2005 - Hermitage Rouge, Jean Louis Chave

Jean Louis Chave commented that 2005 was not a “friendly vintage” on release and compared it to 1998, 1995 and 1983 in style. His 2005 Hermitage is nevertheless an incredible wine that shines for its purity, focus and pure class. Offering up lots of granite-like minerality, crème de cassis, violets and graphite, this rich, full-bodied, gorgeously concentrated Hermitage has good acidity, building, ripe tannin and a fabulous finish. While I’d happily drink a glass today, it needs another 3-4 years of bottle age to hit prime time and will keep for two to three decades after that.

Inky ruby. Hugely aromatic bouquet of red and dark berries, cherry, Asian spices, fresh flowers, minerals and cured meat; smells like a great grand cru from Vosne-Romanee but with a wilder side. Flat-out gorgeous wine, with remarkably deep but fresh red berry and cherry flavors that stain the palate. Seems to actually expand on the finish, picking up exotic spicecake and rose pastille character and leaving a sweet trail of smoky red fruits behind. If you insist on drinking this young, do it now, says Chave, because it will close up in about two or three years and not be open again for a long time. You've been warned.

Deep greyish garnet but not much sign – in the colour – of its age. Beautifully fragrant, combining floral and savoury aromas – more peppery char than meaty. Some (oak?) char still showing on the palate, a slightly chewy texture of powerful tannins – fine-grained but deeply layered – gradually mellowing in bottle. Still a baby and not ready for drinking but with lots of promise of greater finesse ahead. (JH)