2019 - Hermitage Rouge, Jean Louis Chave

As usual, the 2019 Hermitage remained largely as separate components at the time of my visit. Some pre-blending had occurred, so I tasted a combination of Beaumes and Péléat, as well as components from L'Ermite, Méal and Bessards. Uniformly full-bodied, concentrated and long, with rich, velvety tannins, dark-fruit flavors (cassis, blueberries, boysenberries) and hints of crushed stone and licorice, comparisons with 2003 aren't unreasonable.

Tasted in components, as usual. #1, from Peleat: spice-accented cherry and blackberry, with a vibrant mineral note in the background. Taut and sharply focused, showing strong tension to the bitter cherry and red berry flavors. The mineral note comes back strong on the back. #2, from Les Beaume: deep-pitched cherry and cassis qualities, plus a spicy nuance and a touch of dark chocolate. Rich but lively on the palate, offering densely packed bitter cherry and black currant preserve flavors and a touch of licorice. #3, from Ermite: extremely suave and expansive aromas of ripe red and blue fruits and exotic spices, along with a sexy floral touch. Deep yet energetic, showing excellent clarity and floral back-end thrust. #4, from Meal: distinctly powerful, displaying an array of black and blue fruit qualities and hints of olive, licorice and exotic spices. Seriously deep and sharply focused, showing bitter cherry, blackberry and fruitcake flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality. For all its power, there's real life here as well. #5, from Bessards: intense, mineral-driven cherry and dark berry character, with exotic floral and spice topnotes. Pure and incisive, showing impressive depth as well as fine definition and seamless texture. It’s still early days for this wine, but the ingredients are seriously formidable, with an emphasis on richness but no lack of energy either. This is shaping up to be a stunner.

Barrel samples tasted at the domaine.Sample 1: Péleat. Opulent and brooding with marked graphite and earth on the nose. Black olive and wet tobacco and fantastic precise acidity. A sweet and rounded palate with firm tannins. Sample 2: Les Baumes.More reductive and meaty than Péleat – almost ashy and smoky with a charred note. Supple and ripe sweet dark fragrant fruits. Sample 3: L'Ermite.Stunning blue fruits on the nose. A ripe and broad sweet palate with precision and an iron-tinged note. So precise and clear. Sample 4: Le Méal.Lots of sweet spice and blue and dark fruits on the nose. This is a powerful big wine that carries its apparent 15.5% alcohol effortlessly! Sample 5: Bessards.Gorgeously spiced, mace and black olive with sweet wet tobacco. The tannins are seductively rounded. A suave, and cooling expression with power and clarity. (AC)