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See Why Chave Hermitage Has Over
20 x 100-Point Scores & Counting.
We have 2-6 Bottles Left.
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
Let me first simply show you what we were dealing with:
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck
Wine Spectator
There is a reason why, across just these three publications, these wines have a total of twenty 100-point scores and twelve 99-point scores, and counting.
Chave is one of the greatest cult wines in the world. It is also one of the most underpriced. While collectors and restaurants fight over scraps of DRC and first-growth Bordeaux, Chave slips under the radar, with scores to match any of them.
Some years I am offered one bottle. Most years I am offered nothing. Right now, I have two to six bottles of each of these life-changing unicorns.
It doesn’t matter whether you love Syrah. Time and time again, one sip of this magical elixir puts Chave among the top wines you have ever tasted, right alongside Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy, Spain and Napa.
How Chave Gains Value In The Cellar
Here is what older vintages of Chave’s Hermitage Rouge sell for today, next to what we are asking for the 2020 and the 2023.
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Chave Hermitage Rouge: What It Becomes With Age
| 1990 |
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$1,900–$2,500 |
| 1999 |
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$1,500 |
| 2010 |
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$1,300 |
| 2016 |
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$700 |
| 2020 · Ours |
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$389.99 |
| 2023 · Ours |
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$344.99 |
Older vintages: listed prices at other retailers today. 2020 and 2023: our price.
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Ninety-Nine Points
Wine Advocate’s Yohan Castaing gave the 2023 Hermitage 99: “Full-bodied, satiny and suave, deep and concentrated, it’s pure and seamless, built around ultra-refined tannins for such a young Hermitage… Remarkably accessible in its youth, it nonetheless warrants extended cellaring.” His drinking window runs to 2058.
Jeb Dunnuck tasted it parcel by parcel, as he does every year at the domaine, and called it “a slight throwback to ripe, yet very classic, mineral-driven examples of Chave’s Hermitage.”
Five Centuries On The Hill
The Chave family has been making wine since 1481, sixteen generations. Its Hermitage comes from parcels across the hill: Bessards, L’Ermite, Le Méal, Beaume and Péléat. Every parcel is vinified separately, and the blend is assembled only before bottling.
Dunnuck again, on what each brings: Péléat “is always more finesse-oriented,” Beaume brings complexity and spice, L’Ermite minerality and rose petal, and Bessards “the granitic, graphite, structured core that defines this cuvée.”
As Dunnuck puts it, this estate continues to set the standard for both red and white Hermitage, and “it would probably be impossible to have too much Chave in a cellar.”
The White, The 2020 And The Saint-Joseph
The 2023 Hermitage Blanc is mostly Marsanne from 60- to 100-year-old vines. Dunnuck, at 98: “This is an absolute lights-out Hermitage Blanc that I wish every reader could taste.” Wine Advocate, also at 98: “With time in the cellar, it may well attain the highest level.”
The 2020 Hermitage reminded Dunnuck of 2010: “a massive, concentrated, powerful wine, yet it stays balanced” and “a classic Hermitage to enjoy over the following 30 years or so.” We have two.
And the 2023 Saint-Joseph, from the hillside vineyards Chave has now spent over a decade reviving, at 95 points from Dunnuck.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Why This Matters
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Wine Advocate 99. Chave’s 2023 Hermitage, with Jeb Dunnuck at 96–98 and Decanter at 97. |
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Twenty 100-point scores. Across Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Spectator, plus twelve 99s, and counting. |
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A 98-point white Hermitage. Wine Advocate 98 and Jeb Dunnuck 98 on the 2023 Blanc. |
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The last bottles. Six of the 2023 Hermitage, three of the Blanc and two of the 2020. |
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The Wine · Last 6 Bottles
2023 Chave Hermitage Rouge.
Wine Advocate 99. Jeb Dunnuck 96–98. Decanter 97.
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Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2023
Hermitage · Northern Rhône
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99
Wine Advocate
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96–98
Jeb Dunnuck
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97
Decanter
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94–96
Vinous
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Mostly destemmed, because Jean-Louis believes stems tend to level out the differences between his vineyards; fermented in wood tonneaux and steel, then 30 months in barrique. The two highest reviews are below.
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Wine Advocate · Yohan Castaing
99 Points
Chave’s 2023 Hermitage is elegant and expressive, well suited to the character of the vintage, revealing aromas of sweet dark berries, incense, violet, dark cherries and tapenade. Full-bodied, satiny and suave, deep and concentrated, it’s pure and seamless, built around ultra-refined tannins for such a young Hermitage, with lively acidity lending tension and freshness, concluding with a long, perfumed and persistent finish. Remarkably accessible in its youth, it nonetheless warrants extended cellaring… Drinking Window: 2029-2058. May 2026
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Jeb Dunnuck
96–98 Points
…I love the overall purity, elegance, and finesse of the 2023, which is a slight throwback to ripe, yet very classic, mineral-driven examples of Chave’s Hermitage. It will offer some early enjoyment given its ripe style, yet the minerality and structure all point to it having ample longevity.
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| Lieux-Dits |
Péléat, Beaume, L’Ermite, Bessards, Le Méal |
| Cellar |
Mostly destemmed; wood tonneaux and steel; 30 months in barrique |
| Drink |
2029 to 2058 (Wine Advocate) |
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$344.99 / bottle
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| • Only 6 Bottles Left · Once Gone, Gone |
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The White · Last 3 Bottles
2023 Chave Hermitage Blanc.
Wine Advocate 98. Jeb Dunnuck 98. Vinous 96. Decanter 96.
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Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2023
Hermitage · Northern Rhône
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98
Wine Advocate
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98
Jeb Dunnuck
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96
Vinous
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96
Decanter
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From Rocoules, Les Murets and l’Ermite, largely Marsanne from 60- to 100-year-old vines, with full malolactic and aging on the lees in barrel. Wine Advocate notes Chave picked earlier than usual in 2023 to keep it fresh.
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Wine Advocate
98 Points
While Chave’s 2023 Hermitage Blanc was bottled on July 16, 2025, it’s already approachable, revealing aromas of toasted nuts, almond blossom, ripe orchard fruits and pear, with a subtle minty nuance. Full-bodied, dense and deep, satiny and composed, it’s built around a broad yet controlled mid-palate, retaining purity and tension, with refined texture and a long, saline finish. Muscular but not heavy, it reflects Jean-Louis Chave’s decision to harvest earlier than usual to preserve freshness… With time in the cellar, it may well attain the highest level. Drinking Window: 2029-2053. May 2026
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Jeb Dunnuck
98 Points
Just bottled but certainly not showing any worse for it, the 2023 Hermitage Blanc offers up gorgeous aromatics of quince, honeyed white flowers, and blanched almond on the nose. It’s medium to full-bodied, round, incredibly pure, and seamless on the palate, with a supple, vibrant texture and a gorgeous finish. This is an absolute lights-out Hermitage Blanc that I wish every reader could taste. I love it even today, yet it’s going to cruise in cold cellars for at least two decades. February 2026
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| Vineyards |
Rocoules, Les Murets and l’Ermite |
| Grapes |
Largely Marsanne, 60- to 100-year-old vines |
| Cellar |
Full malolactic; aged on the lees in barrel |
| Drink |
2029 to 2053 (Wine Advocate) |
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$334.99 / bottle
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| • Only 3 Bottles Left · Once Gone, Gone |
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The 2020 · Last 2 Bottles
2020 Chave Hermitage Rouge.
Vinous 97–99. Jeb Dunnuck 98+. Decanter 98. Wine Spectator 97.
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Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2020
Hermitage · Northern Rhône
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97–99
Vinous
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98+
Jeb Dunnuck
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98
Decanter
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97
Wine Spectator
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Decanter’s Matt Walls: “a concentrated but restrained vintage of elegance and great precision.” The two highest reviews are below.
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Vinous · Josh Raynolds
97–99 Points
Tasted in components, before the final blending and rest before bottling, this wine is shaping up to be monumental, and it’s from a domaine that has made far more than a few remarkable wines. There’s intense dark fruit, suave floral and exotic spice character and a deep, energizing core of minerality, plus hints of olive, botanical herbs, licorice and smoked meat. But ultimately, it mainly focuses on powerful, vibrant fruit and floral qualities, making it a particularly elegant rendition of the appellation. I can’t wait to see the bottled result. December 2022
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Jeb Dunnuck
98+ Points
…The 2020 Hermitage is inky hued, with sensational notes of red, blue, and black fruit as well liquid rock, graphite, burning embers, saddle leather, and hints of candied orange zest. It’s a massive, concentrated, powerful wine, yet it stays balanced, has a good sense of freshness, building tannins, and a great finish. As with most great vintages here, it’s going to need a decade of bottle age to shed its baby fat and will be a classic Hermitage to enjoy over the following 30 years or so. March 2024
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| Style |
Concentrated, restrained, precise (Decanter) |
| Drink |
2030 to 2050 (Decanter) |
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$389.99 / bottle
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| • Only 2 Bottles Left · Once Gone, Gone |
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Also From Chave
2023 Chave Saint-Joseph.
Jeb Dunnuck 95. Decanter 93. Vinous 93.
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Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2023
Saint-Joseph · Northern Rhône
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95
Jeb Dunnuck
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93
Decanter
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93
Vinous
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From granitic sites near Mauves and Tournon, the hillside vineyards Chave has spent more than a decade reviving. The more classic, mineral-driven of the domaine’s two Saint-Josephs.
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Jeb Dunnuck
95 Points
Beautiful red and blue fruits, violets, leather, peppery herbs, and bouquet garni notes all emerge from the 2023 Saint Joseph, a medium to full-bodied effort that has a round, supple, pure style. It has ripe, polished tannins and a seamless, layered profile that’s going to shine for two decades, if not more. Although I love it today, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age.
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Vinous
93 Points
Vinified with roughly 30% whole clusters, the 2023 Saint-Joseph reveals first impressions of highly fragrant orange blossom, dried violets and red cherry inflections. Midweight, round and refined, the markedly fresh 2023 can be enjoyed right out of the gate and I doubt it will ever close down.
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| Vineyards |
Granitic hillside sites near Mauves and Tournon |
| Cellar |
Destemmed, aged in oak (Vinous notes about 30% whole clusters in 2023) |
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The Bottom Line
A 99-point Chave Hermitage, and the last bottles of it.
The 2023 Hermitage is $344.99, the 2023 Hermitage Blanc $334.99, the 2020 Hermitage $389.99 and the 2023 Saint-Joseph $129.99.
Six bottles of the 2023, three of the Blanc, two of the 2020. Then that is all of it.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Last 6 Of The 2023 · 3 Of The Blanc · 2 Of The 2020
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