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100 JD.
"Matching the otherworldly 2009, the 2015 Hermitage Blanc is a perfect wine and certainly one of the greatest whites ever made from this hallowed estate. The normal blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne from the l’Ermite, Péleat, and les Rocoules lieux-dits, it exhibits a huge, opulent bouquet of buttered citrus, flower oil, orange marmalade, quince, and honeysuckle that’s to die for. This majestic, full-bodied Hermitage Blanc has a huge mid-palate, thrilling purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s capable of lasting for 4-5 decades, but still has the sexiness of the vintage front and center and will be enjoyable early in its life. The reference point for traditional, classic Hermitage must be that of the Chave family, whose history with this region goes back over 500 years. The estate is located in the tiny village of Mauves, and they pull from some of the prime terroirs on Hermitage Hill, including Bessards, Hermite, Péleat, les Rocoules, and Beaumes. In addition to producing one of the best Hermitages out there (Red and White), Jean-Louis Chave has also invested an incredible amount of time, energy and money into his vineyards in Saint Joseph over the past decade or more. Today he releases a classic estate Saint Joseph as well as a new single vineyard cuvée from an ancient site located south of Mauves called Le Clos. This was previously known as Domaine Florentin and has an incredible amount of history associated with the estate, which was purchased by the Chave family in 2009. I expect it won’t be long before we see another single vineyard Saint Joseph from his vines in Beshesson, located north of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, the 2015s certainly rival what the estate produced in 2009 and 2010, with a style not too dissimilar from a hypothetical blend of 2009 and 2010. These are ripe, exuberant wines, yet trust me, they have plenty of tannin, depth and length, and will be long-lived. The 2016s, which were brought up completely in the new cellar, are much more streamlined, tight, and fresh. They’re classic, elegant wines. but my money is on them needing plenty of cellaring to be approachable." Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, Jan 2018 |