2010 Hermitage Blanc

Light gold. Heady, mineral-accented aromas of poached pear, lemon curd, truffle honey, white flowers and ginger, with a smoky topnote. Broad, palate-staining orchard and pit fruit flavors are braced by juicy acidity and pick up spice and toasted grain nuances with air. Notes of iodine and sweet butter come up on the finish, which goes on and on. (JR)

As for the 2010 Hermitage Blanc, it is an exquisite wine with fabulous fruit intensity. Lots of acacia flower, anise, quince, fig and pineapple intermixed with a hint of white peaches emerge from this well-delineated, full-bodied, enormously endowed, complex, dry white Hermitage. This wine lives up to the reputation bestowed on it by President Thomas Jefferson when he said in the 1780s that white Hermitages were France’s greatest white wine. The 2010 should drink well for 30-40+ years. I have had the privilege of tasting at this brilliant family-owned estate for over 30 years. During that time, I have seen first-hand the glory of a true evolution from father Gerard Chave to his son, Jean-Louis, and of course, the Chave family has been doing this since 1472. It is one of those small but world-class wine enterprises that is truly inspiring. Tasting through the different vineyards before their newest red and white Hermitages are blended is an education in the different terroirs of that famous dome of largely decomposed granite mixed with gravel and clay. Jean-Louis Chave characterized the 2011 vintage as challenging, where one had to perform draconian crop-thinning and selections in the winery. All the St.-Joseph vineyards are located on steep hillsides near the Chaves’ home village of Mauves, to as far north as St.-Jean de Muzols and Ste.-Epine as well as those once known as Clos Florentin. Importer: Langdon-Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900