On Friday night Ian came into the back office and declared "I'm going to open my '04 Chave Hermitage Rouge" I advised against opening the bottle arguing that it would be a waste. The wine was way too young and would probably be shut down. I have had examples of mature Chave and patience is definitely rewarded. The bottle was a gift and for those of us who are lucky enough to work in the industry if you don't pay for the bottle you rarely feel guilt about cracking the bottle. Ian shrugged off my pleas for him to not make any rash moves. It was popped, poured into a decanter and off we went.

I could not wait to be cynical and jaded. I knew the wine would be closed and I could say "see I told you so, you should have waited" with great satisfaction. I can be a childish about these sort of things. At least I thought we could have opened it, given it more air time and maybe had it with a giant lamb shank.

But I couldn't be cynical, even with the depressingly bad weather of February. I poured myself a healthy glass and hide in the back office. The perfume was instantly satisfying and I knew that my tail would be between my legs for ever protesting. The nose within ten minutes was appealing and had all the signs of being terrific Syrah. Notes of cassis, black olive, anise, white pepper and minerals. The fruit was very pretty and elegant with great balancing acidity. I was shocked how lovely it was. This wine really should have been backward and austere. It had great balance and concentration, some said almost Cali like but I think it was more retrained then most Cali Syrahs. The structure was certainly present but it was integrated with the fruit quite well for being so young. And oh the minerals. An extremely well put together wine and a great example of why Chave is the king of Hermitage. The only question is, how much better will this get? Probably a lot, but who cares, it was darn tasty Friday night. Thanks Ian for sharing the bottle with all of us.

If cracking bottles '04 Chave for no reason seems a bit silly and frivolous you can always pick up a bottle Texier CDR or Edmunds St. John Syrah. Both are delicious, elegant examples of what highly perfumed Syrah can be like. And both are around the $30 price point so no guilty feeling or angry partner in the morning. Cheers all!

To my mind, the reference point Hermitage is from Jean-Louis Chave. If I were to own only one producer, he would be it. His legendary wines are, without a doubt, the most collectible bottlings from the appellation (the ultra-low production 2003 is currently trading between $600-900/btl, if you can find it).

The wine is sought out year after year due to its consistency, greatness, and scarcity. The Chave family's uncanny ability to turn out great Hermitage for the last half-century has been absolutely unmatched.

In the great 2001 vintage, Chave produced yet another masterpiece - a textbook, traditionally crafted Hermitage, now selling for $200-$300 per bottle.

Enter: Betts & Scholl

Ripe. Rich. Huge. Monstrous. But Elegant. Palate coating - teeth staining. What else would you expect from the famed Rhône Valley appellation Côte-Rôtie?

After all, it translates as "Roasted Slope." Unlike its southern neighbor Chateauneuf-du-Pape, wine from this region is nearly 100% Syrah - and I might add, this is the Syrah that defines Syrah.

The family estate of Guigal has defined Côte-Rôtie for many decades and is consistently the benchmark for all other winemakers in this region. They produce the three most revered and collectible bottlings of Syrah-based wine on the face of the earth: La Turque, La Landonne and La Mouline (collectively known as the "La-La" wines).

Chave is one of the most revered names in all of the wine world, as well as a personal favorite of Crush owner Bobby Schagrin.

Today we're offering wines purchased directly from Bobby's collection as well as two surprising recent vintages direct from the estate.

More on Jean-Louis Chave:

Rigor, Discipline and Tradition in Côte-Rôtie
2007 Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche

"There is no more consistently great wine in our portfolio than Levet's La Chavaroche... If you want the truest of Côte-Rôties... if you admire both the intellectual and the savage, then this is a must-buy wine." -Neal Rosenthal

It's been almost three years since we've offered the great Côte-Rôties of Bernard Levet.

These are among the truest expressions of Syrah; unapologetic, raw, mineral, soaring, stunningly pure and beautiful.

The Mystery and Allure of Henri Bonneau
2001 Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape
CLASSIC VINTAGE - SPECIAL PRICING

Henri Bonneau is without a doubt a member of the old-school, Southern Rhône eccentrics...

...right up there with the late Jacques Reynaud of Rayas.

Parker has described Bonneau as "an uncompromising genius who could care less about making money."

In a market that tries to rush everything to release and loves the predictability of it all, Bonneau's timeline is based on his own intuition. Sorry to quote Parker so much but he's funny here, calling Bonneau's release schedule "leisurely" and "anti-commercial."

A String of Knockouts from the Champ
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 2003-2005
Back-Vintage Parcel: Perfect Provenance, Sharp Pricing

"No tricks. Other than the existence of Hermitage itself."
-Andrew Jefford, The New France

Jean-Louis Chave has a gift for crafting absolutely transcendent Hermitage. These are cornerstone wines in any serious collection - beautiful fusions of power with elegance, embellishment joined with focus. This is the genius of Chave.

"Stunning White Châteauneuf""
2009 Clos des Papes Blanc
Tidy Parcel at the Lowest Price in the Nation

"The 2009 Châteauneuf"-du-Pape blanc may be the finest white wine I have ever tasted from Clos des Papes." - Robert Parker

Vincent Avril has taken over the Clos des Papes estate from his father, Paul, who passed away in 2009, and if anyone ever questioned his ability to uphold the very high standards Paul set forth for this house as well as this region, the above quote should offer great evidence in the affirmative.

In Pursuit of the 2007...
2009 Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape VV
...but well under half the 2007's price

"A candidate for the wine of the vintage in this appellation."
- Robert Parker

Domaine de la Janasse is no small, under-the-radar house. They are one of the greats of Châteauneuf, and their Vielles Vignes - from vines over 80 years old - has been an out-and-out benchmark of the appellation nearly every single year for the last decade.

Today we present the latest in their string of hits, the 2009 Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape VV - "a candidate for wine of the vintage" here - at $99.95 a bottle. This is the lowest price in the nation by about 10%, so the pricing here is truly exceptional.

Chateauneuf in Top Form
2001 Solitude Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Barberini"
Luscious, Back-Vintage CDP Score
30% Below the Lowest Price in the World

"Over the last ten years, these wines have gone from strength to strength, and are now some of the finest of the appellation." - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

With the young 2007 Chateauneufs falling deep into sleep, today we offer a luscious 2001 Chateauneuf in its prime, exuding all the sweet-cassis, smoke and flower-riddled perfumes of the sun-bathed Rhône.

Given the arctic temperatures we've been having and the daunting stretch of winter months ahead, we thought that something hedonistic, with a little belly-warming depth might be appropriate.

This is a targeted offering *only* for those of you who have supported our Rhône program. Still, with a mere 10 cases and a price 30% below the lowest price in the world, this will be gone quickly. (48 hours max!)