As one drives north through the Rhône Valley toward Burgundy, the hill of Hermitage dominates the horizon. This towering granite hillside looms over the small village of Tain-l'Hermitage and is world renowned for producing deep, timeless, and infinitely cellar-worthy Syrah. In this historic appellation, one family estate has been producing elite wines longer than any other: Domaine Jean-Louis Chave. It is an accepted truth that Chave’s Hermitage Rouge is simply one of the most compelling and complex wines on the planet. One of my favorite wine scholars, Jancis Robinson MW, has said that in the entire northern Rhône Valley “no one is more respected than Domaine Jean Louis Chave.” And it’s true: this is a defining wine from all angles, gracing virtually every 3-star Michelin wine list I’ve seen. It is a certified, time-tested classic and a necessary benchmark for any wine collector or enthusiast who wishes to familiarize his/herself with the world’s top tier of red wines.
Chave’s signature “L’Hermitage” is a top selection of the “Peleat,” “Les Beaume,” “Ermite,” “Meal,” and “Bessards” lieux-dits, with the latter typically making up the largest portion of the blend. I’ve been to the cellar, and will always remember tasting Bessards: It was utterly pure and ripe with haunting perfumes that collided with a deeply mineral, smoky, blue/black-fruited palate. In the winery, all parcels are vinified and begin aging separately. Nearly all grapes are de-stemmed and the site-specific vinifications occur in a combination of wooden and stainless steel vats. Due to the heat and concentration of 2019, Chave’s fermentations ran slow and cold before the resulting wine was transferred into 228-liter French barrels for 30 months. Afterward, the different lots were meticulously blended together and the wine was bottled unfined.
Always an opulent, complex, textural masterpiece, Chave’s “L’Hermitage” delivers an incomparable Syrah experience with exotic spice, smoke, crushed granite, leather, cured meat, savory herbs, and the finest olive tapenade money can buy. As the wine evolves in its first few years, you can generally expect dense, hearty surges of brambleberries, plum, crème de cassis, and black cherry liqueur to reel you in and keep you captivated for hours. But it’s the marriage of supernatural energy, breathtaking grace, and muscle-bound power on the luxuriant palate that’s Chave’s coveted signature
