2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
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Tasting notes
The 2005 Hermitage is a rich, ripe, adolescent that still needs 2-4 years of bottle age to hit its plateau of maturity, where is should keep for two decades or more. Offering lots of ripe cassis and currant fruit, with background minerality and spring flower notes, this full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and layered effort is certainly one of the gems of the vintage.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
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.
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)
About the producer
The Chaves have been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône since 1481. Jean-Louis Chave is the 16th generation to head up the family domaine, having taken over from his father in 1992.