Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2019

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2019

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a powerhouse wine producer based in the village of Mauves, in the Saint-Joseph region and just over the Rhne river from Hermitage the source of the estate’s most acclaimed wines. Chave’s red and white Hermitage based on Syrah and Marsanne and Roussanne respectively are some of the most important in the Rhne Valley, commanding both high prices and exceptional, sometimes 100-point scores.

Critical Acclaim

98 Vinous

Tasted in components. #1) Peleat: Emphatically floral, with powerful pear, Meyer lemon qualities, building iodine, fennel and mineral notes. #2) Rocoules Haute: Pungent citrus fruits, pear skin and jasmine on the nose. Weighty yet lithe as well, showing serious intensity to its sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors. #3) Rocoules mid-slope: Spicy and incisive, showing sharp definition to its fresh yellow plum and orange flavors. Mineral notes build with air and add fine delineation and back-end cut. #4) Roucules Bas: Richer still, displaying an array of ripe orchard and pit fruit qualities and building floral and mineral notes. A hint of tangerine emerges with air and adds energy to lingering peach nectar and pear liqueur notes.

98 Jeb Dunnuck

Another incredible white from this family is the 2019 Hermitage Blanc, a powerful, concentrated, and remarkably pure Hermitage that has laser-like focus as well as textbook Marsanne notes of quince, green almond, powdered rock, licorice, and spice. Its still tight, focused, and inward at present, yet it reminds me of the 2018 with its purity and rare mix of power and elegance. Its worth trying a bottle any time over the coming 3-5 years, but after that, Id recommend waiting until after 2031.

95 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Chave’s 2019 Hermitage Blanc delivers just the merest hint of toasted grain on the nose, accenting green peaches and waves of honeyed richness. It’s full-bodied and concentrated but not overdone, with tremendous length and a hint of bitterness on the finish that left me wondering if this wine will need 20 years to show its best, or if it was still suffering a bit from being bottled in July 2021.