From a down year in the Rhone, but whites were actually harvested under good conditions, so there are some real gems out there at good prices (picked this up for $80 a bottle, as opposed to the usual $175+).

Lots of sweetened butter, almond, lemon curd and floral notes. Gorgeous, creamy mouthfeel, with a finish that just glides along. Still very open too - this hasn't shut down like Chave's white Hermitage typically does after just a year or two in bottle. Drink now through 2020. 94 points.

[Note: Wine not tasted blind, this is an unofficial review.]

Pear, white flowers and stone on the nose. Full-bodied white, extraordinary mouthfeel with pear, lanolin and citrus notes on a long minerally finish. 92 points.

quote:

Originally posted by steve8:
Pear, white flowers and stone on the nose. Full-bodied white, extraordinary mouthfeel with pear, lanolin and citrus notes on a long minerally finish. 92 points.

Good TN, steve8. I would agree completely with this note.

• 2002 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (5/10/2008)
  Nose of pear, oak and lychee with same on a palate that was well delineated and smooth. Nice texture and mouthfeel to the wine, exhibiting its high pedigree. But I found the palate just a little light for a wine of this calibre and slight hollow and thin, probably due to the vintage. But excellent nonetheless. Long finish. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

My first Chave experience. Drank with Mr. Molesworth's mushroom toast:

• 2002 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (6/3/2008)
  Pretty floral nose with peach and pear flavors. Has a great "waxy"/creamy mouthfeel that reveals a slight buttery flavor framed by honeyed white peach and tropical fruits. Long finish shows a nice mineral note. Delicious. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

As a side note, my wife loved the wine and actually asked me to get more. She never likes to encourage the purchase of more wine (she believes I have more than enough). I explained that I got lucky on the price by acquiring through an auction website and that, unfortunately, Chave would probably be a rarity in our household. She was actually bummed, which is shocking because she rarely gets excited about wine. She seems to love white Rhones though, so James Molesworth's recent blog entry was perfect timing. I plan on saving my last bottle for some time and opening it on a special occasion in the future.

Keeno: and how were the mushrooms?

quote:

Originally posted by James Molesworth:
Keeno: and how were the mushrooms?

Delicious, and excellent with the wine. Thanks for promoting the match.

You guys are killing me. I might just have to open a bottle of this.

My wife makes a wonderful portobello on toast, so sounds like the direction to go.