Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2023
(Northern Rhone, France) - [WA 98+] [JD 98] [VM 96] [DM 96]

Winemaker Notes:

98+ Points - Wine Advocate:
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. This is one of the more contemporary expressions of Chave's white Hermitage, while remaining firmly rooted in its terroir. With time in the cellar, it may well attain the highest level. Drinking Window: 2029-2053. - Yohan Castaing (May 2026)

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
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. (Feb 2026)

This iconic estate continues to set the standard for both red and white Hermitage, and few tasting experiences compare to time spent with Jean-Louis Chave in the family's cellars in Mauves. Founded in 1481 and passed down through generations, the domaine farms 14.5 hectares on the Hermitage hill, including parcels in Bessards, L'Ermite, Le Méal, Beaume, and Péléat. All the Hermitage parcels are vinified separately using a mix of stainless steel tanks and oak uprights, with élevage in barrel (20-30% new), and the final blend is assembled before bottling. The Hermitage Blanc comes from Rocoules, Les Murets, and l'Ermite, and is based largely on Marsanne from 60- to 100-year-old vines. It sees full malolactic fermentation and is aged on lees in barrel. In addition to the flagship Hermitage, Chave occasionally releases a special Cuvée Cathelin, sourced primarily from Bessards and aged slightly longer in oak. It's only produced in top vintages and in tiny quantities, and good luck finding any! The domaine also produces a rare Hermitage Vin de Paille, made from Marsanne dried on straw mats and aged several years before release. I've only seen this bottling at the estate, but it's a heavenly dessert wine if there ever was one. In Saint Joseph, Chave has now spent over a decade reviving historic hillside vineyards. The estate Saint Joseph comes from granitic sites near Mauves and Tournon, while the Clos Florentin is a single parcel on sandier, south-facing soils. Both are destemmed and aged in oak but show different profiles - the former more classic and mineral-driven, the latter rounder and more elegant. A new cellar was completed in 2014, but the style here remains deeply rooted in tradition. These are benchmark Northern Rhône wines, built for aging and made with clarity, purpose, and precision. It would probably be impossible to have too much Chave in a cellar.

96 Points - Vinous:
The 2023 L'Hermitage Blanc shines with immaculate balance and harmony, smoothing over the summer heatwave of the growing season without any hint of flamboyance. Instead, it delivers outstanding freshness and verve, with pronounced notes of honeysuckle, fresh pear, yellow apple, wet stone and delicate chamomile. Broad-shouldered, concentrated and sapid, the 2023 is such a gorgeous and masterfully assembled white L'Hermitage. (Drink between 2026-2040)

96 Points - Decanter:
A tasting of the Péléat and Les Rocoules vineyards behind this wine points to an expressive, juicy, relatively soft and juicy style of white Hermitage this year. It's likely to be a relatively supple vintage, with gentle acidity and rich fruit. (MW) (Sep 2024)