2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

Consequently, there is little of the 2008 Hermitage Blanc (which was scheduled to be bottled the week after my visit), but it is one of the finest 2008s produced in the Northern Rhone. The wine offers up scents of almond paste, brioche, white currants and quince as well as a full-bodied, concentrated personality displaying good acidity and a more forward style than either the 2009 or 2007. It is best drunk in its first 7-8 years of life. Tasting through the different Hermitage vineyards (including Peleat, Les Beaumes, Meal, l’Ermite and Les Bessards), the lowest score any of these lots received was 94-96 (Les Beaumes). The other parcels all merited 97-100 points. The most dominant component part of Chave’s red Hermitage comes from Les Bessards, which many consider to be the greatest vineyard on Hermitage Hill. The next largest is Meal, a vineyard with a more southerly exposure. While Chave has not made their special cuvee, Cuvee Cathelin, since 2003, I suspect one will emerge from the different lots of Les Bessards that I tasted as 2009 is certainly a year where enough wine can be culled out for the Cathelin without sacrificing the monumental quality of the regular Hermitage. This looks to be one of the wines of the vintage, which is not surprising given the fact that the Chave family has more experience than just about anybody in the winemaking world (the domaine was founded in 1481 - nearly a decade before Christopher Columbus discovered America!). Importer: David Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel (213) 483-5900

From mostly Rocoules: Burgundy-like aromas of orange, pear skin, truffle and smoky minerals. Leesy orchard fruit flavors are creamy in texture and deliver a wallop of tangy minerality on the back end. From Peleat: Deeper and more honeyed. Rich melon and peach flavors with an exotic apricot pit quality and good finishing cling. From Rocoules: Energetic scents of lemongrass, pink grapefruit and ginger. Racy on entry but gains sweetness and flesh in the middle. Very good finishing clarity and cut. From L'Hermite: Fresh quince and green apple on the nose, with complicating notes of talc and white flowers. Racy, tightly wound and precise, offering tangy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and good mineral cut. From Maison Blanche: The richest of these casks, with smoky pit fruit and floral aromas. Brighter orange and lemon on the palate, with slow-building spiciness and minerality. The ultimate blend looks to be a nervy, precise and mineral-driven wine that will be balanced to age a long time.

The 2008 Hermitage Blanc is fragrant and delicate with plenty of the beeswax, cooked apple, almond, chamomile, dried apricot and tangerine notes that develop in this wine with age. Tonight the 2008 is a touch lithe in feel. It doesn’t quite have the textural depth and viscosity of some vintages, but it is remarkably fresh, poised and elegant. What a treat.