The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Wine Description
The Story
Jean-Louis Chave Chave is known for opting for blending Syrah from their 15 ha vineyards on the Hermitage hill. Their philosophy is against single vineyard wines since blending guarantees more complexity in the wine. In this superb wine this is clearly indicated by the tremendous complexity. Syrah from Bessards is giving rich fruit intensity and concentration to the wine while Méal more depth in flavours and bouquet. Rocoules adds finesse in structure and length along the floral tones. L’Hermite contributes peppery earthy tones and colour. Péléat gives wildness and firmness in structure whereas Diognières provides colour and the savoury tastiness.
Vineyard Location: Bessards: The backbone of Chave’s Hermitage year in and out. One of the most famous vineyards in the AOC, Bessards is based on steep, granite hillside soils and provides a strong mineral note to the wine.
Beaumes: A long, narrow vineyard running north to south on the midpoint of the hill, Beaumes tends to produce lighter, more fruit-forward Syrah.
Hermite: This vineyard is located at the very top of the hill of Hermitage and surrounds the Chapel located there. It has a range of soil types, including granite and loess. Chave often vini es different lots from with in Hermite separately.
Péléat: A monopole, with stony, sandy soil, Péléat provides wines that are rmer and more complex.
Méal: A fairly large vineyard just to the east of Bessards. Méal is based on looser, alluvial soils and produces richer, riper wines with plenty of structure.
Vini cation: Generally 100% destemmed, as the Hermitage is meant to be about the expression of the individual vineyards and soils and Jean-Louis believes that stems have a tendency to level out the differences. Fermentation in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks. Aged in barriques for 30 months.
Wine Information
Parker 100 points: While there will undoubtedly be a Cuvee Cathelin culled out, the 2003 Hermitage is the most provocative and extraordinary vintage I have tasted chez Chave in the 26 years I have been visiting this domaine. Every cuvee tasted before blending together had at least 16 and as much as 17% natural alcohol, yields averaged 10-15 hectoliters per hectare, and the qualitative potential is unbelievable. The wine tastes more like dry vintage port than anything I have ever tasted at this estate, with amazing concentration yet remarkable freshness. Certainly Les Baumes (16.5% alcohol) tastes like crushed stones intermixed with creme de cassis liqueur. Even more stony in its unreal mineral richness and unctuosity was the cuvee l’Hermite. The two cuvees from Meal and Bessards were simply to die for, the most concentrated, intense Hermitages I have ever tasted, with extraordinary ripeness, power (16-16.5% alcohol) and richness. Of course, the yields were historically low, and the high level of ripeness and richness unprecedented, so what we have is probably something for the archives of the Chave family, a wine of prodigious richness, longevity, and extraordinary intensity. It would be hard to believe that the Cuvee Cathelin, can actually be any better, but it will obviously be a bit different as it tends to see a bit more small oak cask and/or new oak, and the bulk of it tends to come from their holdings in Les Bessards.
One of the last producers to harvest in the north, Chave began picking on September 5th, and refused to acidify despite the fact that analytically there was virtually no acid left in his grapes. He told me this vintage has made him totally re-examine all his ideas about winemaking since the finished wines taste fresh, lively, and while they possesses enormous levels of alcohol (15-17% plus), they are neither hot nor heavy. He said, “perhaps it is our terroir, but I never thought wines like this could be made.” Everything was still in barrels as the assemblage had not yet taken place, so my tasting notes are based on tastings from each individual cuvee in the cellars.
Average Bottle Price
| 521 | 2013 | 2010 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 015€ +354.9% | 443€ -11.6% | 501€ +9.9% | 456€ |
This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.