2016 L'Hermitage

It was an outstanding evening of fine food, fine wine and even finer friendship. Medlar delivered yet again, not just in terms of the impressive standard of cooking that complemented these bottles with aplomb, but particularly the sommelier team that handled all these bottles with care, skill and all-important smiles.

Jean-Louis Chave says that 2016 is a vintage that will probably “not be appreciated until it has a little age to show how elegant it is,” pointing out that after their immediate satisfaction, wines from ripe vintages need to settle down to show what they’re really made of. “It’s kind of the same with lighter years. They aren’t usually very obvious when they’re young, they seem shy and in need of some time to grow.” Chave’s take on 2016 is that it is a very good year, “maybe not a great one for aging.” Intense hailstorms in April followed by scattered attacks of powdery mildew took a severe toll on yields, he said, but there was plenty of time to cull any damaged fruit, and what he had left “was clean and perfectly ripe, with the right balance of fruit and tannins.” Those fortunate enough to get their hands on some of Chave’s 2016 Hermitage should refrain from comparing the wine to his powerful 2015, which is truly a wine for the ages. The 2016 is quite a bit more graceful and, perish the thought, it should be enjoyable on the young side, but I would still give it at least a decade of bottle age before pulling the cork. For mere mortals the 2016 Saint-Joseph is a superb alternative and one of the very best examples of the appellation in this vintage. As for the 2016 Saint-Joseph Clos Florentin, by all means grab any you can find (there isn’t much of it to go around) as it is also a stunner.

In spite of lower, hail- and mildew-influenced yields in 2016, Jean-Louis Chave told me that he’s extremely pleased with how the wines have turned out “because they are very accurate to their terroir,” with “fine detail and balance but concentration as well.” Chave is especially happy with the wines’ tannin integration, which should allow them to be accessible throughout most of their lives and not demand long cellaring. I know that it’s fashionable in some Rhône geek circles to gripe that today’s wines at this venerable estate aren’t the same as those made by Jean-Louis’s father, Gérard, and they’re correct. Under Jean-Louis’ watch they have become more consistent and more expressive at an earlier stage than his father’s wines, but with no loss of depth, intensity or age-worthiness. Simply put, these continue to be among France’s vinous gems.