2021 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage

Region: Rhone Valley, France

Grape: Syrah

Alcohol: 13.5%

Culinary Suggestions: Roast Lamb, Quality Steak, Beef Stew

Practices: Biodynamic

Overview

Jean-Louis Chave is one of the finest ‘vignerons’ in France producing some astonishing white and red Hermitages.

The 2021 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Syrah benefitted from a challenging but ultimately rewarding growing season. The vintage saw relatively moderate weather conditions with occasional rainfall, which helped maintain balanced acidity and freshness in the grapes. The steep, granite-rich soils of the Hermitage Hill, particularly in the Bessards vineyard, provided the wines with a distinct mineral backbone and complexity.

The meticulous care in the vineyards and the traditional vinification techniques, such as fermentation in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks, followed by ageing in barriques for 30 months, ensured that the 2021 Syrah achieved a balance of rich, ripe fruit flavours and structural elegance. This vintage is characterised by its vibrant notes of dark berries, sweet spices, and a touch of earthiness, promising excellent ageing potential.

Critic Review

94 points

Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media March 2024

The refined 2021 L'Hermitage was cropped at 37 hL/ha and bottled in early September 2023. It is laced with finely delineated orange rind, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, dried herbs, pencil shavings, black cherry, crushed violet and cedar. Showing excellent tension on the medium-bodied palate, the 2021 brings it home with clarity and freshness. That being said, it won’t be as long lived as either the 2020 or 2022.

~Drink: 2026 - 2043