Jean-Louis Chave : Hermitage Domaine 2004

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for the 2004 Hermitage from Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep ruby-red hue with purple highlights.

Nose

The bouquet reveals remarkable complexity, opening with toasted, smoky and peppery notes intertwined with blackberry and pure red-fruit nuances. With aeration, the nose evolves toward aromas of garrigue, earth, leather and blackberries coated in subtle sweetness. Hints of plum, fig, spice and flowers complete this sophisticated aromatic palette.

Palate

On the palate, the wine shows a substantial tannic structure, immediately wrapped in deep flavors that unfold across the entire palate. Perfectly ripe fruit—neither over-extracted nor underdeveloped—expresses red and black berries through the mid-palate. An intense core of flavor runs down the center of the tongue, accompanied by woodland notes that add earthy complexity. The balance between tannins, fruit and acidity is impeccable. The finish is exceptionally long, lingering for more than a minute and a half, with an umami quality that adds savory depth.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with roasted or braised meats such as lamb, herb-crusted pork, and game like venison. It also accompanies aged cheeses, mushroom-based dishes, and certain Asian dishes with concentrated umami flavors with elegance.

Serving and cellaring

It is recommended to serve the 2004 Hermitage at a temperature of 15 to 16°C. Decanting for one to three hours before serving allows the wine to fully open up and express its full aromatic complexity. This vintage can be enjoyed through around 2039, or even beyond under optimal cellaring conditions.

An Hermitage from the Rhône Valley Combining Elegance and Depth

The estate

The Jean-Louis Chave estate embodies an exceptional winemaking tradition dating back to 1481, representing sixteen uninterrupted generations of winegrowers. Based in Mauves in the Rhône Valley, the estate established itself on the hill of Hermitage from 1865 onward. Today, Jean-Louis Chave, the sixteenth generation, runs the estate alongside his wife, Erin Cannon-Chave. The domaine oversees around fifteen hectares on Hermitage, spread across seven prestigious lieux-dits, making the family the fourth-largest landowner in the appellation. Internationally recognized as the most sought-after producer in the Northern Rhône, the estate favors a terroir-respectful approach, with organic viticulture and minimal intervention in the cellar to express the purity of each parcel.

The vineyard

The red Hermitage comes from seven distinct lieux-dits: Bessards, L'Hermite, Péléat, Méal, Beaume, Diognères and Vercandiered. These parcels total ten hectares planted to Syrah, with vines averaging around fifty years of age, some over 85 years old. The soils show remarkable diversity, made up of decomposed granite, sand, pebbles and clay that vary considerably from one parcel to another. The hill’s southern exposure provides optimal sunshine and protection from northerly winds. The continental climate with Mediterranean influences—hot, dry summers and cold winters—creates ideal conditions for producing world-class Syrah. Vineyard management follows strict organic principles, with no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or machines, favoring work with horses and plows. Hand harvesting allows for rigorous selection of the finest grapes.

The vintage

The 2004 vintage in the Northern Rhône Valley is marked by cool, crisp conditions that produced wines with a finely defined expression of terroir. The year required strict yield control to maintain quality, with the best producers carrying out meticulous fruit selection and careful vineyard management to concentrate ripeness. This classic, cooler year made it possible to craft elegant, balanced wines with vibrant acidity and a pure fruit expression, rather than over-extracted or excessively high-alcohol wines. For Hermitage whites, 2004 proved particularly outstanding, producing wines with real brightness and strong terroir expression.

Winemaking and aging

Each parcel of the 2004 Hermitage was harvested and vinified separately to allow the unique expression of each microclimate before blending. Fermentation took place mainly in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, as well as in three open-top wooden vats, using exclusively indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins. The grapes were partially destemmed, with a proportion of stems retained of up to fifty percent depending on ripeness. After fermentation, the wine rested in 228-liter French oak barrels for around eighteen months, with only 10% new oak. Aging was carried out without bâtonnage to preserve freshness. Blending took place in July, followed by 60 to 90 days of rest before bottling. The wine was neither fined nor filtered, thus preserving its full aromatic complexity and color intensity.

Grape variety

100% Syrah