One of the more charming and forward efforts from Chave, the 2012 Hermitage sports a mostly opaque purple color to go with classic creme de cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notions of lead pencil shavings, violets and powdered rocks. Deep, full-bodied and sumptuously textured, with good freshness, this pure, elegant Hermitage shows more and more definition and cut with time in the glass, but never loses it's more fruit forward, charming profile. I suspect it will drink nicely for most of its life. Drink 2017-2037.
96 points – Jeb Dunnuck (eRobertParker.com, Dec 2015)

Jean-Louis has never been the biggest fan of the 2012 vintage (I like it more than he does), yet his 2012 Hermitage is nevertheless a brilliant wine. Deep, concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful, it has a charming, supple style backed up with plenty of underlying minerality, acidity, and structure. Classic notes of crème de cassis, graphite, burning embers, and violets all define the bouquet, and while it’s beautiful today given its purity and balance, it will keep for another 25 years or more.

Black tea and warm ganache notes frame a core of steeped plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit. Rather restrained at first, this picks up steam through the finish, as a well-embedded graphite edge emerges, letting the dark fruit and anise accents linger beautifully. A poised, polished, understated and precise version that will age deceptively well. JM

Tasted from its final three component tanks on the same day that the final blend was to be made: #1: Ripe cherry and dark berries on the nose and in the mouth. Fleshy, broad and smoky, finishing with strong cling. #2: Spice-accented cherry and cassis aromas, along with suggestions of cola and candied licorice. Sappy and seamless, displaying excellent back-end focus and lift. #3): Sexy, highly perfumed red fruit and floral pastille scents and flavors, with a peppery element adding urgency. Silky and fine-grained, showing excellent closing thrust and length. The ultimate wine should offer a suave blend of richness and vivacity, with textbook dark fruit, spice and floral Syrah character and the balance to age. Josh Raynolds