Jean-Louis Chave L'Hermitage Rouge 2021
CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
"An incredibly refined, elegant, floral and silky Hermitage. The nose shows notes of dark cherries, forest berries, sweet spices, forest floor and a hint of roasted meat. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. It’s very 2021, with freshness and brightness. Violets caress the palate and the pristine, lively finish with length and a touch of pepper. Drink or hold.” - 98 PTS, JAMES SUCKLING (04/2024)
"A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending was as instructive as ever. Péléat was smooth, silky and red-fruited with good acidity; Beaumes slightly meatier, a little less concentrated than a typical year, but with good tannic drive; L'Ermite was serious, dry and mineral; Bessards very strict, with tight, rigid tannins. The final blend is likely to produce a structural rather than generous style of Hermitage, with tannins that will need a long time in bottle to settle. This will be ascetic in youth, then complex and textural with age. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2043.” - 96 PTS, MATT WALLS, DECANTER (09/2022)
IMPORTER NOTES:
OVERVIEW: “Defined by the art of blending, bringing together fruit from several historic parcels across the hill—including Bessards, Beaumes, L’Hermite, Péléat, Méal, Greffieux, and Diognières—each contributing structure, aromatics, richness, or finesse to create a wine greater than the sum of its parts. Bessards, a steep granite slope, consistently forms the backbone of the blend, while other sites add depth, texture, and balance. To preserve the character of each terroir, parcels are vinified separately, with fermentations in stainless steel, wooden vats, and tonneaux, gentle extraction, and largely destemmed fruit. After about 18 months of élevage, the components are blended and aged further in mostly neutral oak for a total of roughly 30 months, before bottling without filtration. The result is a wine of remarkable complexity, structure, and longevity, expressing the full diversity of Hermitage.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCER: “The Chave family has been making wine in the Rhône Valley since 1481, and after 16 generations tending the vineyards of Hermitage, the name has become synonymous with the appellation itself. This long stewardship has made Domaine Jean-Louis Chave one of the Northern Rhône’s great treasures, guided by a philosophy in which the vineyard defines the wine, blending defines Hermitage, and the cellar’s role is simply to preserve what the land gives.”