2023 Domaine Jean Louis Chave, Hermitage Rouge - Magnum

Chave’s Hermitage Rouge is assembled from multiple lieux-dits across the hill—Bessards, Le Méal, L’Hermite, and others—each vinified separately before blending. Bessards brings structure, Méal adds breadth, and the higher parcels like L’Hermite tighten the wine.

Fermentation is traditional with long macerations, followed by about 18–24 months in large, mostly neutral oak. The goal is to build the wine through blending rather than imprinting it with the cellar.

Production is small relative to demand, and formats like magnum are even harder to come by. 2023 shows more openness early, but the framework is there—dark fruit, iron, smoke, and the density that defines Hermitage.