2014 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

Light yellow-gold. Vibrant, mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits, honey and nougat on the intensely perfumed nose, joined by a suave floral nuance. Shows superb depth as well as vivacity, offering sappy orange, pear and nectarine flavors supported a firm spine of smoky minerality. The floral and mineral elements come back strong on the bright, sharply focused, extremely long finish, which leaves a candied lemon zest note behind.

Chave continues to make a full-throttle, concentrated and unctuous Hermitage Blanc, and refuses to buy into the ridiculous trend toward making Sauvignon Blanc-like whites from this tiny, magical terroir. God bless him for that and there are few whites I’d rather drink than a mature Hermitage Blanc from this genius winemaker. Jean-Louis called 2014 a good year for the whites, and his 2014 Hermitage Blanc had just been bottled a month prior to my tasting. It has terrific minerality as well as classic stone fruits, buttered citrus, honeysuckle and crushed rock, full-bodied richness and an elegant, fresh, pure style. It will have two decades of longevity.

Tasted in components: #1, from Peleat: Vibrant and minerally, displaying superb clarity and lift. Tastes like a very serious Grand Cru white Burgundy, with vibrant citrus and orchard fruit character and a suave blend of power and finesse. #2, from Rocoules: More pit fruit and deeper and smokier in style, with emerging hints of sweet butter and iodine. #3, a blend of Rocoules and l'Ermite: Taut, focused and pure, offering densely packed orange and pear flavors and a sexy floral nuance. Rich yet nervy was well, displaying excellent closing thrust. The ultimate wine should be a great cellar candidate, possessing the richness of fruit to give some early appeal but the depth, structure and balance to age effortlessly,