Chave/Yann Hermitage 2015

96 points Tim Atkin, MW: "A nose you just want to eat; smoky bacon, cracked black pepper and a hint of pine resin. Very full-bodied, but sublimely fresh, this has agreeable roundedness and juiciness of fruit, leading to a long, dry, savoury finish. It’s a rich, fruity style, highly expressive and juicy, that will make for a deliciously complex wine in time. 2023-2035."

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "A wine that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves (probably because it’s made in tiny quantities), the inky colored 2015 Hermitage from Yann Chave comes all from the Les Beaumes lieu-dit and was completely destemmed and brought up in demi-muids. It is a rich, concentrated, yet structured Hermitage that's going to require patience. Cassis, saddle leather, peppery herbs and scorched earth give way to a beautifully balanced, pure and focused 2015 that has plenty of raw material, yet isn't going to be much fun to drink in its youth. Drink: 2023-2038. (1/24/18)"

94 points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "The 2015 Hermitage, from the lieux-dits of Les Beaumes and Péleat, was aged entirely in new demi-muids. It's a full-bodied, rich wine that retains a sense of freshness with its mouthwatering flavors of cassis, blackberries and blueberries accented by hints of espresso, crushed stone and licorice. Nearly approachable now, it also shows some firm tannins on the finish, suggesting two decades of longevity. Drink: 2022-2035. (Sep 2018)"

93-94 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "(aged in new demi-muids for a year) Bright purple. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, Indian spices, vanilla and olive paste, while an intense mineral overtone adds urgency and lift. In a sappy, penetrating style, showing real depth but vivacity as well. Sweet blueberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors reveal a core of juicy acidity and pick up a smoky note on the back half. Lingers with outstanding tenacity on the finish, which features supple tannins and a hint of candied licorice. (Apr 2017)"

93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I know Yann Chave’s wines primarily for his excellent bottlings of Crozes-Hermitage, as he has more than sixteen hectares of vines in that appellation, but he farms just over a hectare of vines on the hill of Hermitage as well, in two lieux à dits: Baumes and Préléat. The vines are thirty years of age and the wine is raised in six hundred liter casks. The 2015 Hermitage from Yann Chave is excellent, offering up a ripe and precise bouquet of cassis, pepper, roasted meats, a fine base of stony soil, coffee grounds, woodsmoke and a touch of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a rock solid core, firm, ripe tannins and a long, tangy and beautifully balanced finish. This is young and properly structured, but all of the constituent components are in place to be an outstanding bottle of Hermitage with sufficient bottle age. Fine juice. 2025-2075. (Jan/Feb 2018)"