<p>This wine really inspired me. It is one of the greatest values I have ever tasted from Hermitage, and from the top producer of this legendary site to boot. Chave Hermitage belongs on the very short list of the world’s finest and most historic wines. Since the 1400s, generations Chaves have hand-farmed this same hillside and, in doing so, have created one of the world’s great wine dynasties.</p><BR><p>It is impossible to tell the story of France’s Rhône valley or the Syrah grape without referencing this family’s enormous contribution. Still, the glory that is Chave Hermitage does not come easy for those without considerable patience and means. We’ve never offered a bottle on this site for less than $265&mdash;and even at such significant cost, we always stress how the wine demands 15-25 years of additional cellar age to achieve peak maturity. So, it’s a little shocking to encounter a youthful 2011 Hermitage that delivers everything we seek without putting a crater in one’s wine budget. Chave’s Hermitage “Farconnet” does just that. Jean-Louis Chave, one of the wine world’s greatest living masters, has created a deeply satisfying and impressive wine&mdash;I promise you won’t be disappointed.</p><BR><div>As one drives north through the Rhône valley toward Burgundy, the hill of Hermitage dominates the horizon. This towering granite hillside looms over the village of Tain and is world renowned for producing deep, timeless, cellar-worthy Syrah. One of my favorite wine scholars and heroes, 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&mdash;this is a region/style/variety-defining wine that graces virtually every great 3-star Michelin wine list I’ve ever seen. The Chave family’s Hermitage Rouge “Farconnet” bottling is a blend of fruit from the ‘lieu dit’ vineyards Greffieux, Diognières and Péleat. To be clear, this is not the most expensive Hermitage bottling that Chave releases, and it won’t live for 100 years (maybe only 40!). Still, for a fraction of the cost of Chave’s top wine, this bottle overflows with classic Hermitage terroir and is firing on all cylinders right now.</div>\r\n<p>rn<br></p><div><br>The 2011 JL Chave Hermitage “Farconnet” offers everything I seek in world-class Hermitage. In the glass it is concentrated dark garnet red with purple highlights. The nose is a dense layer cake of wild blackberry, ripe black cherries, berry liqueur, crushed granite, black pepper, dried black olives, cured meats, exotic chai-like spice. and dried wild herbs. On the palate, there is a perfect synergy due to powerful fruit and richness combined with a palpable granitic tension.<br></div>\r\n<p>rn<br></p><div><br></div>\r\n<p>rn<br></p><p>This is textbook Chave. The family has perfected the art of bottling an impressively powerful and brooding wine that somehow remains weightless and refreshing with every sip. One important element of this secret equation is deceivingly ample freshness and acidity. This 2011’s brightness and energy mean that it will improve for many more years if cellared properly; I think it will see its best years after its 10th birthday yet it is incredible this very moment. We’ve said before that one of the Chave family’s primary goals is to create a timeless wine which can be handed down through generations. This wine is no exception, and I can’t wait for you to try it. Simply decant for one hour and serve in Bordeaux stems just above cellar temp (60-65F) with some of your best friends and a serious meal. One of the greatest pairings of all with world-class Hermitage is lamb. This wine served alongside this particular “seven-hour” Leg of Lamb <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Seven-Hour-Leg-of-Lamb\">recipe</a> will make time stop and you will encounter pure joy. Just don’t run out of wine!<br></p>\r\n<p>rn<br></p><div></div>