($245) Inky ruby. Hugely aromatic bouquet of red and dark berries, cherry, Asian spices, fresh flowers, minerals and cured meat; smells like a great grand cru from Vosne-Romanee but with a wilder side. Flat-out gorgeous wine, with remarkably deep but fresh red berry and cherry flavors that stain the palate. Seems to actually expand on the finish, picking up exotic spicecake and rose pastille character and leaving a sweet trail of smoky red fruits behind. "If you insist on drinking this young, do it now," says Chave, "because it will close up in about two or three years and not be open again for a long time." You've been warned.

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The 2005 Hermitage is a frighteningly backward, tannic, broodingly dense, formidable wine. Its dense purple color is followed by notions of road tar, spring flowers, camphor, creme de cassis, licorice, and earth. It displays high tannin, huge extract and richness, with fresh acidity. I agree with the Chaves that this is a vintage for those with patience as this wine needs a decade of cellaring. 1983 might be the closest vintage of comparison, but overall, I think the winemaking and selection process at Chave are far greater today than they were 25 years ago. Readers with good DNA and youth on their side are the only ones who should purchase this monster Hermitage.

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Really packed, but amazingly supple and velvety in texture, with layer upon layer of black mission fig, crushed plum, freshly brewed espresso, worn saddle leather and iron notes all driving through the long, long finish. The structure is well-integrated already, but this has a long life ahead of it.

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