2015 - Hermitage Blanc, Jean Louis Chave

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. Starting with the latest vintage and tasted from multiple barrels, the 2015 Hermitage Blanc will be a sensational wine. This rich, unctuous beauty has terrific purity and depth, with the classic concentration, extract and fat that’s the hallmark of the estate’s Hermitage Blanc. White currants, buttered citrus, toasted bread and hints of flower oil are just some of the nuances here and this beauty will deliver the goods.

The 2015 L'Ermitage Blanc has a complex and involving bouquet with scents of yellow plum, lychee, beeswax and lemon verbena. With continued aeration, hints of stem ginger and chai emerge. The palate is beautifully balanced with white peaches, apricot and a soupçon of something...Germanic! This boasts impressive mineralité and a peacock's tail on the weighty finish. The 2015 is a supremely gifted white Rhône that will give 20+ years of drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the "five" dinner at Domaine de Chevalier.