Hermitage Rouge, J-L Chave 2010

Pure perfection, the 2010 Hermitage reminds Jean-Louis Chave of their 1990. It appears to be a richer, fresher example of what I remember the 1990 tasting like in 1992. The wine exhibits an opaque purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of sweet blackberry fruit intermixed with creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, acacia flowers, bouquet garni, meat and crushed rocks. Full-bodied and stunningly rich with laser-like precision, this is a powerful, massive yet exceptionally well-balanced wine that should be forgotten for a decade and drunk over the following 30-40 years.

A wine I’ve rated perfect on more than one occasion, the 2010 Hermitage from Jean-Louis was closed and reticent on this occasion, with lots of red and black fruits, saddle leather, dried herbs and lots of minerality. Full-bodied, tight and reserved at the moment, it’s starting to shed its massive wealth of fruit and needs to be cellared for another 4-5 years. Drinking window: 2022 - 2052.