Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Rouge, Rhône Valley, France, 2022

Overview of the Wine
Going back to 1481, when the first Jean-Louis Chave was gifted a vineyard in St Joseph by the nobleman Farconnet, 25 generations have farmed some of the best parcels in the Northern Rhône. Though now known as perhaps the best producer of Hermitage (and certainly among the best blenders in the world), the family only expanded to this famous hill during the mid-1800s wave of phylloxera that decimated Europe's vineyards. 

In the 1970s, when Gerard Chave took over from his father, the domaine rapidly achieved megastar status due to the extraordinary quality of his wines. Gerard's son Jean-Louis (25th of his name) now oversees the estate and has shown an ever expanding dedication to improving the already stunning quality of these rare wines. Jean-Louis Chave regularly dedicates the domaine to intense and exacting projects, the benefits of which will be seen by future generations. Indeed, the estate employs three full time stonemasons just to repair the traditional stone walls dotting the vineyards. 

Since the 1990s, Jean-Louis Chave has offered a second label known as 'J.L. Chave Sélection' that provides a glimpse of the reason for the estate's fame at a fraction of the price. Many of these wines are from declassified estate wine and long term farming contracts, and are vinified in the domaine's primary cellar in Mauves. 

Winemaker
Jean-Louis Chave

Grapes / Blend
Syrah

Origin
Hermitage AOC, Rhône Valley, France

Tasting Notes
Generally 100% destemmed, as the Hermitage is meant to be about the expression of the individual vineyards and soils and Jean-Louis believes that stems have a tendency to level out the differences. Fermentation in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks. Aged in barriques for 30 months.

98 Points - Decanter
A tasting of the different lieux-dits showed how the different soil types reacted to the drought. Granite-based parcels (Ermite Les Bessards) suffered blockages in ripening and finished at 13% alcohol; the clay-based terroirs (Le Méal Les Beaumes) didn't stop ripening and finished at 15%. The overall blend will be powerful but fragrant complex and stylistically sits within other recent dry and hot vintages and isn't outside the current norm (it's nothing like the similarly extreme 2003). Picking started at the end of August. (Drink between 2030-2047)

98 Points - Vinous
I tasted various separately vinified lieux-dits that will eventually curate the 2022 L'Hermitage. Both the L'Ermite and Les Bessards the cuvée?s backbone show terrific structure finesse and complexity. I am totally taken by the sheer beauty of the Les Beaumes with its striking inner energy and the mesmerizing floral lift of the Péléat. Cropped at an overall 30 hL/ha the ripeness of the vintage is skillfully balanced by lifting freshness throughout all components. I can't wait to taste the final result. 

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Hermitage will be a beauty, but it has the focused, firmer, straight style of the vintage. As usual, I was able to taste through all of the lieux-dits: Péleat, Les Beaumes, L'Ermite, Le Méal, and Les Bessards, all being mid- to upper-90s ratings, the standouts being L’Ermite and Bessards, with the Méal possessing a more focused, tannic style than normal. All of the barrels I was able to taste had remarkable purity, beautiful overall balance, and classic Hermitage class, with an incredible sense of minerality. 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.

95 Points - Wine Advocate
The 2022 Hermitage from Jean-Louis Chave is broad and deep bursting with aromas of smoke licorice and dark wild berries mingled with delicate notes of fresh thyme and spices. Full-bodied dense and powerful layered and concentrated it has a fleshy palate with a broad attack racy mid-palate velvety tannins and a mordant somewhat firm finish. Remarkably despite the sunny dry conditions of the vintage the wine does not exhibit an overtly warm character. This Hermitage stands out at this address as a particularly unique expression rewarding those who are patient. 

Product size: 750ml