2020 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

Moving to the reds from bottle, both these 2020s have incredibly concentrated, pure, focused styles that remind me of 2010. 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. This iconic estate continues to hold the line on what constitutes a truly great Hermitage, both red and white, and there are few vinous treats better than a tasting with Jean-Louis Chave in his cellar in Mauve. Looking at the wines reviewed here, the 2022s were tasted from barrel, and this is a ripe, sunny, yet also tannic vintage that’s going to benefit from its élevage, as well as require bottle age. They remind me slightly of Chave’s 1998, although as I say in the review, I think there’s a touch more sun-kissed fruit in the 2022s. The 2021s are beautiful, elegant, seamless wines, and you’ll be hard pressed to do better in the vintage. These aren’t massive wines, but they have pretty, complex, and classic profiles that will drink well with just a few years of bottle age. On another level, the 2020s are powerful, massive wines that remind me slightly of the 2010s (or is it 2009s?). They have tons of baby fat and are already fun to taste, but these are built for the long haul.

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.

Cask samples tasted at the domaine. Sample 1: Le Péléat. Rich but precise with plenty of flesh and volume. Sample 2: upper part of Rocoule . Floral aromatics. Rich again but a little more vibrant and vigorous. Sample 3: L’Hermite . More profound with incredible depth and complexity. Sample 4: Rocoule . Vibrant but discreet. Lovely purity and precision. (JL)