There’s simply no denying that this is one of the most significant wines in the world. When it comes to France’s shortlist of all-time greatest reds, Jean-Louis Chave and his ancient family estate stand alongside DRC, Lafite, and Rayas. No bottle more faithfully encompasses the history and soul of this region as expressed through the Syrah grape. As such, generations of wine collectors have savored, cellared, and showcased the holy grail that is Chave’s Hermitage, as it is a mandatory crown jewel in any serious wine collection.
Since 1481, numerous generations of the Chave family have hand-farmed this single hillside in pursuit of one shared goal: a timeless and sacred wine that will outlive its creator and become a vinous heirloom for the next. After recently walking through their ancient wine catacombs, tasting barrel samples from each distinct site, and listening to Jean-Louis describe each intricacy with eloquent detail, their otherworldly status was cemented for us. Simply put, Chave Hermitage is the gold standard, not just for Syrah, but for all of wine. Each July, we receive a minuscule allocation of this prized and incredibly scarce flagship red, but our numbers have been further capped due to the tremendous praise that the 2016 is receiving. Up to three bottles per person.
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 renown 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 selection of the best lieux-dits on this towering hill with soils that range from granite to sand to clay. In the winery, all parcels are vinified and aged separately. During our April visit, we were fortunate enough to barrel sample each individual site, and there’s no doubting that each one had their own special nuances. Ultimately, Jean-Louis is a master blender. Almost all grapes are de-stemmed and the site-specific vinifications occur in a combination of wooden and stainless steel vats. The wine is then transferred into 228-liter French barrels (~10% new) for well over two years. Afterward, the lieux-dits are blended together and the wine is bottled unfined.
There are many similarities to the 2016 and 2015—namely, they both hold the high-toned energy, signature polish, and brooding power that Jean-Louis Chave has long mastered. Still, they are very different beasts, with the ’16 showing less intense concentration and more lift. But it’s not lacking power—far from it: A rich and textural masterpiece, Chave’s newest “L’Hermitage” isn’t a flashy, attention-seeking wine, but rather a young man of erudition whose gifted work speaks for him. In place of the plush fruit and juiciness of ‘15 is a Syrah with formidable backbone and unrivaled structure, which, to me, is when this grape and world-class site perform best. The nose is a dead ringer for Hermitage: ripe blackberry, cassis, wild raspberries, and muddled huckleberry lead the charge of fruit while smoke, leather, cracked pepper, lavender, wild herbs, olive tapenade, cured meat, cacao, and turned earth march right alongside in perfect cadence. The marriage of energy and power is Chave’s signature and it seems everyone is buzzing about the bright future of this ‘16. Should you exercise patience over curiosity, expect this to last over the next 30 years and beyond. As we’ve mentioned for prior vintages: If you’re determined to taste a bottle sooner, decant for at least three hours (or pull the cork in the morning and leave out the entire day), serve in Bordeaux stems around 60-65 degrees, and be sure to save a glass for the days following. Give it time and it will reward you infinitely. This is one of the greatest experiences in the world of wine, so be sure and treat it as such!
