This legendary wine is produced from multiple plots on the famous l'hermitage hill.
Bessards: The backbone of Chave’s Hermitage year in and out. One of the most famous vineyards in the AOC, Bessards is based on steep, granite hillside soils and provides a strong mineral note to the wine. Beaumes: A long, narrow vineyard running north to south on the midpoint of the hill, Beaumes tends to produce lighter, more fruit-forward Syrah. Hermite: This vineyard is located at the very top of the hill of Hermitage and surrounds the Chapel located there. It has a range of soil types, including granite and loess. Chave often vinifies different lots from with in Hermite separately. Péléat: A monopole, with stony, sandy soil, Péléat provides wines that are firmer and more complex. Méal: A fairly large vineyard just to the east of Bessards. Méal is based on looser, alluvial soils and produces richer, riper wines with plenty of structure.
Vinification: Generally 100% destemmed, as the Hermitage is meant to be about the expression of the individual vineyards and soils and Jean-Louis believes that stems have a tendency to level out the differences. Fermentation in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks. Aged in barriques for 30 months.
98-100 points Jeb Dunnuck: Tasted out of tank, the 2020 Hermitage ranks with the legendary wines from this address. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant version of the 2010, it's a deep, inky hued effort revealing utterly classic Hermitage aromatics of darker cassis and blue fruits as well as a liquid rock-like sense of minerality. Young and primordial, it still has incredible purity and freshness in its aromatics. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, this gorgeous wine is going to shine with just 4-6 years of bottle age yet age with the best of them. I would not be surprised to see this beauty have 40, 50, or even 60 years of life. (12/2022)
97-99 points Vinous: Tasted in components, before the final blending and rest before bottling, this wine is shaping up to be monumental, and it's from a domaine that has made far more than a few remarkable wines. There's intense dark fruit, suave floral and exotic spice character and a deep, energizing core of minerality, plus hints of olive, botanical herbs, licorice and smoked meat. But ultimately, it mainly focuses on powerful, vibrant fruit and floral qualities, making it a particularly elegant rendition of the appellation. I can't wait to see the bottled result. (JR) 
(12/2022)
98 points Decanter: What you find in the whites, you find in the reds,' says Jean-Louis Chave, alluding to the natural freshness and balance in the 2020 Hermitage lieux-dits. This shows a good sense of finesse, with discreet, elegant tannins and intensity without great power. It is a concentrated but restrained vintage of elegance and great precision. (MW) (12/2021)
93-98 points Wine Advocate: Readers will note that the score range I've provided for Chave's 2020 Hermitage is much broader than typical. That's because my ratings for the numerous barrel samples tasted varied considerably, with one lot scoring as low as (91 - 93), while others were near-perfect (98 - 100). I should be able to provide a more precise picture following my next visit, but it was clear to me that—even more than usual-much will depend on Jean-Louis's skills at selection and blending. From the soft, elegant and red-fruited Péléat to the commanding, dark-fruited and mineral-laden Bessards—and the silky, finesseful and raspberry-laden Le Méal in between-there's no doubt a fine expression of Hermitage will eventually emerge from Chave's cellars. (JC) (1/2022)
