Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 2001 bottle - Vins Rare

91-95 WA

94+ VM

Notes:

Tasting through the component parts of the 2001 Hermitage reveals what should be an outstanding wine with a Burgundian-like finesse. The most elegant component emanates from Les Beaumes and Pelia, and the denser, thicker wines from Meal, lErmite, and Bessards. The wine will possess a dense ruby/purple color in addition to plenty of sweet cassis fruit, medium body, noticeably high tannin, and gorgeous purity as well as symmetry. It will be built along the lines of the 1996 rather than the 2000 or 1999. 91-95 points

Wine Advocate Issue #147

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 05
Good bright medium ruby. Subtly complex, granitic nose melds cassis, blueberry, smoky gunflint, pepper, tar, bitter chocolate, roast coffee, leather, game and animal fur. Wonderfully juicy but currently rather folded in on itself. But this has brilliant acidity, precision and penetration on the palate. Almost painfully intense and wonderfully long and gripping on the back. Very firm and structured but not at all dry. This will need a good decade of additional cellaring. 94(+?) points

Vins Rare