Domaine J. L. Chave Hermitage, Northern Rhône

This is one of the greatest wine estates of France, respected not only in the Rhône Valley but by vignerons and wine lovers throughout France. Gérard Chaves success derives from an infinite attention to detail, and from a rare feel for grapes and their treatment. There are no secrets, nor indeed the wizardry with which some have sought to cloak him - just hawk-eyed zeal to ensure that every operation, from attaching the growing shoots to their chestnut posts to meticulous cellar management, is done properly. The hill of Hermitage is not geologically uniform, but posesses a diversity of soil-types and microclimates. Each climat adds something different yet necessary to the blend, which comes through year-on-year despite the common factors of grape, vintage and vigneron; true evidence of terroir. The Chaves have vines in 9 of the 18 climats, including a 2ha slab of Les Bessards, the granitic central spine, which acts similarly as a backbone for their red wine. This diversity enables Gérard and Jean-Louis to create an assemblage that balances aromatic complexity with palate finesse and structure. Decanter commented in their April 2004 article on Hermitage that, "True champion of the blended wine, though, is Domaine Jean-Louis Chave. The parcels of vines are spread through eight different climats, including Les Bessards and Le Meal, and the grapes from each are harvested and aged separately before being blended with a skill that can only be described as an art form."

Hermitage Blanc 2006 Chave's style of winemaking is totally traditional. His white Hermitage is made from a blend of 90% Marsanne and 10% Rousanne, and aged after malolactic fermentation in both vats and old wooden barrels for 14 to 18 months. A Chave white Hermitage can be relied upon for richness and elegance, with a balance and structure finely tuned for long aging. They are best drunk either young or left for a decade or more to develop complex aromas and flavours, typically honey, acacia, lime-blossom and hazelnut, supported by a finely-tuned combination of acidity, glycerol and alcohol.

"Tasting through the component parts that will go into the 2006 Hermitage blanc, the Peleat, Rocoules, and l'Ermite, this appears to be another outstanding vintage chez Chave. Generally a blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne, it is fascinating to see how the different sites, such as Peleat (pure finesse, elegance, and minerality), Rocoules (fat, honeysuckle, and loads of glcyerin), and l'Ermite (a combination of power, concentration, and extraordinary laser-like precision and minerality), combine to produce an amazingly rich, concentrated wine that should turn out to be as good as the blockbuster 2005. I don't think the 2006 has the power and density of the 2005, but it's very close. I would drink either one at any time. It should drink well for 20 + years." 94 - 96 points, Robert Parker February 2008

Hermitage Rouge 2006 The Chaves' red Hermitage mirror their whites in richness, completeness and finesse. Even after a few years in bottle, a vein of seductively silky fruit starts to emerge, a quality retained in the stately progression through the various ages of wine. The Chaves' style is not for massively extracted, heavily structured young wines. The keys are simple: low yielding old vines for naturally balanced, concentrated fruit, harvested at optimum ripeness, with a vinification designed to maximise extraction of flavours and fine tannins; thereafter an élevage to encourage the expression of each terroir through its fruit and then blending to produce a wine of balanced structure and complexity.

"I tasted through the cuvees of 2006 Hermitage, and the least of them was probably the elegant Peleat, but it was still outstanding. Several of the cuvees, such as Meal, Bessards, and Les Beaumes, were upper 90-point material. This should turn out to be a great, great vintage for their red Hermitage as it reveals the classic cassis, crushed rock, and pepper characteristics along with enormous power, unctuosity, and richness. Licorice and black olive notes are also apparent. This is a dead-ringer for the 1991 Chave Hermitage, which is drinking spectacularly well today." 95 - 98 points, Robert Parker February 2008

All wines are available by the unmixed case to Licensees and Private Consumers, subject to availability.

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