2008 - Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Blanc

Consequently, there is little of the 2008 Hermitage Blanc (which was scheduled to be bottled the week after my visit), but it is one of the finest 2008s produced in the Northern Rhone. The wine offers up scents of almond paste, brioche, white currants and quince as well as a full-bodied, concentrated personality displaying good acidity and a more forward style than either the 2009 or 2007. It is best drunk in its first 7-8 years of life.

Pale gold. Deeply scented aromas of pit fruits and orange marmalade, with hints of smoke and botanical herbs adding complexity. Densely packed but surprisingly lithe in the mouth, offering subtly sweet pit fruit flavors and a solid mineral jolt, as well as mounting spiciness and a strong floral quality. The minerality adds lift and cut to a very long and incisive finish. Chave thinks this will close down soon and be a long ager.