Originally posted 3/18/02
Got together last night with a rather happy lot of wine drinkers for a Chave vertical we have all been looking forward to with great expectation. Twenty Chaves for 11 people. I like those numbers.
Before I get to the notes, a brief thought about the tasting. As with all great producers, there was a remarkable similarity to the wines. Sure, there are vintage differences, but in all the wines one could see a somewhat similar theme. These wines all had a personality that showed depth, complexity and a like barnyard, fruit, earth and spice characteristic that was clearly identifiable. Some vintages had more fruit, others more herb and barnyard, but just about every wine showed more or less the same characteristics. In great vintages the wine excelled, in poor ones the estate still managed to put out something worth drinking. It was nice to see such consistency.
Brad
1999 J.L. Chave- Hermitage- Blanc
Reticent nose offers little but brief impressions of minerals, yellow fruit and light oak. Very primary on the palate and somewhat of a crime to be drinking now as it shows little but potential. Rather austere, but theres a certain classiness about it. Theres yellow fruit and minerals present, but right now the wine is about structure. Finishes with a bite of bitter alcohol. Has excellent potential, but not worth drinking right now. Low A-.
1998 J.L. Chave- Hermitage Blanc
What a difference a year makes. Much more effusive and oppulent on the nose and palate than the 99. The aromas really billowed out of the glass. The fruit has much more of a tropical edge along with minerals, spice and deftly applied oak. Im general not a fan of Rhone whites, but these have a certain elegance that almost all white Rhones Ive tried lack. They are better balanced and show a defter touch with oak. Solid A-.
1997 J.L. Chave- Hermitage Blanc
Oxidized.
1999 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Knockout nose of ultra-ripe blackberries, boysenberries, plenty of animal, spice and faint cocoa. Just a monstrous wine. Intense, penetrating and expansive in the mouth, theres tremendous structure to the wine, though the sweet fruit makes this delicious to drink now. Finishes with a refreshing cranberry tartness. Though rather unfocused at present, every thing is there for this wine to transform into something truly special once some secondary characteristics develop. A with potential.
1998 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Shows a little bit more animal on the nose than the 99 with similar fruit and spice, though theres a trace of mint and theres a certain brightness to it that wasnt in the 99. On the palate it seems a little more complete and integrated than the 99. The black fruit is a little more ebullient and the farm has a few more animals in it. Great balance. Another superstar. A.
1997 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Dramatically lighter than both the 99 and 98 with much more of a dried herb character. Theres some nice red fruit, spice and a touch of barnyard. It becomes a bit shallow in the mid-palate and with air, some spicy wood becomes apparent. Finishes with a little tartness. Not the greatest vintage, but a solid effort. A-/B+.
1996 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Hmmm. Wheres that sweet blueberry I remember tasting on release? A caramel note on the nose and palate tells me where it went. Straight to hell, where apparently this bottle was stored. Cooked. NR.
1995 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Quite tight on the nose, but lots of swirling finally evoked some rich, roasted red and black fruit, mineral and a hit of espresso. Dense and brooding on the palate. Were talking a very tightly clenched fist here. While fairly closed, it provides plenty of hints as to its tremendous potential. Has the firmest tannins so far, but theres plenty of fruit to support them. Theres citrusy acidity and lots of air eventually brought out some garrigue flavors and aromas. Id still sit on the 95s a while. Solid A.
1994 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Somethings gone afoul here. It smells and tastes just like a Heitz Marthas Vineyard Cabernet, which is not a good thing in my book. Lots of mint and tart red fruit. Something is obviously awry here as it tastes nothing like the bottle I tried several months ago which had great barnyard, spice, earth and nice fruit. Damaged goods. NR.
1993 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Fairly light on the nose, but its beautifully perfumed with the scent of fresh red raspberries and red cherries. Light and juicy on the palate, but theres some very enjoyable materials here. Lovely red berry fruit with herbs and a touch of earth. Tannins have faded away and acidity provides most of the structure. An excellent effort in a difficult vintage. Solid B+.
1992 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Aromas of rotting meat, herbs and red fruit. Lean and rather dilute on the palate with very soft tannins. Herb dominates the palate, but I find this somewhat enjoyable. It doesnt offer complexity or much fruit, but I find the softness strangely appealing. B/B-.
1991 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Well this is a surprise. Perhaps one of the bet drinking wines of the night. Seamless and integrated on the nose and palate. It really caresses the palate with its velvety texture. Theres elegant red fruit, spice, earth and leather here. Tannins have smoothed out and the wine shows more Burgundian than blockbuster. Delicious and one to drink now if one prefers some fruit as I think the tertiary elements may soon start to dominate. Solid A-.
1990 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Somewhat similar to the 95 in that its a brooding, intense monster. Shows more of a roasted character to the fruit and the wine, though still backward, is a little softer than the 95. Five more years of bottle age will do that. A complete package here. Rich red fruit, spice, meat, dried herbs and earth. Decadent stuff that really couldve used some more air time. If you got em, hold em. Solid A.
1989 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Im a bit less enthusiastic about this wine than the last time I had it, but at that time I tasted it in the midst of a bunch of ghastly Australian Shiraz, so it clearly stood head and shoulders above the competition. That said, this is still an excellent and thoroughly delicious wine. Think of it as a slightly scaled-down 90. I found the wines quite similar though the 89 was a little less dense, showed less of a roasted fruit quality and had some more barnyard/meat aromas and flavors. Theres a nice sweetness to the fruit. Well balanced and still tannic. Low A.
1988 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
I really like this wine, though its showing a little less than it did two years ago. Lots of character to the 88. Beautiful, perfumed quality to the nose with a good deal of animal/barnyard, earth, leather, spice and a touch of red fruit. This is not a fruit driven wine, though theres more than enough to satisfy. This wine is much more of the earth and thats fine by me. Offers complexity and depth. Still youthful despite the dominance of the tertiary flavors as the structure is intact. With air, however, some of the poop receded and a strong red fruit streak emerged. Finishes with a nice burst of acidity. A/A-.
1986 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Fairly light on the nose and palate. With less stuffing than many of the others, the acidity is a bit more pronounced. Its a pleasant enough wine though, with light red fruit, leather, spice and wood notes. A good effort for the vintage. Drink up. B+.
1985 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Pretty similar to the 88 in that its a poopy, earth-driven wine. The 85, however, shows a little less cohesion and intensity than the 88. Plenty of earth, leather and barnyard flavors with a strong dried herb character. Tannins have smoothed out, though theres still plenty of acidity. Less red fruit than in the 88. Still, not a bad drink at all. A-.
1983 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Sweet, aged red fruit, barnyard, earth and a bit of menthol on the nose. Nicely integrated on the palate. The fruit still possess a delicious ripe sweetness to it. Theres an interesting gingery spiciness to the wine along with root spices. Fairly elegant until the finish where it turns a bit coarse and austere. Low A-.
1982 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Methinks the Burgundy lovers in the group liked this wine more than I as age has whittled it down some. Shows more decomposition than the others and is lighter and has quite high acidity with not enough stuffing to balance it out for my tastes. Still, there are a bunch of things to enjoy. The nose is quite nice with its barnyard, meat, sassafras, leather, earth and red fruit. Theres more of the same on the palate with the cherry fruit reminding me of a traditional old Rioja with its tartness. A-/B+.
1979 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Smells and tastes muddy and stemmy with high acidity. Not good at all. C-.
Got together last night with a rather happy lot of wine drinkers for a Chave vertical we have all been looking forward to with great expectation. Twenty Chaves for 11 people. I like those numbers.
Before I get to the notes, a brief thought about the tasting. As with all great producers, there was a remarkable similarity to the wines. Sure, there are vintage differences, but in all the wines one could see a somewhat similar theme. These wines all had a personality that showed depth, complexity and a like barnyard, fruit, earth and spice characteristic that was clearly identifiable. Some vintages had more fruit, others more herb and barnyard, but just about every wine showed more or less the same characteristics. In great vintages the wine excelled, in poor ones the estate still managed to put out something worth drinking. It was nice to see such consistency.
Brad
1999 J.L. Chave- Hermitage- Blanc
Reticent nose offers little but brief impressions of minerals, yellow fruit and light oak. Very primary on the palate and somewhat of a crime to be drinking now as it shows little but potential. Rather austere, but theres a certain classiness about it. Theres yellow fruit and minerals present, but right now the wine is about structure. Finishes with a bite of bitter alcohol. Has excellent potential, but not worth drinking right now. Low A-.
1998 J.L. Chave- Hermitage Blanc
What a difference a year makes. Much more effusive and oppulent on the nose and palate than the 99. The aromas really billowed out of the glass. The fruit has much more of a tropical edge along with minerals, spice and deftly applied oak. Im general not a fan of Rhone whites, but these have a certain elegance that almost all white Rhones Ive tried lack. They are better balanced and show a defter touch with oak. Solid A-.
1997 J.L. Chave- Hermitage Blanc
Oxidized.
1999 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Knockout nose of ultra-ripe blackberries, boysenberries, plenty of animal, spice and faint cocoa. Just a monstrous wine. Intense, penetrating and expansive in the mouth, theres tremendous structure to the wine, though the sweet fruit makes this delicious to drink now. Finishes with a refreshing cranberry tartness. Though rather unfocused at present, every thing is there for this wine to transform into something truly special once some secondary characteristics develop. A with potential.
1998 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Shows a little bit more animal on the nose than the 99 with similar fruit and spice, though theres a trace of mint and theres a certain brightness to it that wasnt in the 99. On the palate it seems a little more complete and integrated than the 99. The black fruit is a little more ebullient and the farm has a few more animals in it. Great balance. Another superstar. A.
1997 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Dramatically lighter than both the 99 and 98 with much more of a dried herb character. Theres some nice red fruit, spice and a touch of barnyard. It becomes a bit shallow in the mid-palate and with air, some spicy wood becomes apparent. Finishes with a little tartness. Not the greatest vintage, but a solid effort. A-/B+.
1996 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Hmmm. Wheres that sweet blueberry I remember tasting on release? A caramel note on the nose and palate tells me where it went. Straight to hell, where apparently this bottle was stored. Cooked. NR.
1995 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Quite tight on the nose, but lots of swirling finally evoked some rich, roasted red and black fruit, mineral and a hit of espresso. Dense and brooding on the palate. Were talking a very tightly clenched fist here. While fairly closed, it provides plenty of hints as to its tremendous potential. Has the firmest tannins so far, but theres plenty of fruit to support them. Theres citrusy acidity and lots of air eventually brought out some garrigue flavors and aromas. Id still sit on the 95s a while. Solid A.
1994 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Somethings gone afoul here. It smells and tastes just like a Heitz Marthas Vineyard Cabernet, which is not a good thing in my book. Lots of mint and tart red fruit. Something is obviously awry here as it tastes nothing like the bottle I tried several months ago which had great barnyard, spice, earth and nice fruit. Damaged goods. NR.
1993 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Fairly light on the nose, but its beautifully perfumed with the scent of fresh red raspberries and red cherries. Light and juicy on the palate, but theres some very enjoyable materials here. Lovely red berry fruit with herbs and a touch of earth. Tannins have faded away and acidity provides most of the structure. An excellent effort in a difficult vintage. Solid B+.
1992 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Aromas of rotting meat, herbs and red fruit. Lean and rather dilute on the palate with very soft tannins. Herb dominates the palate, but I find this somewhat enjoyable. It doesnt offer complexity or much fruit, but I find the softness strangely appealing. B/B-.
1991 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Well this is a surprise. Perhaps one of the bet drinking wines of the night. Seamless and integrated on the nose and palate. It really caresses the palate with its velvety texture. Theres elegant red fruit, spice, earth and leather here. Tannins have smoothed out and the wine shows more Burgundian than blockbuster. Delicious and one to drink now if one prefers some fruit as I think the tertiary elements may soon start to dominate. Solid A-.
1990 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Somewhat similar to the 95 in that its a brooding, intense monster. Shows more of a roasted character to the fruit and the wine, though still backward, is a little softer than the 95. Five more years of bottle age will do that. A complete package here. Rich red fruit, spice, meat, dried herbs and earth. Decadent stuff that really couldve used some more air time. If you got em, hold em. Solid A.
1989 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Im a bit less enthusiastic about this wine than the last time I had it, but at that time I tasted it in the midst of a bunch of ghastly Australian Shiraz, so it clearly stood head and shoulders above the competition. That said, this is still an excellent and thoroughly delicious wine. Think of it as a slightly scaled-down 90. I found the wines quite similar though the 89 was a little less dense, showed less of a roasted fruit quality and had some more barnyard/meat aromas and flavors. Theres a nice sweetness to the fruit. Well balanced and still tannic. Low A.
1988 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
I really like this wine, though its showing a little less than it did two years ago. Lots of character to the 88. Beautiful, perfumed quality to the nose with a good deal of animal/barnyard, earth, leather, spice and a touch of red fruit. This is not a fruit driven wine, though theres more than enough to satisfy. This wine is much more of the earth and thats fine by me. Offers complexity and depth. Still youthful despite the dominance of the tertiary flavors as the structure is intact. With air, however, some of the poop receded and a strong red fruit streak emerged. Finishes with a nice burst of acidity. A/A-.
1986 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Fairly light on the nose and palate. With less stuffing than many of the others, the acidity is a bit more pronounced. Its a pleasant enough wine though, with light red fruit, leather, spice and wood notes. A good effort for the vintage. Drink up. B+.
1985 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Pretty similar to the 88 in that its a poopy, earth-driven wine. The 85, however, shows a little less cohesion and intensity than the 88. Plenty of earth, leather and barnyard flavors with a strong dried herb character. Tannins have smoothed out, though theres still plenty of acidity. Less red fruit than in the 88. Still, not a bad drink at all. A-.
1983 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Sweet, aged red fruit, barnyard, earth and a bit of menthol on the nose. Nicely integrated on the palate. The fruit still possess a delicious ripe sweetness to it. Theres an interesting gingery spiciness to the wine along with root spices. Fairly elegant until the finish where it turns a bit coarse and austere. Low A-.
1982 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Methinks the Burgundy lovers in the group liked this wine more than I as age has whittled it down some. Shows more decomposition than the others and is lighter and has quite high acidity with not enough stuffing to balance it out for my tastes. Still, there are a bunch of things to enjoy. The nose is quite nice with its barnyard, meat, sassafras, leather, earth and red fruit. Theres more of the same on the palate with the cherry fruit reminding me of a traditional old Rioja with its tartness. A-/B+.
1979 J.L. Chave- Hermitage
Smells and tastes muddy and stemmy with high acidity. Not good at all. C-.