Crozes Hermitage Silene, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 2019

Deep, glistening violet color. Pungent dark berry, cherry and licorice aromas are complemented by exotic spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Fleshy blueberry and bitter cherry flavors turn sweeter in the glass and pick up an olive nuance on the back half. Firms up slowly with air and finishes spicy and long, with rounded tannins and resonating dark berry and mineral qualities. Roughly three-quarters of this fruit is from the Chave's holdings, in the northern sector of the appellation, and the rest of purchased from nearby producers.