Readers with patience as well as cold cellars should check out Yann Chave’s 2009 Hermitage. Classic aromas of creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herbs, barbecue smoke and graphite soar from the glass of this dense, full-bodied, concentrated, moderately tannic Hermitage. Forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 30+ years. One of the three Chaves making outstanding wines in the northern Rhone, Yann Chave’s cellars are on the outskirts of Tain l’Hermitage, next to the entrance to the famed Autoroute du Soleil. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Quite rich and velvety, with a lovely caressing feel to the crushed plum, fig sauce and macerated currant fruit. The floral, white pepper–tinged finish has a dusting of cocoa powder that should be absorbed with modest cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2019. 20 cases imported.??–JM??Region: France / Northern Rh?ne / Hermitage Select to Add