1996 - Hermitage Rouge, Jean Louis Chave

Saturated, deep ruby-red. Aromatic, pure aromas of cassis, mocha, iris and Cuban tobacco. Supple and fruity, with the Burgundian floral aspect shown by so many Northern Rh and ocirc;ne wines from this vintage. Very fresh and juicy; pure and sharply delineated. Not at all a southern style of syrah. A wine with excellent thrust but not a particularly powerful style of Hermitage. Very long, violety aftertaste. This should be slower to close down than the '95.