Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Blanc, Rhône Valley, France, 2012

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
80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne

Origin
Hermitage AOC, Rhône Valley, Franc

Tasting Notes
Favoring slow fermentations for his whites to maintain freshness, Jean-Louis's whites always stress texture and richness while staying gorgeously focused and pure. All of the individual plots showed serious richness and depth, yet held onto the purity and suppleness of the vintage. Licorice, flower oil, honey, apricot and peach were found in all of the samples to varying degrees and it should wind up being a mid- to upper-90s scoring white that will evolve for decades.

96 Points - Wine Advocate
Much more open, fleshy and sexy, the 2012 Hermitage Blanc was just bottled a month prior to this tasting. Coming from l’Ermite, Les Rocoules, Maison Blanche and Peleat lieux-dits, it’s always a rough blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne that’s aged in barrel. Loaded with notions of honeysuckle, orange marmalade, powered rock, buttered citrus and green almond, it’s full-bodied, rich, upfront and fruit loaded. While I think it will be a relatively accessible early in its life, it has the concentration to hold for two decades. (JD)

96 Points - Vinous
Tasted in single-site components from tanks as the wine awaited blending: #1, from Peleat: Ripe pear and honey aromas, with a suave floral accent and a hint of smoky minerals. At once rich and lively, showing excellent back-end power. #2, from Rocoules: Intense, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas, with a sexy floral nuance building with air. Bright, focused and mineral-driven, with a strong Meyer lemon quality lingering on the tangy finish. #3, also from Rocoules: Showing more emphasis on orchard fruit than the first Rocoules tank, with powerful quince and pear flavors and a touch of bitter quinine. Dusty minerals sharpen the long, sappy finish. #4, from l'Ermite: Spicy citrus zest and ginger scents along with a chalky mineral note and a hint of anise. Smoky and penetrating, with superb finishing clarity and lingering spiciness. #5, also from l'Ermite: More floral and masculine than the previous l'Ermite, with strong jasmine and orchard fruit character and a touch of bitter quinine. Bright and nervy on the finish, which doesn't want to let up. (AG)

94 Points - Int'l Wine Cellar
Pale gold. Potent, mineral-accented honeysuckle, citrus and orchard fruit aromas show remarkable freshness and lift. Tightly wound, energetic lemon curd and green apple flavors flesh out with air to display excellent depth, with no excess fat. Finishes on a suave floral note, with an insistent mineral quality and wonderful focus and length.

Product size: 750ml