of spiced, soft red fruits with a prickly and almost dry earth that runs across the palate. Seems to give an impression of dried oak as well.
This was good but compared to the '17 I've had some time ago, this was a let down. *whispers* Drink them young, it'll be ok! I'll protect you from the naysayers the best I can ;) If you don't drink em young, maybe try giving them 20-30 years but I have a strong feeling you'll be walking in the tertiary realm.. with rivers of acidity and cranberry vines.
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Off the list, the last bottle in the cellar at Berns in Tampa, (thanks for finding it, Dustin!) in perfect shape, lots of iron, brambly black raspberry , and black loam. Pink peppercorn spice, inky liquid granite, and framboise on the long finish. Wonderful with the 100 day dry aged ribeye, which when charred and medium rare was beefier and less gamey than expected. Not quite as captivatingly feral as my beloved ‘90, but a winner. Beautiful acidity, silky tannins , prime drinking now, and for 20+ years!
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Dinner at home with Joe, Phillip of the valley and company Great line up of wines including SQN Syrah 2011, Puy Lacoste 1996. Hermitage was the WOTN Decanted for two hrs very refined with plenty of fruit, touch of bacon and peppery went well with grilled NY strips and ribeyes
Catching up with close friends always makes a great excuse to dive deep into the cellar.
Menu: Roasted beets, spring mix, feta, pistachios & balsamic vinaigrette, select cuts of prime filet, tomahawk & wagyu ribeye with a side of roasted mashed sweet potatoes.
Mousse Fils Perpetuelle BdN L'OR D'Eugene & 2021 Cornell Chardonnay.
Side by side 2005 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage & 1995 Abreu Madrona Ranch.
2010 Vieux Chateau Certan
2009 Dolce Winery Late Harvest
2005 Chave Hermitage-Btl No. 8357 First impression is that this a more powerful vintage of JCL. Medium Garnet in the glass with some tawny edges. Dark red fruits on display but more pronounced is aged leather, grilled meats, cracked black pepper and dried red fruits. I enjoy the vintages that have a bit more finesse, acid driven with Burgundian lift. This is a more series vintage displaying power at this stage. Coin flip on Abreu vs. JLC.
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – CDPs, Chave, Schrader and etc. (Q by Peter Chang - Bethesda, Maryland): Expressive youthful nose displaying intense black fruit, blackberry concentrate, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, garrigue, grilled fat, liquid smoke, rose, dark spices and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of layers of intense black fruit, intense and rich but also perfect balance and detail, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long intense black fruit driven finish with ink and smoke at the end. Another exceptional showing.
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A wine of incredible density and intensity with rich, ripe fruit that borders on the surmature. The 2005 Chave is almost impeccable but the vintage pushes it a bit too extreme. Still, incredible fruit, blue and savory.
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Sunday Lunch with Raveneau Chablis and Chave Hermitage (Piccino Restaurant, San Francisco): Deep ruby. Ripe, sweet fruit approaching surmaturité and perfumed green herbs on the nose. Slightly lighter weight and higher acidity than the 2010. Fabulous mixture of blueberry, soil, and other savory flavors. Drier tannins and tighter structure than the 2010, but this too is superb with the balance and bones to allow it to age for a very long time. It is not as open or immediately enjoyable as its younger sib and is probably more likely to go through periods of being shut down, but it seems like another sure thing.
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It’s like drinking silk. I smelled menthol on the nose; one of my guests described it as “bruised mint”. Secondary notes of leather. Wonderful balance. Just enjoy it…
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During a tasting dinner. Rich and dense with lots of tannins and excellent freshness. The full Chave package as I remember the 2005. Deep aromas of forest floor, bacon, smoke, earthy elements and some funk. Very complex. This bottle showed youghfully after an 1h decant still. I will wait with my 2005s for another 5-6 years and drink the 2004 and 2006 in the meantime. 97pt with upside form here.
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Early dinner gathering (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Another explosive nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry liqueur, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, rare steak, cedar, garrigue, a hint of bacon, liquid smoke, perfume, sweet spices and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated pure black fruit, rich and generous yet also perfectly precise and detailed, fluid and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long perfectly ripe black fruit driven finish with rare steak and cedar at the end. The 05 Chave has been incredibly consistent from the beginning. Truly a monumental wine.
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Wine and Food Vacation…Finally!; 4/18/2022-4/21/2022: Opened and decanted 90 minutes prior to serving. Deep ruby but not opaque. Wow, what a nostril-filling combination of black olive and fennel to start. The green shifted to higher toned, less assertive menthol and was joined first by blackberry jam and later, some spice. Medium weight with an incredibly elegant, seamless feel and great clarity of the crisp, perfectly ripe blackberry fruit and creosote smokiness that are all Chave, even in this structured year. Slightly larger scaled than say a 1998, but not by much. Its energy and drive are provided more by perfectly integrated acidity than by tannins. This still has a good 10 years left until it peaks. A heroic wine.
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Youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated pure black fruit with a hint of red, crushed blackberries, blackberry liqueur, ink, lavender, smoke, rare steak, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich yet beautiful detail and balance, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long pure concentrated black fruit driven finish with lavender and garrigue at the end. Although youthful, it is drinking beautifully.
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This was decanted and consumed over 3 hours or so. So much going on here - dark fruit, herbs, pepper and even a touch of a mint-like note. Absolutely packed with flavor but not even a hint of heaviness. Still quite youthful, this has a long life ahead of it. Stunning wine.
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Early dinner gathering (Capital Grille, DC): Incredibly youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated intense black fruit, blackberry concentrated, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, lavender, incense, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich and unctuous but also silky and precise, perfect amount of acidity, strong mineral, and a seamless long concentrated black fruit driven finish with ink and dark spices at the end. Another memorable youthful example that has a long life ahead. IMO, the best Chave going back to the 90.
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Madame Pic. 1 hour decant Cherry , dried flowers , spicy finish with tobacco Great balance, and one of our top Rhône’s on the trip. The best of the 4 Chaves. 2011, 2005, 1998, 1995
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Just phenomenal stuff. Drank side by side with an incredible '05 La Landonne and it narrowly out performed it. Super animalistic nose with beef drippings and bacon fat wrapped in an endlessly concentrated core of black fruit and crushed gravel. Incredibly well integrated and powerful on the palate with a finish that went on for minutes. Was decanted for about 1.5h and was ready to rock. Need to find more.
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Served blind. This was terrific and surprisingly ready for business. Hard for me to call syrah blind given how uber minty and herbal the bouquet was. Really expressive and engaging nose, cool and minerally, but also more like a great loire red in profile than a hermitage. The palate was seamless and beautifully balanced with cool purple fruits, and it will undoubtedly deepen with more cellar time. If only holding a few, I’d give it another 5 years. Just lovely 93+
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Unmistakably Northern Rhone Syrah, smoky, bacon, blue fruit, tobacco. This also had a bit of menthol running through it. The wine was wide open with 5 hours decant. Plenty of power , structure, elegance. not heavy or over extracted. Has room for + future evolution.
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Rubied, out to rim; mulled dark fruits, good definition & (contradictory) refinement; tannins to fore, meaty & substantial fruit, refreshing acidity, all of one piece. Well balanced & proportioned. Lingering finish. Remains primary, give this 5 years.
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This was a very good bottle; didn't quite have the wow factor of my first bottle of the '05, but still excellent; the nose is ripe with bramble berries, violet, black pepper, game meat, and crushed stone. The palate dense and rich, super concentrated stuff; yet somehow manages to feel elegant and light on its feet; this should age effortlessly given the concentration and balance. A definite wow vintage for Chave for me.
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BM's famous brisket gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Intense nose displaying incredibly concentrated black fruit, blackberry liqueur, crushed blackberry, black cherry, licorice, incense, caramel, white pepper, garrigue, cedar, dark spices and mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich and dense yet also pure and polished, perfect amount of acidity and limestone mineral, noticeable but fine tannins, and a long concentrated black fruit driven finish with liquid smoke and dark spices at the end. Although it remains youthful and can improve for a couple more decades, this is drinking incredibly well. My educated guess is that this will easily surpass the 90.
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Taste on opening was exciting... caramel, funk, earth, and I imagined the potential , which didn’t eventuate . Nice clean warm rich but not hermitage as id expect it despite patience over 5 hours. Off bottle or over warm vintage ?
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With a two hour decant, this is drinking like heaven. Deep cherry and tar, ultra supple. A study in concentration and balance. If you have a few bottles, you owe it to yourself to start pulling corks.
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Second Zoom tasting – Chave Hermitage (Mi Casa): Incredibly youthful expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe concentrated black fruit, blackberry jam, crushed blackberry, blackberry liqueur, black cherry, liquid smoke, lavender, perfume, licorice, sweet spices, garrigue and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration and incredible balance, beautifully layered perfectly ripe sweet black fruit, incredibly rich yet silky and fluid, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a seamless concentrated black fruit driven finish with garrigue and liquid smoke at the end. Despite being so concentrated and youthful, the palate is sensual and weightless which reminds me the 01 Yquem. For my palate, the 05 is the best Chave Hermitage. Monumental wine!
A real bouquet with dark fruit, cassis, white pepper, undergrowth and tobacco. Very inviting. On the palate, full-bodied wine with lively acidity, and well-integrated tannins. Very juicy with lots going on mid-palate. Extremely long finish. A very good wine: pure, juicy, complex and intense. Ready to drink but can age for a very long time. I really enjoyed this.
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Kleur: Diep robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: Krachtig en stoer bouquet, verleidelijk, met tonen van donker fruit, zacht zoet gedroogd druit, zoetige kruidigheid en vleesjus. Smaak / Afdronk: Een kanjer van een wijn. Zachte zuurgraad, vol en geconcentreerd, retronasale indrukken van donker fruit en kruiden, boordevol prachtig gerijpte tannines. Enkele uren na opening is de wijn op zijn best! Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige Hermitage van topproducent Chave met nog een lange toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Color: Deep ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: Powerful and tough bouquet, seductive, with notes of dark fruit, soft sweet dried fruit, sweet spiciness and meat gravy. Taste / Finish: A whopper of a wine. Soft acidity, full and concentrated, retronasal impressions of dark fruits and herbs, full of beautifully aged tannins. A few hours after opening, the wine is at its best! General / potential: Beautiful Hermitage from top producer Chave with a long future ahead. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
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Wines with the HDH Auction (Spiaggia): Open the night prior. This is such a packed and dense version of Chave -- it's loaded with ripe black fruit, pepper and meaty notes. So substantial and mouth coating. A real bruiser. Fun but I think it needs 15 more years.
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Wines Tasted at HDH Auction; 2/28/2020-2/29/2020 (Spiaggia - Chicago IL): Opened an hour before tasting, then revisited 2-3 times over the next few hours. Great aromatics start with black berries, black plum, black pepper and complex background spice. Similar flavors, just very backward and somewhat firm. This opened up over several hours, but clearly isn't quite in its peak drinking window yet, but 95+ point potential, 2025-2050.
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Still a baby but this is profound Syrah. Explosive nose and a four dimensional palate with a boatload pure dark and brambly fruit but somehow an equal measure of gnarly Northern Rhône iron, herbs, and meat. Decades to go and this will improve. No shame in opening but if you only have one I’d hold. The structure is still pretty serious.
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Wow wine. Drinking so beautifully. Dark fruit, smoke, olive, long palate. Not hot or overbearing. So good. Great Thanksgiving wine. Drank one from mag and one regular bottle. Very consistent.
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Deep purple to ruby. A great nose. Chocolate, coffee and SH*T! Medium to high tannins. Blackcurrant on the palate. Layered and balanced. One of the darkest, mouth puckering, super tannic and seriously oaked wines! This needs time! But the quality is there. Drink 2025-2050+
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Blind N. Rhones: Not my favorite vintage, from my favorite Syrah producer. Monolithic with uber-ripe black fruit. Some pepper and olive. But this is all about the fruit. Time will hopefully help it come into greater balance and show more Chave character.
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Rich brooding with dark berries plums and that unmistakable Syrah earthiness . Not as developed with secondary flavors as I would have hoped, even two hours in. Drank during a wine society lunch with 8 other wines. Group #3.
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Have had most of the vintages of this wine dating back to the early aughts and this vintage was apex Chave Hermitage. Exploding bouquet of spice, pepper, savory meats, and earth on the nose which was equally compelling on the pallet. This will age for a long time but is drinking extremely well right now. Seems to be in a perfect place IMHO.
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Wow, what an amazing wine. A perfect representation of the varietal and the region, an incredible kaleidoscope of aromas driven froward with verve and vibrancy. Despite being so young this Chave already shows more than on par with its reputation as one of the best red wines in the world. 98 points today, potential for perfection once reaching its peak.
TN: Iron, blood, black olives, green olives, smoke, blackberries, cassis, herbs, ash, leather, black truffles, wet eart, crushed rocks, wet slate, tar... new waves of aromas with every sip. Amazing precision and purity. All packed in a dense, full-bodied, structure with loads of very fine-tannin and a perfect acidity. So complex and powerful yet still very elegant. Once mature the structure will be even softer and the whole experience more elegant.
Decanting: Not decanted and good from the go but I guess some hours could further soften the structure and make it even more elegant.
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Rich, ripe and almost marmeladey fruit, just a few fresh herbs. Over time sweet spices appear and bounce back of what I found was a mineral backdrop. Lots of power and a present tannic structure give an appearance of not being quite ready yet with some mouthcoating nuances. But nonetheless amazing savoury and spicey fireworks on the palate. And it gets better and better with time in the glass.
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Super Bowl 2019 (Alpharetta, GA): Dark garnet core with garnet rim, sediment; nose seems a bit dried out, slightly cooked fruit, tea, weedy, leather, some dried fruit, sandalwood, very tannic, dried out character, feel like it is from the Piedmont, no pyrazines so ruled out Bordeaux varietals; very surprising after reveal, disappointing, has to be an off bottle, called '97 Sandrone Cannubi.
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Deep, dark fruit, mixed spice, and roast meat are available on the nose. The palate is already silky and elegant and the 2005 Hermitage is surprisingly accessible but there is so much upside one shouldn't touch this for the better part of a decade. Drink starting 2025.
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Sensational wine! Anyone who loves Syrah needs to try a Chave Syrah at age 13+. The nose is gamey and complex with red cranberry fruit, basmati rice, licorice and caramel, for starters, then loam and wet rocks. Tart yet rich and ripe, in a satiny package, endless finish. This could live for 25 more years. Might even merit 100...
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This wine had a "wow" nose at first pouring, expressing almost a Bordeaux-like expression of maturing red wine with lead pencil shavings; dark fruits, blackberry, plum; still some tannins present; in a spot between primary and secondary development; very nicely balanced and expressing elegance, but still concentrated and powerful at the same time; kind of hard to believe it's Syrah; seemed to get more fruit-focused as the wine developed with aeration, like it gained more primary elements and lost some of the maturing, secondary characteristics
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Manresa (Los Gatos, Ca.): Had the 88 earlier in the day, which was amazing...but blown away by this 05! The most amazing liqueured red berry fruits, exotic potpourri of spices(Vosne spice and red Chambolle perfume)...SO silky smooth and elegant, yet with a sneaky powerful youthfulness that will continue to help this age effortlessly. Deep and mesmorizing flavors of red licorice, exotic smoked woods, dusty white pepper, charcuterie...all balanced and plush to perfection. I have to have some of this in the cellar!
A lazy Sunday afternoon Chave lunch (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Unbelievably intense nose displaying decadent yet pure concentrated black fruit, blackberry concentrate, crushed blackberry, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, wild flowers, incense, perfume, dark spices, a hint of tapenade and garriuge and crushed rock. Incredibly concentrated yet perfectly balanced, layers upon layers of intense blackberry, 10W-40 like viscosity yet silky and weightless a la Yquem, perfect amount of acidity, strong presence of limestone mineral and the finish that last forever. The incense, wild flowers and intense black fruit resonate and ringer. The tannins are completely masked by intense black fruit. I now am convinced that this is the best Chave Hermitage made at lease since the 80s. It remains incredibly young. For my palate, it will reach the peak in another two decades. Monumental! FWIW, Tom prefers the 10 this time and I can’t argue.
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Wonderfully young syrah. This is only going to get better. Had with the 89 which was the wine of the night. We had 4 Hermitages: 89, 97, 2004, 2005 and one LaLa 2002.
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A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Raveneau and Chave Vertical (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Absolutely gorgeous perfectly ripe nose displaying intense blackberry, blackberry liqueur, a hint of cherry, rose, ink, lavender, lavender, exotic incense, perfume, iron, green olive oil, tapenade and garrigue. Simply perfect palate, incredibly concentrated yet airy and fluid, unbelievably layered very fine black fruit, refined, silky/almost oily, polished, perfect amount of acidity and an incredible long black fruit and green olive oil driven finish with exotic incense and perfume at the end. The tannins are completely masked by sensual black fruit. Upon release, I thought Bob’s rating was a bit too low at 95 as it was one of the greatest young Syrah for me. This has developed beautifully and now is perfection. For my palate, this is one of the greatest Syrahs ever produced.
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Power, finesse and a forward style sums things up nicely. From there, the levels of concentrated, dark, red fruits, pepper and earth take over. The tannins feel soft and polished, the finish delivers purity and soft, regal textures. This is a beauty and for Chave, the wine is already fun to drink, making this one of the earlier drinking vintages ever produced from the domaine.
Coravin # 2 - tobacco, smoke, cigar box, espresso, chocolate, pepper. Raspberry, blackberry, açai, leather, meat, bacon. Old school earthy for sure. Beef blood. Better than the first night we drank it. With some air really comes alive. I get the fuss now. Flirting with perfection.
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Tobacco, black pepper, chocolate, espresso, super duper meaty, earthy, black raspberry, acai, dark dark fruit. So good, olive. That being said, stylistically I'm a bigger fan of other Hermitage to be honest.
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Dark red.tart black cherry, black pepper, Stoney minerals, cigar tobacco , medium intensity, grilled herbs and even rhubarb. Finishes with an earthy note. Lots of sediment.
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Krug and Dom Perignon Dinner, with Bonus Wines (The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Black cherry, fresh black berries, macerated black berries and some liqueur hints with sweet spice. Big, ripe and powerful but just seamless towards long finish. So glad I have two 6-packs stashed away in the cellar. So good right now, but I think another five years in the cellar will be well rewarded.
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Some others on CT have noted that this is starting to get into its window.... it did still feel young, but oh my little darling! Decanted for about 5 hours. On the nose we had green olive, boo berry cereal (remember this from when you were a kid?), and dusky cherry with a little leather kinda thing... yeah what a mashup, but it was sublime. It was definitely a big bruiser but with wonderful balance, beautiful complexity and the finest of tannin. This stuff will age for a long time, but it's quite an experience now too.
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Too good a price to pass up on a restaurant list in France. I have no reference point against other great Hermitage, but this was the single most compelling bottle I've ever drunk. This is not primary or unmelded, but it was undeniably focused on its fruit which had a depth, quality and slight wildness that I've never experienced. This has the density and balance to go on for decades and when it finally unfurls it's going to be monumental.
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Un nez plutôt élégant, floral, une attaque presque douce, sur des notes fruitées, à peine lardées, avec une touche d'olive noire, mais globalement, l'évolution est légère, et l'on remarquerait à peine qu'il s'agit du monumental 2005, si ce n'était cette finale qui resserre les papilles. Sa densité ne fait jour qu'en fin de bouche, avec une empreinte minérale un peu dure, des tanins certes fins et nombreux, mais o combien pointus, presque asséchants (réglisse, cèdre); fort heureusement sa maturité, sa douceur, gomme cette sensation qui finalement invitera l'amateur à garder des décennies durant ces 2005 magnifiques. 93/95
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Wow is all I can say. I ordered this at a restaurant because the price was too good to pass, but expected it to be too young. However, it was stellar. Definitely still fairly primary, but the balance and depth is unreal. The nose is beautiful with lots of red and blue fruits, olive, leather, a hint of bacon, and violet. The palate is fabulous, almost a crystalline purity of fruit, with so much concentration and depth it is almost overwhelming; there are also some savory, floral, earthy notes on the palate, but the fruit still dominates. The acidity is perfectly judged and the tannins which I expected to be almost overwhelming are beautifully integrated, perfectly ripe, and only noticeable on the finish, and with food not even that noticeable. The balance, density, freshness, and pure beauty of this wine is incredible. A great example of Chave Hermitage which while plenty powerful is as much about balance and finesse as ever. Definitely will only continue to improve and I wish I had some at home to try again in 5-10 years...
Night 2 - no significant changes to the above although the nose was more open with Asian spice, loads of red and black fruit, floral notes, smoke, meat, olive tapenade, leather, allspice, and crushed stone. Otherwise, it is still just a wow wine.
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{Bought on release, opened/decanted/poured at Troquet, perfect fill}. Initially reticent nose, full palate with very very fine tannins and big structure, power without undue size; opened part way over 1.5 hours to a perfumed, elegant, superbly satisfying wine. Needs at least another 5 years or several hour decant... not infanticide to try now but will let my other bottles sleep. Had with 1990 Jaboulet La Chapelle which for current drinking is better right out of the bottle, but I think the 05 Chave will be even better at its peak.
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Flawless purity. Beautiful, deep, ruby red color. I would say this wine was medium bodied (especially after a SQN Syrah reference point side by side). Perfectly balanced with integrated tannin and vibrant acidity. Dark cherry and berry aromas along with game, smoke, and foraged mushroom. As it evolved the fruit became elegant and a minty note developed. Spectacular wine. Highest recommendation. 100.
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There appeared to be a slight taint to this bottle. As the wine sat in the glass it began to evolve nicely showing great depth and complexity. It will definitely benefit from another 5+ years of cellar time.
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15 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Interestingly rich and heavy tobacco notes on the nose. Rich and larger tones than the prior wines, but that tobacco note is just so lovely. Soft soil notes enter the palate first, showing some mild tannins. Rich in texture with fine grained tannins. The flavors on the palate are pretty tight right now... while those tannins in the mouth are fine grained, if you hold this wine on your tongue for 20+ seconds they really begin taking over and pounding your mouth, more so than even the younger wines. Rich acid and massive tannin dial up on the large, rich finish. This is a massive wine. So much structure and beautiful fruit poking through, but it is just so tight. This needs so much more time. It's just so tannic today that it's not as enjoyable as it wants to be. This will be a beautiful, elegant wine, but I think it still needs decades. 91+++
Dark ruby, purple core. Hoppla, right off the bat when smelling the nose we knew that something special was coming. Complex and deep nose of dark fruit, barnyard, leather, pepper, herbs. Full bodied, structured and fresh on the palate, very complete and captivating. Still young in terms of the tannins, but these are ripem, not drying tannins. This wine serves as a reminder to some of the Barossa producers that density does not have to come at the price of elegance and freshness. Awesome showing tonight. A wow wine in every aspect. 98+
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First slightly holding back, but opening up quickly in the glass. Fantastic notes of blackberries, cassis, some red berries too, horsesaddle, barnyard, pepper, leather, tobacco, cigar, cedar wood. It's full-bodied, dense and powerful, but not heavy, and has that silkiness and elegance only Chave can extract from Syrah. High acidity and high tannin that is ripe and top-notch quality. A fantastic, still young but surprisingly accessible Hermitage that combines power with lots of finesse.
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This is why people pay big money for French wine. To get that guaranteed old world marriage of soil and fruit, with sheer power and strong legs for aging and further improvement. This wine is just in the drinking door and should be at peak in 5 years or so. Very classic, very French. drink if you must but I would HOLD a bit.
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Scott's Wine dinner at Honeysuckle, a bit of everything! (Honeysuckle, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying black fruits, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, incense, white pepper, lavender and animal. Excellent concentration, chewy yet beautifully polished and silky, strong present of acidity and mineral and seamless incredibly long finish that resonates. This has actually gained weight. Already quite enjoyable with ample fruits and sensual textures, this will develop beautifully for a few more decades. Monumental wine.
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Luscious bottle of wine - drank during Rhone dinner with friends. Double decanted. Polished well balanced dark Syrah fruit really shines through, some gaminess on the nose which disappeared after a hour. Lovely mouthfeel, nice long finish. Has ages of life left in it.
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Verticale Chave (Terroirs-Y-Seleccion): Robe rouge sombre, on dirait de l'encre. Le nez est sérieux, sur la réserve mais qui s'ouvre progressivement. Arômes de baies et fruits rouges avec de la violette à fond et plein d'épices; ça me rappelle Bahadourian... La bouche est complète et équilibrée. Ce vin est encore trop jeune.
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8 Vintages of Chave tasted at VVW (2004-2011) Groups #1 and my #1 wine of the tasting. Red fruited with a strong spicy note and some funk. Very well endowed, tightly woven, but ultimately fruit dominated. Has a sweet and sour component that adds complexity. Very tannic and drying finish, with some acid and heat lingering.
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Second of 8 2005 Northern Rhones tasted blind. Beautiful nose of violets, dark cherry, cassis and raspberry. A huge wine with mouth-coating tannins and deep rich flavors of blackberry liqueur, herbs, black pepper, vanilla and licorice . Long finish and still very youthful and tannic. This ought to improve for at least a couple of decades. This was my WOTFlight, edging out #8 (La Mouline) by a whisker, and was also the group's WOTF.
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Drank with dinner in Vail, CO with my brother and father at Larkspur Restaurant. Notes are from some detailed scribbles I made later in the night, and from my memory. This wine was somehow on discount on the wine list for only $245 - this is no joke. We opened and decanted it for about 45-min while enjoying a cocktail at the bar. The nose was the most extraordinary, aromatic nose I have ever encountered - the waiter said he could smell it 10-12 feet away. It brought layers upon layers of spring flowers, violets, roses, tulips, cherry blossoms, dark cherries, raspberries, bacon fat, green olives, and even some interesting musty leather and garrigue-like notes. The palate was full, jagged, and still quite compact, bringing cherry smoked pork, charcoal, black olives, more raspberries, and interesting hints of smoked cedar wood (I think). The finish lasted for 60-seconds plus and like wave sets crashing on the beach (surfing metaphor), it brought candied strawberries, molasses, hints of rhubarb, chocolate cherries, and wet grass. I could go on and on but hands down, it was quite possibly the most enjoyable wine I have ever had. Even more frightening, it's still a baby. Drink 2020-2030.
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The 2005 Chave Hermitage seemed to literally blossom in the glass with a bouquet which spoke to everything I love about the northern Rhone. Initially it was very much rooted in the earth with dark soil tones, brown stems and herbs, yet turning deeper and richer with air, as notes of crushed red berry, exotic spice, violet florals, minerals and hints of animal musk lifted from the glass. On the palate, this gave the impression of a never-ending veil of silk being gently pulled across the senses—seamless came to mind. Its dark red fruit gave way to cascading layers of savory herbs and red floral tones as it came to a finish with dusting of mineral-tinged earth.
White pepper and beef on the nose. The palate is medium in weight with beef and forest floor. Some herbs and remarkable tannins. Needs time but oh so good.
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What a fantastic wine! I wish I had bought a few more back when it was affordable.
The wine is medium-dark ruby with a blackish core. Very fragrant nose that shows lavender, cherries, vanilla, and a faint creamy fresh brioche note. The wine manages to be tart yet sweet, like ripe griotte cherries, with a deep long finish that ends on a gamey note. Superb. I'm torn between 99 and 100.
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The nose on this is beguiling. Crushed bright raspberries, pomegranate juice, dried violets, and just a hint of camphor. The palate is concentrated but light on its feet with pomegranate seed, a touch of animal skin, dried beef and slightly tart acid. A touch of bitterness in the finish leading to drying tannins. I really like this.
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Chave me ne ha fatte di tutti i colori, partenza alcolica, poi fruttone scuro, apertura sul floreale; lo ritappo e porto al ristorante ma invece di aprirsi tornano note ridotte, di stalla, la bocca molto meglio, potente masticabile senza essere pesante, legno non pervenuto. Da aspettare
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Nose of violettes, black cherries, black peper...powerful northern cherries, light acidity, still a hint of tannins, probably much too young to drink at this stage...
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Another lazy Sunday dinner with La Las, Chaves, Chapelles, Rayas, Plume and Celestins (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Once again, extremely impressive showing. Crushed blackberries, crèmes de cassis, a hint of licorice, smoked meat, white pepper, mineral, flowers and animal. Excellent concentration,, silky, cool and sensual palate, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. This is a beautiful youthful wine that will become something monumental with time. I don’t quite know how to explain but this concentrated cool syrah is very Burgundian for me.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Black and intense aromas - Blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, black pepper. Slightly floral in the way that the best vintages of Chave show me Burgundian charm. Powerful fruit-driven palate with firm tannins, that despite being open and decanted for several hours, demanded another couple of decades in the cellar. Very long, very powerful finish.
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Decanted 3.5 hours. An intoxicating nose. Wonderful fruit, sweet pepper, pencil eraser, and strong tannins. Very complex. This was drinking great with a long decant, but the tannins suggest it will show better in the future.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Year End Event (Shari's House): Close to the best wine I have ever had and over time it might get there. Intense nose with white pepper, blueberries, roses, raspberries, mild oak and minerals. Complex is an understatement and the palate and finish just change over and over. The finish on this wine is over a minute and a true wine to savor. A pure effort that will improve. This could get to 100 for me. 97-100.
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Mpls Wine Club: Highly Rated Rhones: Chave, Guigal, Usseglio + Poyferre & Cos (Shari's house): Very dark red color. Decanted for 3.5hrs. Drank 2 glasses over 4 hours. Nose slowly develops into a glorious perfume of flowers, cassis, , blueberry, cedar, pepper, blackberry liqueur, pepper, and plum, and after 2 hours added in this wonderful horsey character. This nose was great, but WOW, the palate is even better. Amazing concentration, the flavors explode on the palate, deep, dark fruits, full body, intense white pepper that coats the most and persists throughout the finish, loads of glycerin, velvety and mouth coating, nice integrated tannins, and a very long 120+ second finish. This wine has impeccaable balance, a glorious nose, power and elegance on the palate. My and group WOTN with 8 of 12 first place votes and 29 total points. 96+ to 97 pts.
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I do not taste young Chave Hermitage often. This bottle reminded me why I usually give the wine at least a decade before popping a bottle. Gobs of pepper, blackberry liqueur, stone, juicy plums and earthy notes catch your attention. Powerful, full bodied, concentrated and tannic, the wine fills your mouth with flavor, freshness and mouth drying tannin. Wines meant to age are interesting to taste young, but most of the time they are not a lot of fun to drink. This needs at least another decade before it becomes civilized. Based on this bottle, it's going to be worth the wait.
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One of the most impressive young wines that I have ever encountered. Now the wine has settled a bit but still quite expressive.
Sulfite blew off quickly and is becoming very expressive. Crushed blackberries, licorice, anise, white pepper, crushed rocks, white flowers and musk. The black fruit and crushed rock reminded me a freemark abbey petite but this is in no way monolithic.
The palate is unctuous, intense and chewy yet the impression is quite fresh, light and delicate. The mid note displays tar and a hint of raspberry that is very Burgundian. This is a very sensual wine that is drinking beautifully now. I am certain that this will gain the smoked meat nose in a few years and become more complex.
A great wine now and will be a perfect wine one day.
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Rosso rubino intenso, naso cassis , prugna , mora, leggero sentore di patè di olive, carne cruda seccata, bocca enorme, polposo , tannino presente e buono, leggero alcol sopra le righe, ottimo vino che si beve con molto gusto .
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Very very young. Didn't have time to open up to its full potential. Funky, mossy, shroomy with some excellent dark red berry support. Really nice elegance showing a masculine side - screams Hermitage. Extravagant with a nice savory quakity - soy sauce, balsamic. Smoked meat - dark and floral. Showing nice spice. Lots of potential. Opulent and royal. Great acid.
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Some sulfur on the nose, and funky/sweaty in a Rostaing sort of way. Some characteristic spice and dark fruits underneath, but mostly structure at this point which doesn't do the wine justice.
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Wine Exchange Rhône Tasting (Sonoma): Deep ruby color. Very deep and intense black fruit on the nose, with some fennel. The palate is huge, with black pepper, dark fruit, and beautiful structure. The firm tannins are present, but this still drinks quite nicely considering its youth. Tremendous wine. This is just a baby, and I imagine will be drinking well for decades.
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Wine at RN74 in SF (Chave, Clape, Dauvissat, Meo, Grange, more); 9/21/2009-9/24/2009: Ordered off the list of RN74, an awesome restaurant on Mission Street in downtown San Francisco. Popped and poured and this was rocking. Awesome, soaring nose of dark fruit, pepper, mineral/iron and a most enticing meatiness/funkiness. Showing unbelievably well for such a young wine. A little more straightforward on the palate featuring mainly dark fruit, but with good expansiveness and divine balance leading to an excellent, albeit tannic, finish. I felt this closed down considerably within an hour or so of being poured, so we may be on the trailing edge of youthful drinking but I would have no hesitation to pull the cork and savor this beauty over the next few months. Rated 95 for now but there is definitely upside potential.
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syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): Nose: this was straight pop n pour, and with about 5 minutes of swirling the nose just started to come to life. Very youthful and powerful nose that was just screaming with deep tones of mineral rich earth, all sorts of meaty tones, black cherries, and campfire smoke. This is shocking at how deep it was right from the bottle and just showing itself off as a brusier of a chave
taste: ridiculously tannic, but with a real sexy medium/full feel with deep tones of mineral rich earth, roasted meats, black cherries, charcol and some smoke tones. The tannins are very strong as would be expected, but it still showed off some of what should become an absolutely stunning wine
overall: I'd love to taste this after a day on decanting as I have no doubt that it show very stunning for such a young chave. Very deep and pure that just begged for more time than it deserved at the end of a long night. just giving a tease of a peak of what's to come
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My first >95 point wine. Sipping on this beauty is a transcendent experience. Only two other wines, a 2004 1er cru Meursault "Les Genevries" from Bouchard Pere et Fils and the 1990 Suduiraut, have actually made me feel weak in the knees just upon taking in the beauty of its nose. This wine brings rich, brooding aromas of iron, sanguine, rare ribeye steak, and fig. On the palate, the tannins are ever present but not overbearing, being small and square, arching beautifully over a palate of fresh cracked black pepper, iron, and some green spice with again a meaty flavor leading the way. The finish, like the palate, is wound a bit tight right now, lasting 30-45 seconds, but with aeration this wine shows potential to be one of the finest rhone wines of the 21st century thus far. Definitely hold onto most of your bottles for 5-10+ years, but if you have a half a case or more, this may be worth popping open right now.
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4/19/2024 - stanqwash Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose from heaven. Could live in that glass.
Tannins fully resolved. Just a juicy silk bomb.
Decanted briefly but not needed (perfect on PnP).
Raspberry, plum, tobacco, leather.
Just so bright, youthful, and entrancing.
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3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 93 Points
Dichte Farbe, herrlicher Duft, tiefgründig, offen, pfeffrig, kirschig, reife Frucht, jedoch nicht verkocht, Leder schwingt mit, ein Archetyp. Im Gaumen auf den Punkt gereift, noch immer mit Frucht, jedoch schon gut verpackten, jedoch mit flockigen, leicht trocknenden Gerbstoffen, die Säure belebt, die Harmonie stimmt, sehr gute Länge, viel Schwarzkirsche und Kräuterwürze im Rückaroma. Auf dem Peak, mit 10 bis 15 Jahren Genussfenster vor sich. Bis 2038
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2/28/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Smoke, herbs, cedar, spice, cigar box, and peppery red fruits form the nose. Full-bodied, chalky, very Brant, fresh and crunchy. The wine is young, fresh, energetic and reserved, with a long future ahead of. It. Drink from 2030-2065.
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2/22/2024 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Rather epic showing that will continue to age gracefully. Elegant red and blue fruits, turned soil, forest and herbal notes mixed with freshly cut flowers. It's all here. As good as the '95? Better? who cares, both are stunning?!
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1/15/2024 - ovenmitt wrote: 95 Points
From memory. Grilled meat, red and dark red fruits, rosemary. Just a brilliantly balanced bottle. Super powerful but also finesse. I agree with others that this still could use some age. Wait another 3-5 for next bottle.
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12/31/2023 - Verb Likes this wine: 96 Points
dark red, brick rim - effusive nose of black fruits with prominent mineral and black pepper aromas, some oak and barnyard, but not that noticeable - abundant fruit early on, but faded by the mid-mouth - acidity predominates in the mouth - tannins are prominent, but not aggressive - 15-20 sec finish - agree with most previous tasting notes that this is a monumental wine, but as someone who resides on the complexity side of the fruit-complexity development spectrum, I think this wine needs another 5-10 years to achieve its full potential (I noticed that most tasting notes paired this wine with rare steak, but it compliments freshly made kielbasa nicely too!)
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12/25/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is just killer; 05 may be one of my favorite Chave vintages of the ones I've tried. The nose is explosive with blackberry and raspberry in peak summer; a hint of spice, smoke, violet, and just a tiny hint of salumi. The power and intensity is incredible and this continues to grow with 3 hours of air. Still primary and will drink well for decades ahead.
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10/27/2023 - Nanda wrote:
Northern Rhone Dinner (2012/2005/1998 focus) (Chez Lagragne): Wow, gorgeous and effusive aromas of black fruit, meat, black pepper, spice and florals. Decadent palate with layers and layers of meaty fruit with plenty of structure to support. Delicious enough and a clear WOTF for current enjoyment, but the greatness will truly come out in 10+ years.
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10/27/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
(Mostly) 1998, 2005, 2012 Northern Rhône (Chicago, IL): Explosive nose that seriously smells like blood -- there is so much iron here. Very, very intense with lots of fruit on the palate. That said, this isn't as tightly put-together as the 2009 or 2015. An impressive wine for its stature, but I think the handling of hot vintages at the Domaine is done better now than back in 2005. It feels weird to say, but this edition might be a little over-the-top. I'm curious to see where this goes, but that's probably a 20+ year trip.
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10/22/2023 - jviz wrote: 95 Points
Houston Northern Rhone Blowout: Tasted next to the 1998, this was quite a bit more burly and structured darker fruit to with most of the oak influence having faded. It’s drinking great, but still a long ways to go for further development. Quite reminiscent of the 2010 in that way.
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8/23/2023 - Rupert wrote:
Drunk alongside an 01 (and after an 85). Utterly brilliant, massive power, huge acidity, great grip. Hugely promising, and it's enjoyable now, but it was hard to pick up its nuances after the more evolved older wine.
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8/18/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very tight upon opening so I decanted for 8 hours! It really smoothed out and delivered a fabulous Chave experience despite its youth and even from magnum. Full-bodied but very fine in the Chave way with incredible flavors of black fruits, coal dust, campfire char and slate minerals. Layered and surprisingly ready with the long decant showing off an incredible finish with notes of smoked rocks and hearty violet spice. 95+
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8/12/2023 - burg++23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still all primary, even after 1 hour of decant. nose of ripe dark cherries. Mouth-coating tannings, gains complexity with more air, and better on the second day, where the smokiness comes through even if just by a bit
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7/9/2023 - Milos Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for about two hours and notes taken over the next three. Medium and deep purple - no sign of age. Nose is intense with the typical dark red fruit, black pepper and bacon. Palate is still fruit driven with incredible intensity and complexity behind the fruit. Tannins are ripe and present, but hard to notice behind the fruit. Approachable now but will get better. Decades to go.
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6/6/2023 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: “We got the funk…yeah… Chave got the funk…” If you’re billet is a barnyard and your palate is a pistol pinging for peat, then the 2005 Chave Hermitage is a call of the wild for you my friend. Earth and dry soil (AKA dirt), strawberry water, smoke, old spice (not the deodorant), bresaola, and grandma’s hope chest signal an advanced Chave that would surely be in my “drink now if ya got ‘em” category.
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5/28/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): Probably the best Northern Rhone I have tasted. This wine exemplifies everything you look for in Northern Rhone, and is in a zone right now, bridging the gap between fruit and tertiary flavors. In a perfect spot for my palate, although those who place a higher value on tertiary goodness may want to hold off on opening this for a few more years, or give it a good decant (2+ hours). For me, this was still tipping on the fruit side of the spectrum (black and red), but showed some blood, earth, leather and bacon fat, as well as a healthy dose of spice. Totally different animal than SQN or Grange. This is a wine that would be nice to sit with alone....it commands your full attention, and will reward you with awesome tasting experience. Hopefully someday, I will be able to do that! 97 points and the highest I have rated any Northern Rhone and ties the highest I have ever rated a Syrah/Shiraz.
Note....my friend who provided this wine thinks they should be drunk young....I say good things come to those who wait! In short, if you have a palate that favors big Napa wines, stick with SQN! On the other hand, if you enjoy elegance and complexity, and a wine that you can sit back and just enjoy life with, then this wine is for you! Since I am in both categories, I would be happy with either one!
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5/28/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Another bucket list wine and late in the tasting entrant. With just 3 bottles of syrah, this tasting did cover an amazing universe of tasting high end participants of the varietal with the young SQNs (I mistakenly put the ‘05 Atlantis in this bucket, but it’s a grenache; oops), the ‘04 Grange and this. This was lighter, browner, more acid-driven and subtler, although the Grange was not in any way an unsubtle wine. Dry earth, funk, hard to pin down florals, exotic spice, red and black currants and berries and plums. Taut to the point where the description of CT friend mjp of Burgundian seems not unfair. I adored the Grange, which seemed the perfect balance of power and elegance, and the SQN (yes, a grenache, but bear with me) seemed powerful to the point of being a bit disjointed; with this bottle, I wished for a bit more intensity, and although my starting point is a long way from CT friend WBW’s, wondered if I’d have found that earlier in its life. I wouldn’t think so, in light of the quality of the producer and vintage—this seems like a production decision—but having not had Chave wines previously—most of my Rhone endeavors have tilted South—I just don’t know, and would probably drink this sooner than later. Wonderful by any standards, when glancing to the right of the page and looking at pricing, I’d certainly choose the Grange and a very good dinner, but giant thanks to whomever delivered this lovely wine. 96+
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5/28/2023 - bsumoba wrote:
Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: Hermitage funk. I have tried to get into these wines but alas, I might have to delay this journey to the Rhone. I like Syrah, but maybe my palate is just looking for a slightly different Syrah style. Super interesting and the story behind Hermitage and Chave the producer is incredible. But I might need to table my opinions and scores for another day when I am maybe not bombarded with a bunch of spectacular Napa cabs.
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5/28/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 96 Points
Memorial Day Weekend, Day 2: The Great Gatsby: Dark and perfumed roses on the nose, a gentle incense note and dark red fruits.
Flavors of spiced, soft red fruits with a prickly and almost dry earth that runs across the palate. Seems to give an impression of dried oak as well.
This was good but compared to the '17 I've had some time ago, this was a let down. *whispers* Drink them young, it'll be ok! I'll protect you from the naysayers the best I can ;) If you don't drink em young, maybe try giving them 20-30 years but I have a strong feeling you'll be walking in the tertiary realm.. with rivers of acidity and cranberry vines.
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4/16/2023 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 96 Points
Off the list, the last bottle in the cellar at Berns in Tampa, (thanks for finding it, Dustin!) in perfect shape, lots of iron, brambly black raspberry , and black loam. Pink peppercorn spice, inky liquid granite, and framboise on the long finish. Wonderful with the 100 day dry aged ribeye, which when charred and medium rare was beefier and less gamey than expected. Not quite as captivatingly feral as my beloved ‘90, but a winner. Beautiful acidity, silky tannins , prime drinking now, and for 20+ years!
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2/26/2023 - redknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at home with Joe, Phillip of the valley and company
Great line up of wines including SQN Syrah 2011, Puy Lacoste 1996. Hermitage was the WOTN
Decanted for two hrs very refined with plenty of fruit, touch of bacon and peppery went well with grilled NY strips and ribeyes
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2/25/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 96 Points
Catching up with close friends always makes a great excuse to dive deep into the cellar.
Menu: Roasted beets, spring mix, feta, pistachios & balsamic vinaigrette, select cuts of prime filet, tomahawk & wagyu ribeye with a side of roasted mashed sweet potatoes.
Mousse Fils Perpetuelle BdN L'OR D'Eugene & 2021 Cornell Chardonnay.
Side by side 2005 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage & 1995 Abreu Madrona Ranch.
2010 Vieux Chateau Certan
2009 Dolce Winery Late Harvest
2005 Chave Hermitage-Btl No. 8357 First impression is that this a more powerful vintage of JCL. Medium Garnet in the glass with some tawny edges. Dark red fruits on display but more pronounced is aged leather, grilled meats, cracked black pepper and dried red fruits. I enjoy the vintages that have a bit more finesse, acid driven with Burgundian lift. This is a more series vintage displaying power at this stage. Coin flip on Abreu vs. JLC.
14 ABV
95 today
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1/28/2023 - Bob H wrote:
Another very nice wine. Young, but clearly not a waste at this time. It would be difficult to pick a favorite wine here tonight.
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12/21/2022 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – CDPs, Chave, Schrader and etc. (Q by Peter Chang - Bethesda, Maryland): Expressive youthful nose displaying intense black fruit, blackberry concentrate, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, garrigue, grilled fat, liquid smoke, rose, dark spices and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of layers of intense black fruit, intense and rich but also perfect balance and detail, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long intense black fruit driven finish with ink and smoke at the end. Another exceptional showing.
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11/22/2022 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
A wine of incredible density and intensity with rich, ripe fruit that borders on the surmature. The 2005 Chave is almost impeccable but the vintage pushes it a bit too extreme. Still, incredible fruit, blue and savory.
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9/18/2022 - drwine2001 wrote:
Sunday Lunch with Raveneau Chablis and Chave Hermitage (Piccino Restaurant, San Francisco): Deep ruby. Ripe, sweet fruit approaching surmaturité and perfumed green herbs on the nose. Slightly lighter weight and higher acidity than the 2010. Fabulous mixture of blueberry, soil, and other savory flavors. Drier tannins and tighter structure than the 2010, but this too is superb with the balance and bones to allow it to age for a very long time. It is not as open or immediately enjoyable as its younger sib and is probably more likely to go through periods of being shut down, but it seems like another sure thing.
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9/10/2022 - apg23 Likes this wine: 96 Points
It’s like drinking silk. I smelled menthol on the nose; one of my guests described it as “bruised mint”. Secondary notes of leather. Wonderful balance. Just enjoy it…
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4/22/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
During a tasting dinner. Rich and dense with lots of tannins and excellent freshness. The full Chave package as I remember the 2005. Deep aromas of forest floor, bacon, smoke, earthy elements and some funk. Very complex. This bottle showed youghfully after an 1h decant still. I will wait with my 2005s for another 5-6 years and drink the 2004 and 2006 in the meantime. 97pt with upside form here.
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4/20/2022 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
Early dinner gathering (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Another explosive nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry liqueur, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, rare steak, cedar, garrigue, a hint of bacon, liquid smoke, perfume, sweet spices and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated pure black fruit, rich and generous yet also perfectly precise and detailed, fluid and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long perfectly ripe black fruit driven finish with rare steak and cedar at the end. The 05 Chave has been incredibly consistent from the beginning. Truly a monumental wine.
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4/20/2022 - drwine2001 wrote:
Wine and Food Vacation…Finally!; 4/18/2022-4/21/2022: Opened and decanted 90 minutes prior to serving. Deep ruby but not opaque. Wow, what a nostril-filling combination of black olive and fennel to start. The green shifted to higher toned, less assertive menthol and was joined first by blackberry jam and later, some spice. Medium weight with an incredibly elegant, seamless feel and great clarity of the crisp, perfectly ripe blackberry fruit and creosote smokiness that are all Chave, even in this structured year. Slightly larger scaled than say a 1998, but not by much. Its energy and drive are provided more by perfectly integrated acidity than by tannins. This still has a good 10 years left until it peaks. A heroic wine.
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4/17/2022 - SpitzNV Likes this wine: 100 Points
Flawless. One of the top 3 reds I've had in my life.
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4/10/2022 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated pure black fruit with a hint of red, crushed blackberries, blackberry liqueur, ink, lavender, smoke, rare steak, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich yet beautiful detail and balance, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long pure concentrated black fruit driven finish with lavender and garrigue at the end. Although youthful, it is drinking beautifully.
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1/17/2022 - B Paul wrote:
This was decanted and consumed over 3 hours or so. So much going on here - dark fruit, herbs, pepper and even a touch of a mint-like note. Absolutely packed with flavor but not even a hint of heaviness. Still quite youthful, this has a long life ahead of it. Stunning wine.
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12/14/2021 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Early dinner gathering (Capital Grille, DC): Incredibly youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated intense black fruit, blackberry concentrated, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, lavender, incense, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich and unctuous but also silky and precise, perfect amount of acidity, strong mineral, and a seamless long concentrated black fruit driven finish with ink and dark spices at the end. Another memorable youthful example that has a long life ahead. IMO, the best Chave going back to the 90.
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11/2/2021 - Kevnzworld wrote: 96 Points
Madame Pic.
1 hour decant
Cherry , dried flowers , spicy finish with tobacco
Great balance, and one of our top Rhône’s on the trip.
The best of the 4 Chaves. 2011, 2005, 1998, 1995
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10/25/2021 - Ryan Whyte Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Just phenomenal stuff. Drank side by side with an incredible '05 La Landonne and it narrowly out performed it. Super animalistic nose with beef drippings and bacon fat wrapped in an endlessly concentrated core of black fruit and crushed gravel. Incredibly well integrated and powerful on the palate with a finish that went on for minutes. Was decanted for about 1.5h and was ready to rock. Need to find more.
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9/16/2021 - jjagtap wrote: 91 Points
Forwst floor, mid oallate very linear bay leaf some floral notes
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8/30/2021 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Served blind. This was terrific and surprisingly ready for business. Hard for me to call syrah blind given how uber minty and herbal the bouquet was. Really expressive and engaging nose, cool and minerally, but also more like a great loire red in profile than a hermitage. The palate was seamless and beautifully balanced with cool purple fruits, and it will undoubtedly deepen with more cellar time. If only holding a few, I’d give it another 5 years. Just lovely 93+
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8/28/2021 - pilot360 wrote: 95 Points
Unmistakably Northern Rhone Syrah, smoky, bacon, blue fruit, tobacco. This also had a bit of menthol running through it. The wine was wide open with 5 hours decant.
Plenty of power , structure, elegance. not heavy or over extracted.
Has room for + future evolution.
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6/9/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Acker's Post-COVID BYO, Dinner and Auction Simulcast (Craft - New York NY): Late night, small glass, brief note. Very rich, nearly jammy, giving a slightly awkward character but just so much to appreciate here. Probably suffering in context of so much great older wine tasted tonight.
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1/1/2021 - chbeaumont wrote: 96 Points
Rubied, out to rim; mulled dark fruits, good definition & (contradictory) refinement; tannins to fore, meaty & substantial fruit, refreshing acidity, all of one piece. Well balanced & proportioned. Lingering finish. Remains primary, give this 5 years.
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12/12/2020 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was a very good bottle; didn't quite have the wow factor of my first bottle of the '05, but still excellent; the nose is ripe with bramble berries, violet, black pepper, game meat, and crushed stone. The palate dense and rich, super concentrated stuff; yet somehow manages to feel elegant and light on its feet; this should age effortlessly given the concentration and balance. A definite wow vintage for Chave for me.
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12/12/2020 - Jmwestiv Likes this wine: 99 Points
Consistent notes
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10/10/2020 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
BM's famous brisket gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Intense nose displaying incredibly concentrated black fruit, blackberry liqueur, crushed blackberry, black cherry, licorice, incense, caramel, white pepper, garrigue, cedar, dark spices and mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense black fruit, rich and dense yet also pure and polished, perfect amount of acidity and limestone mineral, noticeable but fine tannins, and a long concentrated black fruit driven finish with liquid smoke and dark spices at the end. Although it remains youthful and can improve for a couple more decades, this is drinking incredibly well. My educated guess is that this will easily surpass the 90.
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9/27/2020 - jmoon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Taste on opening was exciting... caramel, funk, earth, and I imagined the potential , which didn’t eventuate . Nice clean warm rich but not hermitage as id expect it despite patience over 5 hours. Off bottle or over warm vintage ?
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8/29/2020 - Jmwestiv Likes this wine: 99 Points
Near perfect showing. Lots of his classic granite minerality. Was good out of the bottle and became more expressive over the 2 hours it was open.
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5/24/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 97 Points
With a two hour decant, this is drinking like heaven. Deep cherry and tar, ultra supple. A study in concentration and balance. If you have a few bottles, you owe it to yourself to start pulling corks.
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5/20/2020 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
Second Zoom tasting – Chave Hermitage (Mi Casa): Incredibly youthful expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe concentrated black fruit, blackberry jam, crushed blackberry, blackberry liqueur, black cherry, liquid smoke, lavender, perfume, licorice, sweet spices, garrigue and crushed rocks. Exceptional concentration and incredible balance, beautifully layered perfectly ripe sweet black fruit, incredibly rich yet silky and fluid, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a seamless concentrated black fruit driven finish with garrigue and liquid smoke at the end. Despite being so concentrated and youthful, the palate is sensual and weightless which reminds me the 01 Yquem. For my palate, the 05 is the best Chave Hermitage. Monumental wine!
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4/23/2020 - tmagsmaken Likes this wine: 94 Points
A real bouquet with dark fruit, cassis, white pepper, undergrowth and tobacco. Very inviting.
On the palate, full-bodied wine with lively acidity, and well-integrated tannins. Very juicy with lots going on mid-palate.
Extremely long finish.
A very good wine: pure, juicy, complex and intense. Ready to drink but can age for a very long time. I really enjoyed this.
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3/16/2020 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 94 Points
Kleur: Diep robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: Krachtig en stoer bouquet, verleidelijk, met tonen van donker fruit, zacht zoet gedroogd druit, zoetige kruidigheid en vleesjus. Smaak / Afdronk: Een kanjer van een wijn. Zachte zuurgraad, vol en geconcentreerd, retronasale indrukken van donker fruit en kruiden, boordevol prachtig gerijpte tannines. Enkele uren na opening is de wijn op zijn best! Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige Hermitage van topproducent Chave met nog een lange toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Color: Deep ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: Powerful and tough bouquet, seductive, with notes of dark fruit, soft sweet dried fruit, sweet spiciness and meat gravy. Taste / Finish: A whopper of a wine. Soft acidity, full and concentrated, retronasal impressions of dark fruits and herbs, full of beautifully aged tannins. A few hours after opening, the wine is at its best! General / potential: Beautiful Hermitage from top producer Chave with a long future ahead. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
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2/29/2020 - Nanda wrote:
Wines with the HDH Auction (Spiaggia): Open the night prior. This is such a packed and dense version of Chave -- it's loaded with ripe black fruit, pepper and meaty notes. So substantial and mouth coating. A real bruiser. Fun but I think it needs 15 more years.
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2/29/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction; 2/28/2020-2/29/2020 (Spiaggia - Chicago IL): Opened an hour before tasting, then revisited 2-3 times over the next few hours. Great aromatics start with black berries, black plum, black pepper and complex background spice. Similar flavors, just very backward and somewhat firm. This opened up over several hours, but clearly isn't quite in its peak drinking window yet, but 95+ point potential, 2025-2050.
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1/5/2020 - rc@ughey wrote: 95 Points
Still a baby but this is profound Syrah. Explosive nose and a four dimensional palate with a boatload pure dark and brambly fruit but somehow an equal measure of gnarly Northern Rhône iron, herbs, and meat. Decades to go and this will improve. No shame in opening but if you only have one I’d hold. The structure is still pretty serious.
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11/28/2019 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow wine. Drinking so beautifully. Dark fruit, smoke, olive, long palate. Not hot or overbearing. So good. Great Thanksgiving wine. Drank one from mag and one regular bottle. Very consistent.
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11/25/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple to ruby. A great nose. Chocolate, coffee and SH*T! Medium to high tannins. Blackcurrant on the palate. Layered and balanced. One of the darkest, mouth puckering, super tannic and seriously oaked wines! This needs time! But the quality is there. Drink 2025-2050+
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10/5/2019 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Blind N. Rhones: Not my favorite vintage, from my favorite Syrah producer. Monolithic with uber-ripe black fruit. Some pepper and olive. But this is all about the fruit. Time will hopefully help it come into greater balance and show more Chave character.
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8/17/2019 - Kevnzworld wrote: 95 Points
Rich brooding with dark berries plums and that unmistakable Syrah earthiness . Not as developed with secondary flavors as I would have hoped, even two hours in.
Drank during a wine society lunch with 8 other wines. Group #3.
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8/12/2019 - Guns and Rosés Likes this wine: 97 Points
Have had most of the vintages of this wine dating back to the early aughts and this vintage was apex Chave Hermitage. Exploding bouquet of spice, pepper, savory meats, and earth on the nose which was equally compelling on the pallet. This will age for a long time but is drinking extremely well right now. Seems to be in a perfect place IMHO.
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7/24/2019 - Cailles wrote: 98 Points
Wow, what an amazing wine. A perfect representation of the varietal and the region, an incredible kaleidoscope of aromas driven froward with verve and vibrancy. Despite being so young this Chave already shows more than on par with its reputation as one of the best red wines in the world. 98 points today, potential for perfection once reaching its peak.
TN: Iron, blood, black olives, green olives, smoke, blackberries, cassis, herbs, ash, leather, black truffles, wet eart, crushed rocks, wet slate, tar... new waves of aromas with every sip. Amazing precision and purity. All packed in a dense, full-bodied, structure with loads of very fine-tannin and a perfect acidity. So complex and powerful yet still very elegant. Once mature the structure will be even softer and the whole experience more elegant.
Decanting: Not decanted and good from the go but I guess some hours could further soften the structure and make it even more elegant.
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7/23/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Rich, ripe and almost marmeladey fruit, just a few fresh herbs. Over time sweet spices appear and bounce back of what I found was a mineral backdrop. Lots of power and a present tannic structure give an appearance of not being quite ready yet with some mouthcoating nuances. But nonetheless amazing savoury and spicey fireworks on the palate. And it gets better and better with time in the glass.
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5/25/2019 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
Dont have much experience with Chave but this is a greatwine. Lovely herb de provence aromatics. Dense.
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5/25/2019 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
12 coeur. Complex and textured, if still quite primary. From jero.
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2/19/2019 - rieslingchristoph wrote: 99 Points
Perfect bottle! Speechless...!
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2/3/2019 - Rezy13 wrote: 90 Points
Super Bowl 2019 (Alpharetta, GA): Dark garnet core with garnet rim, sediment; nose seems a bit dried out, slightly cooked fruit, tea, weedy, leather, some dried fruit, sandalwood, very tannic, dried out character, feel like it is from the Piedmont, no pyrazines so ruled out Bordeaux varietals; very surprising after reveal, disappointing, has to be an off bottle, called '97 Sandrone Cannubi.
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12/22/2018 - rlove wrote:
Deep, dark fruit, mixed spice, and roast meat are available on the nose. The palate is already silky and elegant and the 2005 Hermitage is surprisingly accessible but there is so much upside one shouldn't touch this for the better part of a decade. Drink starting 2025.
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12/10/2018 - KPB wrote: 99 Points
Sensational wine! Anyone who loves Syrah needs to try a Chave Syrah at age 13+. The nose is gamey and complex with red cranberry fruit, basmati rice, licorice and caramel, for starters, then loam and wet rocks. Tart yet rich and ripe, in a satiny package, endless finish. This could live for 25 more years. Might even merit 100...
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11/11/2018 - InTheMunee Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine had a "wow" nose at first pouring, expressing almost a Bordeaux-like expression of maturing red wine with lead pencil shavings; dark fruits, blackberry, plum; still some tannins present; in a spot between primary and secondary development; very nicely balanced and expressing elegance, but still concentrated and powerful at the same time; kind of hard to believe it's Syrah; seemed to get more fruit-focused as the wine developed with aeration, like it gained more primary elements and lost some of the maturing, secondary characteristics
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5/24/2018 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 99 Points
Manresa (Los Gatos, Ca.): Had the 88 earlier in the day, which was amazing...but blown away by this 05! The most amazing liqueured red berry fruits, exotic potpourri of spices(Vosne spice and red Chambolle perfume)...SO silky smooth and elegant, yet with a sneaky powerful youthfulness that will continue to help this age effortlessly. Deep and mesmorizing flavors of red licorice, exotic smoked woods, dusty white pepper, charcuterie...all balanced and plush to perfection. I have to have some of this in the cellar!
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4/15/2018 - dcwino wrote: 100 Points
A lazy Sunday afternoon Chave lunch (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Unbelievably intense nose displaying decadent yet pure concentrated black fruit, blackberry concentrate, crushed blackberry, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, wild flowers, incense, perfume, dark spices, a hint of tapenade and garriuge and crushed rock. Incredibly concentrated yet perfectly balanced, layers upon layers of intense blackberry, 10W-40 like viscosity yet silky and weightless a la Yquem, perfect amount of acidity, strong presence of limestone mineral and the finish that last forever. The incense, wild flowers and intense black fruit resonate and ringer. The tannins are completely masked by intense black fruit. I now am convinced that this is the best Chave Hermitage made at lease since the 80s. It remains incredibly young. For my palate, it will reach the peak in another two decades. Monumental! FWIW, Tom prefers the 10 this time and I can’t argue.
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3/31/2018 - BradE wrote:
My first crack at the 2005 Chave. Still quite young, but delicious now. This could end up being one of the greats.
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3/27/2018 - Zunga Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderfully young syrah. This is only going to get better. Had with the 89 which was the wine of the night. We had 4 Hermitages: 89, 97, 2004, 2005 and one LaLa 2002.
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2/23/2018 - dcwino wrote: 100 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Raveneau and Chave Vertical (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Absolutely gorgeous perfectly ripe nose displaying intense blackberry, blackberry liqueur, a hint of cherry, rose, ink, lavender, lavender, exotic incense, perfume, iron, green olive oil, tapenade and garrigue. Simply perfect palate, incredibly concentrated yet airy and fluid, unbelievably layered very fine black fruit, refined, silky/almost oily, polished, perfect amount of acidity and an incredible long black fruit and green olive oil driven finish with exotic incense and perfume at the end. The tannins are completely masked by sensual black fruit. Upon release, I thought Bob’s rating was a bit too low at 95 as it was one of the greatest young Syrah for me. This has developed beautifully and now is perfection. For my palate, this is one of the greatest Syrahs ever produced.
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11/17/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Power, finesse and a forward style sums things up nicely. From there, the levels of concentrated, dark, red fruits, pepper and earth take over. The tannins feel soft and polished, the finish delivers purity and soft, regal textures. This is a beauty and for Chave, the wine is already fun to drink, making this one of the earlier drinking vintages ever produced from the domaine.
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10/6/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Coravin # 2 - tobacco, smoke, cigar box, espresso, chocolate, pepper. Raspberry, blackberry, açai, leather, meat, bacon. Old school earthy for sure. Beef blood. Better than the first night we drank it. With some air really comes alive. I get the fuss now. Flirting with perfection.
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8/29/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tobacco, black pepper, chocolate, espresso, super duper meaty, earthy, black raspberry, acai, dark dark fruit. So good, olive. That being said, stylistically I'm a bigger fan of other Hermitage to be honest.
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8/23/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red.tart black cherry, black pepper, Stoney minerals, cigar tobacco , medium intensity, grilled herbs and even rhubarb. Finishes with an earthy note. Lots of sediment.
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7/6/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Krug and Dom Perignon Dinner, with Bonus Wines (The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Black cherry, fresh black berries, macerated black berries and some liqueur hints with sweet spice. Big, ripe and powerful but just seamless towards long finish. So glad I have two 6-packs stashed away in the cellar. So good right now, but I think another five years in the cellar will be well rewarded.
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6/24/2017 - ovenmitt wrote: 95 Points
Some others on CT have noted that this is starting to get into its window.... it did still feel young, but oh my little darling! Decanted for about 5 hours. On the nose we had green olive, boo berry cereal (remember this from when you were a kid?), and dusky cherry with a little leather kinda thing... yeah what a mashup, but it was sublime. It was definitely a big bruiser but with wonderful balance, beautiful complexity and the finest of tannin. This stuff will age for a long time, but it's quite an experience now too.
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5/22/2017 - Mellers wrote:
Too good a price to pass up on a restaurant list in France. I have no reference point against other great Hermitage, but this was the single most compelling bottle I've ever drunk. This is not primary or unmelded, but it was undeniably focused on its fruit which had a depth, quality and slight wildness that I've never experienced. This has the density and balance to go on for decades and when it finally unfurls it's going to be monumental.
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4/4/2017 - Raage Likes this wine:
Un nez plutôt élégant, floral, une attaque presque douce, sur des notes fruitées, à peine lardées, avec une touche d'olive noire, mais globalement, l'évolution est légère, et l'on remarquerait à peine qu'il s'agit du monumental 2005, si ce n'était cette finale qui resserre les papilles. Sa densité ne fait jour qu'en fin de bouche, avec une empreinte minérale un peu dure, des tanins certes fins et nombreux, mais o combien pointus, presque asséchants (réglisse, cèdre); fort heureusement sa maturité, sa douceur, gomme cette sensation qui finalement invitera l'amateur à garder des décennies durant ces 2005 magnifiques.
93/95
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3/4/2017 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Wow is all I can say. I ordered this at a restaurant because the price was too good to pass, but expected it to be too young. However, it was stellar. Definitely still fairly primary, but the balance and depth is unreal. The nose is beautiful with lots of red and blue fruits, olive, leather, a hint of bacon, and violet. The palate is fabulous, almost a crystalline purity of fruit, with so much concentration and depth it is almost overwhelming; there are also some savory, floral, earthy notes on the palate, but the fruit still dominates. The acidity is perfectly judged and the tannins which I expected to be almost overwhelming are beautifully integrated, perfectly ripe, and only noticeable on the finish, and with food not even that noticeable. The balance, density, freshness, and pure beauty of this wine is incredible. A great example of Chave Hermitage which while plenty powerful is as much about balance and finesse as ever. Definitely will only continue to improve and I wish I had some at home to try again in 5-10 years...
Night 2 - no significant changes to the above although the nose was more open with Asian spice, loads of red and black fruit, floral notes, smoke, meat, olive tapenade, leather, allspice, and crushed stone. Otherwise, it is still just a wow wine.
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1/28/2017 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 96 Points
{Bought on release, opened/decanted/poured at Troquet, perfect fill}. Initially reticent nose, full palate with very very fine tannins and big structure, power without undue size; opened part way over 1.5 hours to a perfumed, elegant, superbly satisfying wine. Needs at least another 5 years or several hour decant... not infanticide to try now but will let my other bottles sleep. Had with 1990 Jaboulet La Chapelle which for current drinking is better right out of the bottle, but I think the 05 Chave will be even better at its peak.
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1/22/2017 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 100 Points
Flawless purity. Beautiful, deep, ruby red color. I would say this wine was medium bodied (especially after a SQN Syrah reference point side by side). Perfectly balanced with integrated tannin and vibrant acidity. Dark cherry and berry aromas along with game, smoke, and foraged mushroom. As it evolved the fruit became elegant and a minty note developed. Spectacular wine. Highest recommendation. 100.
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1/11/2017 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
There appeared to be a slight taint to this bottle. As the wine sat in the glass it began to evolve nicely showing great depth and complexity. It will definitely benefit from another 5+ years of cellar time.
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11/7/2016 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
15 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Interestingly rich and heavy tobacco notes on the nose. Rich and larger tones than the prior wines, but that tobacco note is just so lovely. Soft soil notes enter the palate first, showing some mild tannins. Rich in texture with fine grained tannins. The flavors on the palate are pretty tight right now... while those tannins in the mouth are fine grained, if you hold this wine on your tongue for 20+ seconds they really begin taking over and pounding your mouth, more so than even the younger wines. Rich acid and massive tannin dial up on the large, rich finish. This is a massive wine. So much structure and beautiful fruit poking through, but it is just so tight. This needs so much more time. It's just so tannic today that it's not as enjoyable as it wants to be. This will be a beautiful, elegant wine, but I think it still needs decades. 91+++
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6/21/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
Dark ruby, purple core. Hoppla, right off the bat when smelling the nose we knew that something special was coming. Complex and deep nose of dark fruit, barnyard, leather, pepper, herbs. Full bodied, structured and fresh on the palate, very complete and captivating. Still young in terms of the tannins, but these are ripem, not drying tannins. This wine serves as a reminder to some of the Barossa producers that density does not have to come at the price of elegance and freshness. Awesome showing tonight. A wow wine in every aspect. 98+
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6/18/2016 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 98 Points
First slightly holding back, but opening up quickly in the glass. Fantastic notes of blackberries, cassis, some red berries too, horsesaddle, barnyard, pepper, leather, tobacco, cigar, cedar wood. It's full-bodied, dense and powerful, but not heavy, and has that silkiness and elegance only Chave can extract from Syrah. High acidity and high tannin that is ripe and top-notch quality. A fantastic, still young but surprisingly accessible Hermitage that combines power with lots of finesse.
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5/22/2016 - Purple Tooth wrote: 97 Points
This is why people pay big money for French wine. To get that guaranteed old world marriage of soil and fruit, with sheer power and strong legs for aging and further improvement. This wine is just in the drinking door and should be at peak in 5 years or so. Very classic, very French. drink if you must but I would HOLD a bit.
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4/28/2016 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Scott's Wine dinner at Honeysuckle, a bit of everything! (Honeysuckle, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying black fruits, blackberry liqueur, ink, licorice, incense, white pepper, lavender and animal. Excellent concentration, chewy yet beautifully polished and silky, strong present of acidity and mineral and seamless incredibly long finish that resonates. This has actually gained weight. Already quite enjoyable with ample fruits and sensual textures, this will develop beautifully for a few more decades. Monumental wine.
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2/5/2016 - michael47 wrote: 96 Points
Luscious bottle of wine - drank during Rhone dinner with friends. Double decanted. Polished well balanced dark Syrah fruit really shines through, some gaminess on the nose which disappeared after a hour. Lovely mouthfeel, nice long finish. Has ages of life left in it.
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8/28/2015 - swaap wrote: 97 Points
Verticale Chave (Terroirs-Y-Seleccion): Robe rouge sombre, on dirait de l'encre.
Le nez est sérieux, sur la réserve mais qui s'ouvre progressivement.
Arômes de baies et fruits rouges avec de la violette à fond et plein d'épices; ça me rappelle Bahadourian...
La bouche est complète et équilibrée. Ce vin est encore trop jeune.
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4/22/2015 - llink wrote: 94 Points
8 Vintages of Chave tasted at VVW (2004-2011)
Groups #1 and my #1 wine of the tasting.
Red fruited with a strong spicy note and some funk. Very well endowed, tightly woven, but ultimately fruit dominated. Has a sweet and sour component that adds complexity. Very tannic and drying finish, with some acid and heat lingering.
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3/25/2015 - Munch Likes this wine: 97 Points
Second of 8 2005 Northern Rhones tasted blind. Beautiful nose of violets, dark cherry, cassis and raspberry. A huge wine with mouth-coating tannins and deep rich flavors of blackberry liqueur, herbs, black pepper, vanilla and licorice . Long finish and still very youthful and tannic. This ought to improve for at least a couple of decades. This was my WOTFlight, edging out #8 (La Mouline) by a whisker, and was also the group's WOTF.
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3/20/2015 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank with dinner in Vail, CO with my brother and father at Larkspur Restaurant. Notes are from some detailed scribbles I made later in the night, and from my memory. This wine was somehow on discount on the wine list for only $245 - this is no joke. We opened and decanted it for about 45-min while enjoying a cocktail at the bar. The nose was the most extraordinary, aromatic nose I have ever encountered - the waiter said he could smell it 10-12 feet away. It brought layers upon layers of spring flowers, violets, roses, tulips, cherry blossoms, dark cherries, raspberries, bacon fat, green olives, and even some interesting musty leather and garrigue-like notes. The palate was full, jagged, and still quite compact, bringing cherry smoked pork, charcoal, black olives, more raspberries, and interesting hints of smoked cedar wood (I think). The finish lasted for 60-seconds plus and like wave sets crashing on the beach (surfing metaphor), it brought candied strawberries, molasses, hints of rhubarb, chocolate cherries, and wet grass. I could go on and on but hands down, it was quite possibly the most enjoyable wine I have ever had. Even more frightening, it's still a baby. Drink 2020-2030.
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3/3/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 97 Points
The 2005 Chave Hermitage seemed to literally blossom in the glass with a bouquet which spoke to everything I love about the northern Rhone. Initially it was very much rooted in the earth with dark soil tones, brown stems and herbs, yet turning deeper and richer with air, as notes of crushed red berry, exotic spice, violet florals, minerals and hints of animal musk lifted from the glass. On the palate, this gave the impression of a never-ending veil of silk being gently pulled across the senses—seamless came to mind. Its dark red fruit gave way to cascading layers of savory herbs and red floral tones as it came to a finish with dusting of mineral-tinged earth.
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2/28/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
White pepper and beef on the nose. The palate is medium in weight with beef and forest floor. Some herbs and remarkable tannins. Needs time but oh so good.
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10/4/2014 - KPB wrote: 99 Points
What a fantastic wine! I wish I had bought a few more back when it was affordable.
The wine is medium-dark ruby with a blackish core. Very fragrant nose that shows lavender, cherries, vanilla, and a faint creamy fresh brioche note. The wine manages to be tart yet sweet, like ripe griotte cherries, with a deep long finish that ends on a gamey note. Superb. I'm torn between 99 and 100.
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1/21/2014 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
The nose on this is beguiling. Crushed bright raspberries, pomegranate juice, dried violets, and just a hint of camphor. The palate is concentrated but light on its feet with pomegranate seed, a touch of animal skin, dried beef and slightly tart acid. A touch of bitterness in the finish leading to drying tannins. I really like this.
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1/15/2014 - vespa110 wrote: 90 Points
carico colore... naso un pò sfuocato tra terra carne secca, pomodoro, bocca ricca calda, fruttata, persistente, trovato in fase un pò strana.
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1/12/2014 - Bogho wrote:
Chave me ne ha fatte di tutti i colori, partenza alcolica, poi fruttone scuro, apertura sul floreale; lo ritappo e porto al ristorante ma invece di aprirsi tornano note ridotte, di stalla, la bocca molto meglio, potente masticabile senza essere pesante, legno non pervenuto. Da aspettare
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7/11/2013 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Nose of violettes, black cherries, black peper...powerful northern cherries, light acidity, still a hint of tannins, probably much too young to drink at this stage...
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7/7/2013 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Another lazy Sunday dinner with La Las, Chaves, Chapelles, Rayas, Plume and Celestins (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Once again, extremely impressive showing. Crushed blackberries, crèmes de cassis, a hint of licorice, smoked meat, white pepper, mineral, flowers and animal. Excellent concentration,, silky, cool and sensual palate, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. This is a beautiful youthful wine that will become something monumental with time. I don’t quite know how to explain but this concentrated cool syrah is very Burgundian for me.
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5/2/2013 - Melli wrote: 95 Points
Really an outstanding wine which will only get better in 10 and 20 years.
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3/31/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Black and intense aromas - Blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, black pepper. Slightly floral in the way that the best vintages of Chave show me Burgundian charm. Powerful fruit-driven palate with firm tannins, that despite being open and decanted for several hours, demanded another couple of decades in the cellar. Very long, very powerful finish.
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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): Lot´s of tannins and a great expression of Syrah growing on granite. A little closed and not yet completely balanced. 11 Hermitage´s to come in this event.....
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1/15/2012 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 3.5 hours. An intoxicating nose. Wonderful fruit, sweet pepper, pencil eraser, and strong tannins. Very complex. This was drinking great with a long decant, but the tannins suggest it will show better in the future.
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1/15/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 97 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Year End Event (Shari's House): Close to the best wine I have ever had and over time it might get there. Intense nose with white pepper, blueberries, roses, raspberries, mild oak and minerals. Complex is an understatement and the palate and finish just change over and over. The finish on this wine is over a minute and a true wine to savor. A pure effort that will improve. This could get to 100 for me. 97-100.
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1/14/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
Mpls Wine Club: Highly Rated Rhones: Chave, Guigal, Usseglio + Poyferre & Cos (Shari's house): Very dark red color. Decanted for 3.5hrs. Drank 2 glasses over 4 hours. Nose slowly develops into a glorious perfume of flowers, cassis, , blueberry, cedar, pepper, blackberry liqueur, pepper, and plum, and after 2 hours added in this wonderful horsey character. This nose was great, but WOW, the palate is even better. Amazing concentration, the flavors explode on the palate, deep, dark fruits, full body, intense white pepper that coats the most and persists throughout the finish, loads of glycerin, velvety and mouth coating, nice integrated tannins, and a very long 120+ second finish. This wine has impeccaable balance, a glorious nose, power and elegance on the palate. My and group WOTN with 8 of 12 first place votes and 29 total points. 96+ to 97 pts.
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1/14/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
I do not taste young Chave Hermitage often. This bottle reminded me why I usually give the wine at least a decade before popping a bottle. Gobs of pepper, blackberry liqueur, stone, juicy plums and earthy notes catch your attention. Powerful, full bodied, concentrated and tannic, the wine fills your mouth with flavor, freshness and mouth drying tannin. Wines meant to age are interesting to taste young, but most of the time they are not a lot of fun to drink. This needs at least another decade before it becomes civilized. Based on this bottle, it's going to be worth the wait.
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8/8/2011 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
One of the most impressive young wines that I have ever encountered. Now the wine has settled a bit but still quite expressive.
Sulfite blew off quickly and is becoming very expressive. Crushed blackberries, licorice, anise, white pepper, crushed rocks, white flowers and musk. The black fruit and crushed rock reminded me a freemark abbey petite but this is in no way monolithic.
The palate is unctuous, intense and chewy yet the impression is quite fresh, light and delicate. The mid note displays tar and a hint of raspberry that is very Burgundian. This is a very sensual wine that is drinking beautifully now. I am certain that this will gain the smoked meat nose in a few years and become more complex.
A great wine now and will be a perfect wine one day.
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6/6/2011 - ludwigbpm wrote: 95 Points
Très représentatif du millésime avec son côté austère et un peu tannique. Matière imposante, grande richesse et longueur phénoménale. Superbe
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5/9/2011 - vespa110 wrote: 92 Points
Rosso rubino intenso, naso cassis , prugna , mora, leggero sentore di patè di olive, carne cruda seccata, bocca enorme, polposo , tannino presente e buono, leggero alcol sopra le righe, ottimo vino che si beve con molto gusto .
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12/10/2010 - cetsw Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit young but massive promise. Jean-Louis Chave one of the best young Rhone vignerons. Keep an eye on him.
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5/1/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Very very young. Didn't have time to open up to its full potential.
Funky, mossy, shroomy with some excellent dark red berry support. Really nice elegance showing a masculine side - screams Hermitage.
Extravagant with a nice savory quakity - soy sauce, balsamic. Smoked meat - dark and floral. Showing nice spice.
Lots of potential. Opulent and royal. Great acid.
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5/1/2010 - psmith wrote:
Some sulfur on the nose, and funky/sweaty in a Rostaing sort of way. Some characteristic spice and dark fruits underneath, but mostly structure at this point which doesn't do the wine justice.
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1/12/2010 - xwine wrote:
Wine Exchange Rhône Tasting (Sonoma): Deep ruby color. Very deep and intense black fruit on the nose, with some fennel. The palate is huge, with black pepper, dark fruit, and beautiful structure. The firm tannins are present, but this still drinks quite nicely considering its youth. Tremendous wine. This is just a baby, and I imagine will be drinking well for decades.
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9/21/2009 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Wine at RN74 in SF (Chave, Clape, Dauvissat, Meo, Grange, more); 9/21/2009-9/24/2009: Ordered off the list of RN74, an awesome restaurant on Mission Street in downtown San Francisco. Popped and poured and this was rocking. Awesome, soaring nose of dark fruit, pepper, mineral/iron and a most enticing meatiness/funkiness. Showing unbelievably well for such a young wine. A little more straightforward on the palate featuring mainly dark fruit, but with good expansiveness and divine balance leading to an excellent, albeit tannic, finish. I felt this closed down considerably within an hour or so of being poured, so we may be on the trailing edge of youthful drinking but I would have no hesitation to pull the cork and savor this beauty over the next few months. Rated 95 for now but there is definitely upside potential.
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6/22/2009 - rstark wrote: 92 Points
Rhone Varietals, NYC June 2009 (Tribecca Grill): Amythest color, truffle aroma. Fresh strawberry, less earth than promised on nose. Young tannins. Still angular
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4/24/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): Nose: this was straight pop n pour, and with about 5 minutes of swirling the nose just started to come to life. Very youthful and powerful nose that was just screaming with deep tones of mineral rich earth, all sorts of meaty tones, black cherries, and campfire smoke. This is shocking at how deep it was right from the bottle and just showing itself off as a brusier of a chave
taste: ridiculously tannic, but with a real sexy medium/full feel with deep tones of mineral rich earth, roasted meats, black cherries, charcol and some smoke tones. The tannins are very strong as would be expected, but it still showed off some of what should become an absolutely stunning wine
overall: I'd love to taste this after a day on decanting as I have no doubt that it show very stunning for such a young chave. Very deep and pure that just begged for more time than it deserved at the end of a long night. just giving a tease of a peak of what's to come
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3/28/2009 - Rossodio wrote: 96 Points
My first >95 point wine. Sipping on this beauty is a transcendent experience. Only two other wines, a 2004 1er cru Meursault "Les Genevries" from Bouchard Pere et Fils and the 1990 Suduiraut, have actually made me feel weak in the knees just upon taking in the beauty of its nose. This wine brings rich, brooding aromas of iron, sanguine, rare ribeye steak, and fig. On the palate, the tannins are ever present but not overbearing, being small and square, arching beautifully over a palate of fresh cracked black pepper, iron, and some green spice with again a meaty flavor leading the way. The finish, like the palate, is wound a bit tight right now, lasting 30-45 seconds, but with aeration this wine shows potential to be one of the finest rhone wines of the 21st century thus far. Definitely hold onto most of your bottles for 5-10+ years, but if you have a half a case or more, this may be worth popping open right now.
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3/27/2009 - mimik wrote: 93 Points
Montreal Wine Guy Weekend a la Quebecoise; 3/27/2009-3/28/2009 (Wentworth North-Vinaigre's brother's cottage): Very barnyard on the nose, with some funk that blew off on a dark and brooding nose. Huge palate of blackberry fruit, lots of everything but tightly wound but you can tell this is a huge wine. Chocolate and vanilla notes on a long long tannic finish. Needs a decade. 93+ for now.
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1/3/2008 - MWes wrote:
No rating; not my thing. Too much black licorice taste for me.
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