Hermitage			1978	J-L Chave

2/97. Bought in auction Sep-96 for $190 (imported from Chicago for $216 net).
The wine accompanied Friday's night dinner consisted of asparagus sauteed in butter, chestnut soup, roasted goose.
About three years ago I paid a little less for the same wine at the world-renowned Taillevant restaurant in Paris... In any event, the most expensive wine I have ever bought and drank (I have a few even more expensive bottles none of which yet tasted).
COLOR: Dark red with no signs of browning or even clearing towards the rim. Not jet-black as some young Rhones are, but nothing to indicate this is almost a 20-years-old wine.
NOSE: One word can be associated with all aspects of this wine - velvet. Terrific! Deep, complex, fruity and spicy. Some bottle stench took about 20 min to clear and leave the most elegant and enticing nose.
TASTE: Silky, concentrated, mouthful wine. Matured red fruit, vigorous and delicate at the same time. Good acidity and soft tannins add structure and balance. Pure nectar!
LENGTH: Extremely long, never ending, ever-exploding aftertaste. Unbelievable 'Peacock Tail' effect if I ever experienced one.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied yet extremely elegant. Fruit, acidity, soft tannins, 'winyness' - all combine to produce a perfectly balanced wine.
OVERALL: Extraordinary+! Perhaps not a candidate for 'The Best Value', but certainly one of the best wines in the world.
MARK: 19+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.