One of the quickest rising stars in the northern Rhone is Yann Chave. Yann, in his mid-30s, took over his father Bernard’s domaine in the late 1990s and his Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage wines are now highly sought-after. With 14.77 ha in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, the top cuvee ‘Le Rouve’ is sourced from 50 y.o. vines from a single parcel in the ‘Chassis’ sector where the soil has the large rounded ‘caillouteux’ stones prominent. The wine is aged in 1-2 y.o. demi-muids and is notable for its consistently intense fruit expression, which captures the quintessential florals of the Syrah variety, and powerfully textured palate. Here’s what Robert Parker says: “It seems to me Yann Chave’s 2006s are slightly more successful than the more muscular but also tannic and masculine 2005s. The dense, purple coloured 2006 Crozes-Hermitage Le Rouve has a beautiful nose of licorice, black olives, blackberry and raspberry, with some sweet cherry, smoke, and earth, and displays good tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, heady finish. This wine should drink beautifully for 7-8 years.” 90 points, The Wine Advocate, Issue 175, February 2008 RC July 08