Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2021, 0.75L
Marsanne / Roussanne from Hermitage, Rhône

"Vinified from grapes that were harvested as late as the 26th of September, the 2021 L'Hermitage Blanc was cropped at 38 hL/ha, above the levels of 2022. It dazzles with vivid spring blossom,
honeysuckle, lemon peel, white peach, quince, apricot and discrete cedar aromas. Medium-bodied and immaculately balanced by bright acidity, this is an athletic L'Hermitage Blanc with marked freshness and energy. A saline aftertaste wraps up the sapid finish. Outstanding." 96, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, Oct 2023

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Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2022, 0.75L
Syrah from St. Joseph, Rhône

"A tasting of the four main parts (Les Challaix, Le Clos, La Dardouille and Bachasson) suggests that this will be a vintage that combines power – black fruits and thick tannins from La Dardouille – and more lifted, fleshy, fragrant, low acid elements from Les Challaix, plus Bachasson's rose and raspberry. A little richer and more velvety than a typical year." 94, Matt Walls, Decanter, Sep 2023 

“I tasted numerous components that will form the final blend of the 2022 Saint-Joseph. Ripe red and blue fruits usher in, complemented by licorice, violets, cedar and pencil shaving elements. Medium-bodied, juicy and refined, all 2022 samples display wonderful freshness within an intricate web of polished tannins. If all continues down this path, this will be a terrific Saint-Joseph.” 92-94, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, Mar 2024 

 “The 2022 Saint Joseph is classic Saint Joseph with its darker currant, plum, and cassis-driven fruits as well as incredible minerality. It's deep, medium to full-bodied, has lots of tannins, the classic austerity of the appellation, and a great finish. It's going to need some bottle age, but you can easily put this up with the crème de la crème of the appellation. This iconic estate continues to hold the line on what constitutes a truly great Hermitage, both red and white, and there are few vinous treats better than a tasting with Jean-Louis Chave in his cellar in Mauve. Looking at the wines reviewed here, the 2022s were tasted from barrel, and this is a ripe, sunny, yet also tannic vintage that’s going to benefit from its élevage, as well as require bottle age. They remind me slightly of Chave’s 1998, although as I say in the review, I think there’s a touch more sun-kissed fruit in the 2022s. The 2021s are beautiful, elegant, seamless wines, and you’ll be hard pressed to do better in the vintage. These aren’t massive wines, but they have pretty, complex, and classic profiles that will drink well with just a few years of bottle age. On another level, the 2020s are powerful, massive wines that remind me slightly of the 2010s (or is it 2009s?). They have tons of baby fat and are already fun to taste, but these are built for the long haul.” 92-94, Jeb Dunnuck, Mar 2024 

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Jean-Louis Chave l'Hermitage 2022, 0.75L
Syrah from Hermitage, Rhône

"A tasting of the different lieux-dits showed how the different soil types reacted to the drought. Granite-based parcels (Ermite, Les Bessards) suffered blockages in ripening and finished at 13% alcohol; the clay-based terroirs (Le Méal, Les Beaumes) didn't stop ripening and finished at 15%. The overall blend will be powerful but fragrant, complex and stylistically sits within other recent dry and hot vintages, and isn't outside the current norm (it's nothing like the similarly extreme 2003). Picking started at the end of August." 98, Matt Walls, Decanter, Sep 2023 

“I tasted various separately vinified lieux-dits that will eventually curate the 2022 L'Hermitage. Both the L'Ermite and Les Bessards, the cuvée’s backbone, show terrific structure, finesse and complexity. I am totally taken by the sheer beauty of the Les Beaumes with its striking inner energy and the mesmerizing floral lift of the Péléat. Cropped at an overall 30 hL/ha, the ripeness of the vintage is skillfully balanced by lifting freshness throughout all components. I can’t wait to taste the final result.” 96-98, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, Mar 2024 

“The 2022 Hermitage will be a beauty, but it has the focused, firmer, straight style of the vintage. As usual, I was able to taste through all of the lieux-dits: Péleat, Les Beaumes, L'Ermite, Le Méal, and Les Bessards, all being mid- to upper-90s ratings, the standouts being L’Ermite and Bessards, with the Méal possessing a more focused, tannic style than normal. All of the barrels I was able to taste had remarkable purity, beautiful overall balance, and classic Hermitage class, with an incredible sense of minerality. This is a great wine, but it's going to take a decade of bottle age. The firmer structure and incredible minerality actually remind me of the 1998, although I think there's a touch more sun-kissed fruit here.This iconic estate continues to hold the line on what constitutes a truly great Hermitage, both red and white, and there are few vinous treats better than a tasting with Jean-Louis Chave in his cellar in Mauve. Looking at the wines reviewed here, the 2022s were tasted from barrel, and this is a ripe, sunny, yet also tannic vintage that’s going to benefit from its élevage, as well as require bottle age. They remind me slightly of Chave’s 1998, although as I say in the review, I think there’s a touch more sun-kissed fruit in the 2022s. The 2021s are beautiful, elegant, seamless wines, and you’ll be hard pressed to do better in the vintage. These aren’t massive wines, but they have pretty, complex, and classic profiles that will drink well with just a few years of bottle age. On another level, the 2020s are powerful, massive wines that remind me slightly of the 2010s (or is it 2009s?). They have tons of baby fat and are already fun to taste, but these are built for the long haul.” 95-97+, Jeb Dunnuck, Mar 2024 

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Whitcraft Winery Chardonnay Zotovich Vineyard 2019, 0.75L
Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, California

Drake Whitcraft makes beautifully balanced, site-specific wines in his low-fi Santa Barbara winery. Growing up in Santa Barbara under the tutelage of his father, who started Whitcraft Winery in 1985, and his friend Burt Williams, founder of Williams-Selyem in Sonoma, Drake has formed good relationships with some of the best vineyards in the Central Coast with a focus on the cool climate and diverse terroir of Sta. Rita Hills.

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