Hermitage Blanc, J-L Chave 2021

Recently bottled, the 2021 Hermitage Blanc is a brilliant wine that shows a fresher, more mineral-driven style while still clearly being in the classic Jean-Louis concentrated, textured style. White currants, crushed citrus, flowers, green almond, and a kiss of reductive-like minerality all define the aromatics, and if you called this a great Grand Cru White Burgundy in a blind tasting, I wouldn't hold it against you. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, with a terrific salinity on the finish, it's going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and I suspect evolve for 20-25 years.

Tasted from multiple tanks and barrels, the 2021 Hermitage Blanc shows the fresher, elegant style of the vintage while still being nicely concentrated and rich. It has plenty of classic Chave rich, buttered stone fruits, medium to full body, a good spine of acidity, and a great finish. It will unquestionably be a beautiful Hermitage Blanc.