1990 Hermitage Rouge, Jean-Louis Chave
Brick-red color that betrays its age. The aroma just jumps out of the glass at you. Textbook Northern Rhone syrah: dark fruits, roasted meat, and just the right amount of oak. I could just sit all day breathing in the aromas . . . oh, yeah, there's that liquid in the glass that wants drinking, isn't there? The flavors follow the aromas. The tannins are resolved, and the wine has a perfect balance of power and grace. This is classic, textbook Hermitage from a top producer in a top vintage. There is no hurry to drink this up. Triple Curly.
-Paul W.