Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 2011

96+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck

I love the 2011 Hermitage. (This vintage, in general, produced incredibly sexy, flamboyant wines that have drunk well since release.) Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by tons of sweet crème de cassis, peppery spice, sun-dried flowers, and the classic minerality that’s the defining feature of the Bessards lieu-dit that dominates this cuvée.

96 Points - Wine Advocate

A structured, almost wiry wine, Chave's 2011 Hermitage remains a bit tight and tannic. That said, it still offers plenty of pleasure and has developed lovely aromas of leather, cured meat, redcurrants and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, with a rich, velvety feel on the finish, it should continue to drink well for at least another decade and probably longer

18.5 Points - Jancis Robinson MW

Parcel by parcel from barrel, as usual. Peléat - Racked mid Nov. Deep crimson, tight, firm, chewy. Very linear. Lots of sweet fruit. Open, ripe and charming - Jean-Louis says this always gives an early indication of the vintage. Baumes - 'pudding stones' which encourage ripeness. Round yet very fresh. Very good line, transparent. L'Hermite - Dense and chewy with lots of black fruit flavours. Le Méal - Suggestion of fine leather. More obviously Syrah than the rest. More race and lift than most. If I understood him correctly, this was the parcel he is most likely to sell off via his négoce label. He is much against having a second wine. Bessards - Granite. Very dark crimson.'You can't make great Hermitage without Bessards', says Jean-Louis. This is already really rather majestic. You can see why people have talked about kneeling before Hermitage. Dense, structured, really rather awe-inspiring.