2017 Hermitage
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Tasting notes
Chave's 2017 Hermitage showed beautifully, with a core of sweet blackberry and plum fruits as well as plenty of spice, crushed flowers, and mineral aromas and flavors. Rich, full-bodied, and balanced, drink this sexy Hermitage any time over the coming 10-15 years or more. This cuvée comes all from Chave’s 1.15 hectare in the Beaumes and Péléat lieux-dit, is destemmed, and was brought up all in demi-muids.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
From just over a hectare in the lieux-dits of les Beaumes and Péleat, Yann Chave's 2017 Hermitage is another successful wine. There's a slightly herbal element that stands out, bringing a pronounced currant note to the fruit, a mix of redcurrants and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, it's creamy, supple and long on the palate, with silky tannins marking the finish. Never the biggest, most powerful wine of the appellation, Yann Chave's Hermitage is still a fine, elegant example and of remarkably consistent quality in recent years.
Glass-staining ruby. Expansive aromas of fresh boysenberry, blackberry, incense and candied flowers reveal a hint of vanilla as the wine opens up. Juicy and well-concentrated, offering spice-tinged black and blue fruits, violet, licorice and spicecake notes that show excellent clarity. In a powerful yet graceful style, with supple tannins lending gentle grip to a long, floral-driven finish.
Cask sample. Tasted blind. Tar, leather and liquorice on the nose, then gorgeously succulent fruit that ranges from bramble to cherry to plum – great complexity. Finely furry tannin on the finish, and attractive black-pepper spice. Less austere than many Hermitage. (RH)