Jean-Louis Chave’s revered “L’Hermitage” Rouge and Blanc are towering Grand Vins that stop the clock on all other Rhône offerings. Judged alongside the French titans like DRC, Lafite, and Rayas, these wines redefine a legacy where every release takes Hermitage to mythical heights.

Critics aside, trust us when we say that seldom is a wine treated with such passion and reverence. Generations of collectors have savored, cellared, and showcased this holy grail—it has become a mandatory crown jewel for any serious wine collection. 

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.” 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. 

Always a rich, complex, textural masterpiece, Chave’s “L’Hermitage” delivers a formidable Syrah experience, with exotic spice, smoke, crushed granite, leather, cured meat, savory herbs, and the purest 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 minutes and hours. But it’s the marriage of supernatural energy, breathtaking grace, and muscle-bound power on the opulent palate that’s Chave’s coveted signature. This is one of the greatest experiences in the world of wine. Cheers!

Press: 

 98 Points, Decanter Magazine | 96-98 Points, Vinous Media | 95-97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

"This is a great wine, but it's going to take a decade of bottle age. The firmer structure and incredible minerality actually remind me of the 1998, although I think there's a touch more sun-kissed fruit here." - Jeb Dunnuck, March 2024