I stopped writing notes a few years ago but this is fun to share. The LCB is clearing out 07 Chave white for 119. I had a bunch but how could I not buy more. So we threw one in the fridge briefly and popped it. It was slightly too close to room temp but the first nose smelled just like a huet 1er from a great year (I drink one of these a month at least.) Yquem like, even, with opulent honey, yellow flowers, intense perfume, and the sensation of ripe fruits. The honey lead the charge by a lot. The palate followed suit. Thick, unctuous almost oily. Loads of honeycomb and bordering on sweet. Nick and I looked at each other and said nothing. He ran to the kitchen and cracked open a pack of smoked salmon. While he did that (within three minutes) I stuck my nose back in my Zalto universal and the wine had dramatically changed. Ive had wines change character quickly before, but this was the most impressive change I remember. It shut down the nose to almost nothing. Just a hing of herb. The palate also closed off, turning into chalky cheesiness remiscent of chablis minus the bracing acid. (Acid level is fine here, however.) I called Nick over and the funny thing was that he had poured his in a Zalto bordeaux and some of the honey was still evident in his glass. 5 more minutes and it was gone. At about ten minutes from open my glass has lots of flowery perfume notes and a cool note of honeydew melon. The palate seems looser with less intensity to the now yellow orchard fruit. What a cool ride so far. Luckily Nick and I take time with wines and will open a few other things before reapproaching this. Just thought Id share 
Humberto, nice post and one of the reasons I enjoy nice wine!
Rarely do you open a Chave post and expect to see a 12 year old Chave white.
Thanks for sharing.
Hermitage blanc (incl. Chave) needs a lot of air, you can follow it over several days usually without a problem.
I once had forgotten an aged bottle (no Chave, a white Hermitage) with remains (of 1/3) after a tasting in my cellar, and 8 months later it was better than ever …
By Accident, Humberto and I have had a pretty cool weekend with European Whites which play by their own rules…
This afternoon we’ve gone through a 2001 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann. The Chave is listed as 14.5%, this 14. I think the Z-H tastes like the lighter wine, but it is plenty rich, so it may simply be a question of how one’s palate picks it up. I think this wine is in a really excellent place right now. The Chave was, as Humberto describes above, a mercurial beast in so many ways; the Z-H is more consistent. Grass, honey, spice notes. Stays rich and rounded on the finish, as one expects from the Richer line of Z-H.
I should add that we opened both “on the warm side” i.e. room temp, which I especially like to do with these sort of wines to see the fruit profile before cooling them down for later glasses. I am especially fond of the first blast in your nose and mouth… Hard to say what would have happened if we’d opened the Chave chilled or not, but I’d wager the Room Temp (i.e. 68 degrees) was a key factor in seeing it bounce and play like it did. I think my conclusion would be I like this Chave when I let it get warm from the fridge, and whereas the Z-H benefits from some cold given how rich and consistent that style is.
I am a massive fan of the Z-H style, so for me this kind of wine is simply scrumptious. We had a Dorta-Benedict: Smoked salmon, Fresh Mozz, and a perfect hollandaise (i.e. plenty of lemon juice and mustard for balance with the fat). It’s so interesting to have these European Whites that are so high in alcohol and rich.
A special contrast was the 2008 Cristal we opened last night. A different caliber of white to be sure, although one that pairs immensely well with fats. The balance of the acid and mouth-feel of Cristal is genuinely impressive. Humberto and I have a mini-tradition of opening a bottle, tasting, and then a bit later having it with a high-fat meal. In this case, some burrata ravioli and a dry-aged steak cooked in butter (and carrots finished in the meat juice/butter pan).
This Cristal (like the '07 and the '05) is stunningly good with that kind of meal. It’s literally unreal how good the mouthfeel is. You take a bite and assume that the juices, or pasta, will be too intense, too thick, and better matched with the red we have open (in this case a '96 Volany Santenots from Matrot), and yet… There is a weird magic with these young Cristal and these fats. There is a creamy combination which is integrated on a level I would never (especially when “going by the book” of Somm Training) think would integrate.
And yet… this stuff tastes like Victory.
Anyway, for those of you with friends and the opportunity to do so: middle-aged Chave, middle-aged Z-H, and Cristal make for a really special weekend. The flavors can be opulent, but the sophistication stands out as well.