It’s often pointless to assign superlatives in wine; in the case of Jean-Louis Chave and his family’s 5-century dynasty before him, it’s impossible to ignore the indelible impact they’ve had on winemaking in the Northern Rhône. And if you cherish the balance of power and perfume of classically made Hermitage, the longevity, nuance, and refinement that the Hermitage hill is capable of, you might even be tempted to crown the Chave family as the undisputed best producer of Hermitage; and you wouldn’t be wrong.
Chave’s estate Hermitage has long been the pinnacle of Syrah, the undisputed classic of Northern Rhône. In more recent years, Jean-Louis has invested considerable resources in reconstructing historic terraced vineyards across the river in Saint-Joseph, crafting wines that are likewise marked by harmony, texture, and reflective of regional terroir.
With great quality also comes great scarcity - we only get a small allocation of these iconic wines each year!
2022 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph Rouge ($100) pulls fruit from four granite-rich vineyards across the appellation, including from the oldest parcel in Saint-Joseph (120+ years old), and expresses a balance of power - dark fruit and thick tannin - and fragranced finesse.
2022 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge ($320) is a masterclass in Hermitage, showcasing incredible minerality, depth, and remarkable freshness despite the warm vintage - this should go in your cellar and stay there for a decade to reach its full, glorious potential.
2022 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc ($320) is rich, dense, and mighty, full of ripe stonefruit and honeysuckle, with the kind of nuanced phenolic grip that suggests it will cellar beautifully. We recently shared a bottle of the 1991 vintage and were stunned; first impressions suggest that the 2022 will provoke a similar sense of awe in decades to come.