Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin, J-L Chave 1995

The 1995 Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin is another magical wine from this family estate that’s drinking brilliantly today. Its vivid ruby, semi-opaque color (classic mature Hermitage) is followed by an incredibly complex bouquet of red and black currants, Asian spices, scorched earth, beef blood, and obvious smoky minerality that’s the essence of the les Bessards lieu-dit. Deep, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, yet at the same time incredibly seamless and elegant, with an almost Burgundian ethereal texture, this smoky, meaty, mineral-driven Hermitage is fully mature today yet I will have no problem evolving for another two decades or more. It’s pure class.