Jean-Louis Chave Selection Hermitage Blanche 2019 (Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 95] [WS 94]
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Hermitage Blanche 2019 (Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 95] [WS 94]
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Hermitage Blanche 2019 (Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 95] [WS 94]
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Hermitage Blanche 2019 (Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 95] [WS 94]

Jean-Louis Chave Selection Hermitage Blanche 2019
(Northern Rhone, France) - [JD 95] [WS 94]


$100.00 $84.97 Save $15.03
/
JD95 WS94
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About the wine:

Is there any question that Jean-Louis Chave is one of the great geniuses of Syrah? His Hermitage is a benchmark wine for lovers of the Northern Rhone, and is among the top red wines in the world of any grape variety. In our dream world we would put cases of his Hermitage in our cellars and drink older bottles on a regular basis. But we can't. The wine is too rare and too expensive.


Thankfully he makes a fully line up of top notch wine under his JL Chave Selections label that is delicious, affordable and ready to drink on release . . . every night if you want!

You might wonder: how can wines this good, from a true master, be so affordable? We frankly don't know. It's not as though the Selection series is some négociant side project made of bulk wine or neglected grapes. 80% of the fruit comes from Jean-Louis’s own domaine, and he farms much of the rest. These are wines produced by Chave himself, both in the vineyards and in the winery.

For much of the fruit Jean-Louis uses his domaine's young vines, which produce less tannic berries. And the sourced fruit comes from the AOC's northern corners, where the grapes are naturally fresh and elegant. Chave, of course, makes the wine with the same light touch as he uses for his Hermitage, in a style that emphasizes fruit purity rather than power. All of this helps to make the wines eminently drinkable on release.

Of course, with excellent balance of structure and fruit all these wines are good candidates for the cellar. But the idea is too drink the Selection wines over the next few years while waiting on the Hermitage, which is a masterpiece that will require many years of aging.

Vineyard Location: The fruit for this wine comes mainly from the lieu-dit Maison Blanche, which sits atop the hill of Hermitage. The soil is iron-rich clay and loess and it is important to constantly maintain this vineyard, as the fine top layer of loess soil erodes easily. This terroir is very interesting for the white as it comes from a cooler soil and gives aromas of stone fruit and white flowers. Some additional fruit comes from l’Ermite and Peleàt. It is a white Hermitage that has the advantage of being approachable at a young age for drinking pleasure as well as having upwards of ten years of aging potential.
Vinification: Fermented in barriques. Aged in barriques for 18-24 months.


Points and Reviews:

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Coming all from the Maison Blanche lieu-dit, the 2019 Hermitage Blanche is based on 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne that spent two years in used barrels. It's a smoking value in Hermitage Blanc, offering classic notes of quince, honeyed minerality, buttered citrus, and green almonds. Rich and full-bodied, with a layered, opulent texture and a great finish, it's a no-brainer purchase that can be enjoyed any time over the coming decade, if not longer." (Drink between 2023-2033)

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Seductive and expressive, with a firming layer of bitter almond, citrus pith and mineral notes buoying a ripe mix of melon, yellow plum and peach flavors. Big in stature, with remarkable density and saltiness, this hums through the powerful finish with serious energy, flint and smoke. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2035." 330 cases made, 55 cases imported.