Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2016

Professional Ratings

• 100 Jeb Dunnuck
  There's not much of the 2016 Hermitage Blanc to go around due to hail in the springtime, yet the resulting wine is another magical effort from this domaine. Bottled in August, it opens up with a fabulous blast of quince, white flowers, buttered citrus, licorice, and exotic spices. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied, rounded, and incredibly sexy, with a layered, mouthfilling texture. It doesn't have the sheer weight of the 2009 and 2010, but is deep, opulent, with plenty of fat and glycerin, and straight-up awesome purity of fruit. If you're lucky enough to have more than one bottle, it's an incredible drink today and should continue to shine for another 2-3 years. After that, I'd hold off for a good 6-7 years or more.
• 98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Bottled in August, Chave's 2016 Hermitage Blanc is a tremendous wine. It's a bit closed on the nose (bottle shock?), but it wows on the palate, rocking it with seismic waves of super ripe pineapple and melon fruit and more than a small dose of what I can only describe as magma-like essence of stone. It's full-bodied and mouthfilling in its richness, yet it never seems heavy or overdone. Remember that yields were constrained by hail, so don't delay in procuring whatever your budget will allow.
• 98 Wine Spectator

  Remarkably concentrated yet poised, with acacia and honeysuckle notes leading the way for a core of creamed melon, quince, mirabelle plum and white nectarine flavors. The long brioche- and salted butter–fueled finish shows terrific cut for a wine of this weight, ending with a lingering beeswax hint. A stunner. Marsanne and Roussanne. Best from 2022 through 2045.

• 96 Decanter
  A tasting of component lieu-dits of L’Ermite, Les Roucoules and Péléat, revealing a potentially superb wine despite the tiny yields this year. The Ermite component is a little fatter than in most years, with good acidity and minerality. Roucoules too has a fleshy character this year, and Péléat supplies ample perfumed freshness. Around 20% new oak.