The Chave family adventure begins in 1970 with Bernard and Nicole, parents of Yann, who settled in Tain, dedicating themselves to the sale of their products, from a plot of 4 hectares (one of which of vineyard), to local traders. Their turning point happened, rather quickly, in 1978, with the building of the winery, the marketing of their own wines and the adhesion to the Tain Cooperative Winery. In 1996, at the age of 26, Yann began to take an interest in the wine-growing part of the family business, renovating the vineyards and leading them, over the years, to an extension of 20 hectares, 1,2 of which lying on the legendary l’Hermitage hill. The history tells that Yann was poisoned by an insecticide, he was treating the vines with, and, because of the intoxication, decided, at the beginning of the 2000s, to convert the vineyatds management to an organic approach.
The Hermitage wine, coming from the homonymous hill, comes from 40-year-old south-west facing vines, on a plot of land that benefits of long periods of sun during the vegetative cycle. The harvested grapes, once completely destemmed, undergo a very soft pressing, then the vinification continues at controlled temperature without the cap fulling, with two daily pumping over. The traditional demi-muid (French barrels of 600/700 liters) new and first pass host the malolactic fermentation and the subsequent one year aging, before a 6 months passage in tanks for decantation, and the subsequent bottling.
The 2010 intense ruby with garnet reflections vintage smells of black fruit, sweet spices, vinyl, smoked and roasted meat, black pepper, juniper and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is broad, warm, intense and creamy, with the sip punctuated by still present and refreshing tannins which lead to a long finish on notes of tomato paste.
Rating: 91/100
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