Brian Boulden

8.9

Beautiful aroma and fantastic taste. Great Cherry and chocolate overtones with a smooth lingering finish. No vintage date on bottle that and just Lot 7 but that Lot number could be on every bottle. Either way Chuck Wagner has done a beautiful job on this. — 7 days ago

Scott Kahn

9.3

Beautifully balanced with pronounced red fruit and distinct tannic structure. Only purple, red color with a nice acidity to complement red meat. A great wine now that can easily cellar for many years. — 2 months ago

Patrick O Driscoll

9.4

A great smith wine pleasurable to drink with a great meat dinner. — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This was showing well that was all about dark fruits, meat, spice, olive, pepper & violet. — 8 days ago

Bruce Leboff

9.2

Drinking well. Lovely nose of crushed rose petals and a hint of grilled meat and scintilla of tobacco. A touch dry on the palate but otherwise smooth and a nice long lasting finish — 2 months ago

with David

Jay Kline

9.5

This bottle was a library release from the Chave cellars. Decanted about an hour prior to service (but could have benefited from more time) and enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2001 Chave rouge pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of charred blueberry pie, mushrooms, scorched earth, grilled meat, coffee, black pepper and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and super complex. With more and more air, this really came into its own. Totally Chave. Totally Hermitage. Totally awesome. Drink now with a little patience and through 2041. — 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Dark, inky with its red & black cherry, berry fruit, lots of meat, blood, iron, spice, graphite & violets — 18 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Dark fruits, lots of spice, meat, olive, underbrush & violet — 25 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Another great btl from this vintage showing dark fruits, iron, black olive, pepper, smoked meat, glycerin, dried herbs, spice & violets. This will age effortlessly the next 20 years. — 2 months ago

Roberto Carli

9.6

First thought is that I lack the vocabulary for this one, as alas, don’t get to try these legends too often. Nose leads with pure smoked meat, cherry-licorice liqueur (without the alcohol whiff) and something I can only call “magical spice concoction” Palate hits first the side with acid freshness (hello! Where did you come from?) then unwinds the long and complex licorice and boysenberry melange that is already approachable with with enough sandiness in the tannins to show higher promise in the future. Texture hits with smoky bacon fat and carried everything for 30 seconds plus — 5 months ago