Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin, J-L Chave 1990

When I arrived at 6:00 p.m., September 11, 2001, at Domaine Chave, I found Chave in tears and his family distraught. I had heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center, but not the subsequent collapse of both towers. Gerard Chave knows all about suicidal bombers, having served in the French military during the Algerian revolution. It took a long time to gather sufficient focus to do my tastings. However, the brilliant wines that unfolded in the cellars were, at least for several hours, a much needed antidote for pushing to the back of my mind the horror of 9-11-01.

The 1990 Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin from Chave which came next concluded the Rhône extravaganza, opening in the glass with a deep and ineffably complex bouquet of cassis, grilled meats, violets and brooding savory bass notes which were hard to capture in words. On the palate, the wine was full-bodied and multidimensional, with extraordinary mid-palate amplitude and richness, youthful energy and stunning length, remaining sapid, even savory, despite its deep core of fruit.

The Cuvee Cathelin, more influenced by new oak than the classic cuvee, is a prodigious wine. Remarkably, the new oak takes a backseat to the wine's superb raw materials. The wine exhibits fabulous concentration, richness, intensity, and length, as well as a mind-boggling finish. It is not superior to the classic cuvee, just different. The Cuvee Cathelin possesses more of an international new oak signature, but awesome extract and potential. The 1990 Cuvee Cathelin should not be drunk for 10-15 years; it has the potential to last for 30-50 years! Last tasted 6/96.