1995 Chave Hermitage decanting advice

WINE TALK
1

I’m opening a bottle of the 1995 Chave Hermitage for Christmas dinner. I’ve had it standing upright for several days. My thought was to decant about two or three hours before dinner. Anyone have any thoughts? Would a simple slow ox better? Or a little of both? (If only a slow ox I would obviously decant it prior to serving)
Thanks!

2

I’d give it a long decant. It was pretty backward in a tasting in November. I’m not going to touch any of mine for at least five years.

3

Hmmmm . . . now you’ve got me rethinking my selection!

4

Do you have others? 97 drinks really well. Or a bunch of older ones.

5

Unfortunately, no. I might go ahead with this one and give it the long decant, but I’ll think about it.

6

I think you’ll enjoy it a lot. It’s certainly not a waste.

7

I wouldn´t decant too long since that way the tannins could get a sharp edge.

Better slow-ox it for 6 or 7 hours in advance, only THEN decant for an hour or so when the wine has already softly seen some air …

Definitely the 1997 would be more accessable now, but the 1995 is the stronger wine (but careful preparation is essential).

Happy X-Mas

8

I’ve only had it once about a year ago, but it was drinking quite young. Not sure any amount of air is going to fix that, but I’d probably give it a quick double decant 4 hours before service. If you have access to the 94, 96 or 97, go that route, as they are all drinking more optimally at the moment.

9

I don´t like to be didactique, but double decanting can lead to harsh tannins and dry finish … certainly drier than with slow-ox …

Just my 2 cents - it´not my bottle …

10

Nothing to add here on decanting or slow-oxing strategies. Just want to request Xavier to please post TN if/when he opens the 95 Chave.

11

I’ve had a bottle of the '95 every few years and have only seen it with harsh tannins and dry finish as Gerhard says - have never slow-ox’ed it, and will certainly try that next time.

12

“Slow-ox” does that mean to pop the cork and recork the bottle?

13

I drank the 1995 red Hermitage at the domaine with Jean-Louis last March and it opened up in the glass few minutes after he cracked the bottle; as in every french region, this wine took a long time to develop and is just starting to be enjoyable. Jean-Louis pointed out that wines from granite-vintages like 1995 can be disappointing between 5 and 15 years, as if they were lacking taste and even structure.
Cheers,
David Chapot.

14

I think most people interpret slow-ox to mean just pop the cork, and let it sit, open. Air will slowly diffuse in through the bottle opening, though IMO that will take quite a while.

Gerhard (couple of posts above) believes that the result of doing this will be different than double decanting - which means pouring the wine out of the bottle (most people would then rinse the bottle out, to remove any residual sediment), then returning the wine back to the bottle. I don’t personally share his belief. Tannins are not really affected just by exposure to oxygen, any reactions involving tannins require much longer time frame than the few hours after a decant, no matter how the wine is handled.

Andrew Waterhouse, a professor at Davis, believes that the main thing happening when a wine is exposed to air is the release, and ultimate dissipation, of sulfur compounds. Those sulfur compounds can mask the aromas and flavors of the wine, which is why he postulates we perceive the wine differently over time after opening or pouring. To me this is the most logical explanation for what happens during the decanting process. I think the term “slow-ox” is therefore a misnomer, since the main action after opening is not so much letting oxygen in, as driving sulfur out - though it’s possible oxygen plays a role in changing the chemical state of sulfur compounds to make them more volatile.

Read it here:
http://www.curiouscook.com/site/2009/01/for-a-tastier-wine-the-next-trick-involves-.html

15

I’m not sure if this is what he means but I think the 95 shows a bit like some of the left bank Bordeaux from 95 - promising but somewhat hard and reserved. I’m very optimistic for both but I think patience is advised and there may always be some hard edge to the wines.

16

The 1995 Côte-Rôtie from Jamet I drank last June was hard too and, according to Jean-Paul, may keep this hardness. In the same way, some 75 of the left bank have never opened up and still show hard tannins. I am more optimistic for the 1995 Chave Hermitage which was closed but not hard.
Sorry for my bad english…
David Chapot.

17

Thanks for all the great tips! The decanting went perfectly. Very clear, no sediment at all in the decanter, and lost probably less than an ounce to the very fine sediment left in the bottle. Here’s the tasting note, as requested:

  • 1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (12/25/2014)
    Stood upright for over a week before opening. Cork near perfect, with just slight seepage on one side maybe a half inch up. Did a five hour slow ox, followed by a one hour decant. Lovely medium ruby color, with no sign of age. Beautiful clarity, without a speck of sediment after the decanting. Drank this over three hours with beef tenderloin with a porcini rub.

When we started on this the aromatics hit with a fury. Bam! A big dose of black olive tapenade, which morphed to a floral and herb mix, then it developed a roasted meat quality and some incense (though I’ll be damned if I know what kind!). The nose is simply ethereal, and I could spend all night with my nose in the glass.

On the palate this wine is in a bit of an odd place, somewhat awkward, with the acid poking out a bit, and some moderate but persistent tannins; the fruit is deep and dark, but hidden (on the plummy side, though not plush); still, this gives a lot of pleasure, even if a bit clumsy at the moment. I’m hoping this will eventually meld together with the acid becoming less noticeable, and I’ll wait at least another few years for the next bottle. More nose than palate at this point. I would guess it’s still on an upward trajectory, and there’s certainly no need to drink up anytime soon; I’m just hoping this will actually come around and fulfill its potential.

Posted from CellarTracker

18

Thanks, Xavier! It sounds similar to what I remember from November. I’m pretty confident this will be a really fine one in the long run, but I think it will take more than a few years. It may always have some hard edges.

19

Thanks so much for all your feedback, Craig! (And Gerhard and the others, too!)

20

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