This brick house is starting to emerge, slowly. There is still a substantial cloak of cocoa powder, brick dust and tar over the core of crushed plum, black currant and steeped cherry fruit that is just now starting to give way. The finish is hefty but exceptionally well-toned, with stunning length and cut thanks to seamless tannins. A smooth block of granite. The one for your children.--Non-blind Chave vertical (June 2012).

his has great intensity on the nose with notes of cranberry, raspberry, crushed stones and wild hedgerow – it just soars from the glass. The palate is full-bodied, sinewy but beautifully balanced, a very insistent Hermitage with briary, minerals, blackberry and a touch of sous-bois towards the long, long finish. Wow: an astounding Hermitage. Drink 2015-2030+ Tasted March 2009.

Robert Parker''s Wine Advocate 29/04/2009

Made in a totally different style, the masculine, backward 2005 Hermitage exhibits an inky/dark ruby/purple color along with aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herbs, and scorched earth. The minerality and tannins dominate this gamy, thick, rich 2005, which, given its tannic structure, is closest in style to a vintage such as 1995 or 1998. Give it 7-10 more years of cellaring, and drink it over the following three decades.

One of my favorite true and authentic vignerons to visit is the Chave family, located in the tiny, one-horse village of Mauves, just south of Tournon. The son, Jean-Louis, is taking over the reins more and more, but his father, Gerard, is still involved even though he is officially retired. As always, these wines performed brilliantly. Readers should keep in mind that the reviews of the 2007 white Hermitage and 2007 red Hermitage are a matter of extrapolating from tasting all the separate vineyards that go into these wines. That said, the Chaves appear to be ratcheting up their quality level because of a Draconian selection process in the vineyard as well as in the winery. The Chave estate wines’ finest value is St.-Joseph (5,000 bottles produced in each vintage), which comes from hillside vines planted in pure schist just outside their home village of Mauves.

The 2005 Hermitage is a frighteningly backward, tannic, broodingly dense, formidable wine. Its dense purple color is followed by notions of road tar, spring flowers, camphor, creme de cassis, licorice, and earth. It displays high tannin, huge extract and richness, with fresh acidity. I agree with the Chaves that this is a vintage for those with patience as this wine needs a decade of cellaring. 1983 might be the closest vintage of comparison, but overall, I think the winemaking and selection process at Chave are far greater today than they were 25 years ago. Readers with good DNA and youth on their side are the only ones who should purchase this monster Hermitage. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.

A bastion of traditionalism and terroir-sensitive winemaking, the Chaves, both father Gerard and son Jean-Louis, continue to establish higher and higher standards for artisanal, high quality winemaking without manipulation or compromise. As I have said many times in the past, after more than two dozen visits to their cellars in Mauves, the Chave address remains one of the most extraordinary places of learning in the wine world. Most importantly, they have had a remarkable succession of successful vintages that began in 1994.
(94+)

The 2005 Hermitage is a rich, ripe, adolescent that still needs 2-4 years of bottle age to hit its plateau of maturity, where is should keep for two decades or more. Offering lots of ripe cassis and currant fruit, with background minerality and spring flower notes, this full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and layered effort is certainly one of the gems of the vintage.