Jean Louis Chave Offering some of the Greatest Wines of the Northern Rhone Hermitage and more on SALE!
Okay we poppin champagne like we won a championship game - Popping Bottles by Lil Wayne and Birdman
I will never forget the vintage white Rhone tasting that we did years ago featuring the white wines of Jean Louis Chave. These are some of the greatest old white wines that I had ever tasted from anywhere. The 1983 and 1982 Hermitage whites from Chave were the best wines on the table and to think they were almost 30 years old at that time. The wines of the Northern Rhone have been coveted by collectors and connoisseurs of fine wine as far back as our early days of our country as Thomas Jefferson, a noted wine expert of his day, raved about the wine from this region.
The granite hills of Hermitage rise above the Rhone at Tain l'Hermitage where the river bends sharply to the east before resuming a southward flow. This gives the vineyards a direct southern exposure. Vines have been grown here since Roman times, and Pliney wrote favorably about the wines of the region. The locals claim that vines were first planted here by Phocaean Greeks around 500 BC. Although the evidence is not conclusive, Greek coins and amphorae dating back to 500 BC have been found in the area.
Some experts feel that the greatest maker of Hermitage is the firm of Jean-Louis Chave. The Chave family has been growing grapes at Hermitage since 1481. They have a reputation for making good wine in poor years, and excellent wine in good ones. They use low yielding vines (average age 60 years) and a late harvest to produce the ripest fruit, and there is virtually no intervention in the winemaking and bottling with no filtration.
There are a dozen or so named vineyards in Hermitage, and Chave owns vines in most of them. They vinify each separately, which allows them to blend for greater complexity before bottling. WE just received our tiny allocation of the 2021 vintage wines from Jean Louis Chave and if you blink an eye you will miss out on them as we only received 18 bottles of each wine this year. For those of you that blinked I have included all the other wines from the Northern Rhone on this offering.
The Latest Releases from Jean Louis Chave
2021 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
List Price: $300.00 Your Price: $264.00 Quantity in Stock: 18
(96 Points) A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending shows a white Hermitage that is about tension, freshness and minerality. It's zesty and crisp, with good acidity and will drink well from the outset. This isn't as concentrated as some recent vintages, but it's still a highly impressive wine that will age with interest. Picked on 23 August. (MW) Review Date: 09/2022, Decanter
2020 DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE BLANC, RHONE
Price: $345.00 Your Price: $303.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(99 POINTS) "Another heavenly white from this estate is the 2020 Hermitage Blanc, which is the usual 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne from a mix lieux-dits. Incredibly perfumed with notes of acacia flowers, buttered stone fruits, toasted brioche, honeysuckle, and crushed stone, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. The purity, balance, and intensity here are just about off the charts, and this beauty deserves a solid decade of bottle age, although you'll be excused if you drink one in its youth as well." JEB DUNNUCK
2021 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rhone, France 3 liter
Price: $1800.00 Your Price: $1584.00
2021 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge Magnum
Price: $679.00 Your Price: $597.52 Quantity in Stock: 4
2021 DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE, RHONE
Price: $300.00 Your Price: $264.00 Quantity in Stock: 18
(96 Points) A tasting of the constituent lieux-dits before blending was as instructive as ever. Péléat was smooth, silky and red-fruited with good acidity; Beaumes slightly meatier, a little less concentrated than a typical year, but with good tannic drive; L'Ermite was serious, dry and mineral; Bessards very strict, with tight, rigid tannins. The final blend is likely to produce a structural rather than generous style of Hermitage, with tannins that will need a long time in bottle to settle. This will be ascetic in youth, then complex and textural with age. (MW) Review Date: 09/2022, Decanter
2020 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rhone, France
Price: $395.00 Your Price: $347.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) 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. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2003 DOMAINE JEAN LOUIS CHAVE HERMITAGE MAGNUM
Price: $2500.00 Sale Price: $1995.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) Chave's 2003 Hermitage, like the most successful Burgundies from that anomalous vintage, somehow retains a sense of mineral freshness that balances this wine's remarkable concentration and massive fruit. Tasted at the domaine, it's even floral and perfumed on the nose, an incredible feat when faced with that summer's implacable heat. Full-bodied, massively rich and decadently creamy in texture, it delivers waves of mixed red and black fruits that avoid any overtly raisiny character, finishing vibrant, peppery and long. Wine Advocate
2020 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 'Clos Florentin' Rhone
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $198.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(93-95 Points) Loaded with notes of violets, spice and red berries, the 2020 Saint Joseph Le Clos Florentin is its customary elegant, silky self. Medium to full-bodied, it's complex and long on the finish, framed by fine-grained tannins. Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Jan 2022)
2019 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Farconnet
Price: $78.00 Your Price: $62.70
(94 Points) Delicious and soulful, this offers generous ripe cassis, plum and mulled cherry notes, all liberally dusted in black pepper, mocha and olive tapenade and robed in lightly toasted cedar. Harmonious and persistent, with incense and iron shavings carrying the long, captivating finish. Drink now through 2030. 600 cases made, 200 cases imported. Wine Spectator
2021 Domaine Jean Louis Chave St Joseph
Price: $111.00 Your Price: $85.80
(93 Points) A tasting of the various constituent lieux-dits revealed that the Bachesson parcel had a peppery side and its characteristic rose scent, and an unmistakably granitic texture. The Chalaix lieu-dit was precise, fine, with no huge concentration but good balance. Lieu-dit Dardouille was looking promising, with good weight and length. The finished blend of the domaine’s St-Joseph is likely to be neat, precise and fresh, with a distinct mineral side, one to drink relatively young. There will be no separate bottling of Clos Florentin this year due to frost. (MW) Review Date: 09/2022, Decanter
2020 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Saint Joseph
Price: $109.50 Your Price: $96.36 Quantity in Stock: 4
(93+ Points) Bottled in August of 2022, the 2020 Saint Joseph is a beauty and is showing nicely. Classic Saint Joseph darker fruits, peppery herbs, damp earth, and spice, as well as a hint of tapenade, all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated mid-palate, and outstanding length. It's impeccably made and will evolve for 10-15 years. Jeb Dunnuck (Nov 2022)
2022 Jean Louis Chave Selection Offerus Saint Joseph
Price: $37.50 Your Price: $33.00
(92 Points) "Boysenberry and juicy plum notes reveal hints of earth, violet and loamy earth in this focused, elegant red, while smoked meat, mocha and graphite move in on the medium-bodied frame. Tangy acidity and fine tannins firm up the finish. Drink now through 2030. 3,300 cases made, 200 cases imported." 10/24 Wine Spectator
2003 Jean Louis Chave Selection Offerus Saint Joseph
Price: $59.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
Jean-Louis Chave Selections is the negotiant project of the Chave family. Much of the wine though is from estate grapes and produced with the same methodology. These are not wines to be skipped, and provide excellent value. Violets, dark fruit, earth, and spice are all on display here.
2022 Chave Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur
Price: $24.00 Your Price: $21.12
This Cotes Du Rhone from the legendary Jean-Louis Chave is made from sourced grapes around the Rhône Valley, and allegedly some of the fruit is sourced from Châteauneuf du Pape. A blend of approximately 50/50 Grenache/Syrah that is both juicy and meaty. Light floral notes, raspberry, cherry, dark berries, and licorice. Black pepper and spice with medium body and ripe round tannins this is like Cotes du Rhone on Steroids.
A bit about Domaine Jean Louis Chave:
Wine growers in the northern Rhône since 1491, the Chave family (currently helmed by Gérard and son Jean-Louis) represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family’s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900’s when phylloxera hit the region.
The key to perfect balance in Chave’s Hermitage is in their remarkable blending skill, which begins again every season. Many hours of thought, insight, and conversation go into the final component blend for Hermitage. Never once has the Chave family released a single vineyard or cru Hermitage. While percentages vary from year to year, the constant backbone of Hermitage Rouge is Syrah from Bessards Vineyard with its steep, granitic slopes. Similarly with the Blanc, the components vary, however the base is made from old vines Marsanne from their Péléat vineyard. Some Roussanne is also added to the final blend.
Long-lived wines of great purity, elegance, power, and finesse, Chave Hermitage is winemaking in its apogee. In years when they believe the quality of Hermitage will not be compromised, their ultra-rare prestige “Cuvée Cathelin” is bottled, which represents a variation on their Hermitage with the same lieux-dits at different percentages.
Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his négociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rhône, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family. “Mon Coeur” Côtes-du-Rhône is a blend of excellent plots in Vinsobres, Visan, Buisson, and Estargues while “Silène” Crozes-Hermitage is 50% estate Syrah and 50% purchased. As with all things Chave, quality is eminent even at the entry level.
The Chave family's methods for their winemaking include traditional farming, super low yields, full ripeness, and minimal manipulation. Their unmatched meticulousness continues through five centuries to render venerable expressions of the purest of northern Rhône terroir.
The negociant project of Jean Louis Chave Selection started in the mid 1990’s. The idea behind this project is simple. The goal was to search out small wineries with values reflecting those which Jean-Louis requires for making his own wine. Jean-Louis works with wineries who work in an organic fashion, produce low yields, and are interested in making a wine expressive of the terroir specific to their soil. In order to ensure the quality of the wines, Jean-Louis is in contact with the wineries throughout the growing season, during the harvest, and through the vinification.
After being vinified at their respective domaines, the elevage continues in the cellar of JL Chave Sélection in Mauves. Each cuvée from the domaines is aged separately in oak barrels or in cement tanks with minimal amounts of SO2 for a period of 12 to 18 months. An elevage specially adapted to the needs of each cuvée allows the qualities and characteristics of each terroir to be strengthened. Once all the elements are well defined, the blending process can begin. The goal is to produce a complementary blend without sacrificing the diversity of each cuvée.
Robert Parker Jr. on Jean-Louis Chave:
"One of my favorite true and authentic vignerons to visit is the Chave family, located in the tiny, one-horse village of Mauves, just south of Tournon. The son, Jean-Louis, is taking over the reins more and more, but his father, Gerard, is still involved even though he is officially retired. As always, these wines performed brilliantly. Readers should keep in mind that the reviews of the 2007 white Hermitage and 2007 red Hermitage are a matter of extrapolating from tasting all the separate vineyards that go into these wines. That said, the Chaves appear to be ratcheting up their quality level because of a Draconian selection process in the vineyard as well as in the winery. The Chave estate wines’ finest value is St.-Joseph (5,000 bottles produced in each vintage), which comes from hillside vines planted in pure schist just outside their home village of Mauves."
The rest of the Northern Rhone wines in the store:
Condrieu – The Ultimate Expression of Viognier
2022 Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Cote
Price: $63.00 Your Price: $55.44 Quantity in Stock: 11
2019 Anthony Paret Condrieu Lys de Volan
Price: $67.50 Your Price: $59.40 Quantity in Stock: 6
2019 Maison Clusel-Roche "Verchery" Condrieu
Price: $94.75 Your Price: $83.38 Quantity in Stock: 10
2017 Domaine Francois Villard Condrieu Les Terrasses du Palat
Price: $67.50 Your Price: $59.40 Quantity in Stock: 1
2017 Domaine Francois Villard Le Grand Vallon Condrieu
Price: $66.00 Your Price: $58.08 Quantity in Stock: 3
2015 Delas Freres Condrieu Clos Boucher
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $92.40 Quantity in Stock: 2
Cote Rotie – A rival to Hermitage
2020 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau D'Ampuis
Price: $213.00 Your Price: $187.44 Quantity in Stock: 4
2018 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Ampodium
Price: $97.25 Your Price: $85.58 Quantity in Stock: 6
2018 Maison Clusel-Roch Champon Cote Rotie
Price: $122.75 Your Price: $108.02 Quantity in Stock: 6
2018 Maison Clusel-Roch Les Schistes Cote Rotie
Price: $86.25 Your Price: $75.90 Quantity in Stock: 7
2018 Maison Clusel-Roch Vialliere Cote Rotie
Price: $125.75 Your Price: $110.66 Quantity in Stock: 3
2018 Anthony Paret Cote Rotie Espirit du Pere
Price: $72.00 Your Price: $63.36 Quantity in Stock: 6
2017 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque
Price: $420.00 Sale Price: $359.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2017 Domaine François Villard Côte-Rôtie Le Gallet Blanc Rouge
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $69.96 Quantity in Stock: 5
2016 Paul Jaboulet Cote Rotie Domaine des Pierrelles
Price: $119.00 Your Price: $104.72 Quantity in Stock: 29
2012 Vignobles Levet Cote Rotie La Chavaroche
Price: $160.00 Sale Price: $129.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2012 Chapoutier Cote Rotie La Mordoree
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
2008 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline, Rhone, France
Price: $425.00 Your Price: $374.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1999 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne
Price: $1100.00 Sale Price: $880.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1998 Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne
Price: $900.00 Sale Price: $699.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
1991 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne
Price: $1800.00 Sale Price: $1425.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
1991 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque
Price: $1300.00 Sale Price: $1050.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
1990 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne
Price: $1700.00 Sale Price: $1399.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
1974 Domaine Alfred Gerin Cote Rotie
Price: $400.00 Sale Price: $325.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
Hermitage – The King of the Northern Rhone
2019 Yann Chave Hermitage
Price: $133.50 Your Price: $117.48 Quantity in Stock: 5
2018 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle, Rhone, France
Price: $327.00 Your Price: $287.76 Quantity in Stock: 4
2017 Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes 1.5 Liter Magnum
Price: $240.00 Sale Price: $199.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2003 Delas Freres Hermitage Les Bessards, Rhone
Price: $250.00 Sale Price: $195.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
1998 Delas Freres Hermitage Les Bessards, Rhone
Price: $190.00 Sale Price: $155.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
Price: $999.00 Sale Price: $750.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Crozes Hermitage – The Best Value in the Northern Rhone
2020 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Les Meysonniers Rhone, France
Price: $54.00 Your Price: $47.52 Quantity in Stock: 4
2019 Domaine Belle Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Terres Blanches
Price: $40.00 Your Price: $35.20 Quantity in Stock: 3
2003 Delas Crozes Hermitage Le Clos
Price: $47.50 Your Price: $41.80 Quantity in Stock: 3
St Joseph – Another Exceptional Value from the Northern Rhone
2021 Andre Perret Saint-Joseph Rhone, France
Price: $61.00 Your Price: $53.68 Quantity in Stock: 2
2020 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Saint Joseph
Price: $109.50 Your Price: $96.36 Quantity in Stock: 4
2020 Caves Yves Cuilleron Saint Joseph Lieu Dit Digue
Price: $48.00 Your Price: $42.24 Quantity in Stock: 10
2020 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 'Clos Florentin', Rhone, France
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $198.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
2018 Anthony Paret Saint Joseph Les Larmes du Pere
Price: $30.00 Your Price: $26.40 Quantity in Stock: 12
2017 Domaine François Villard Saint Joseph Mairlant Blanc
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $39.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Sainte-Epine ...
Price: $115.00 Your Price: $101.20 Quantity in Stock: 3
2003 SAINT COSME SAINT JOSEPH
Price: $99.00 Your Price: $87.12 Quantity in Stock: 10
1998 Patrick Le Sec Saint Joseph La Sensonne Domaine Coursodon
Price: $115.00 Your Price: $101.20 Quantity in Stock: 2
Cornas – A small appellation but mighty wines
2021 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Rhone, France
Price: $210.00 Your Price: $184.80 Quantity in Stock: 4
2021 DOMAINE AUGUSTE CLAPE CORNAS RHONE, FRANCE MAGNUM
Price: $433.50 Your Price: $381.48 Quantity in Stock: 1
2021 Domaine Auguste Clape Renaissance Cornas Rhone, France
Price: $155.00 Your Price: $136.40 Quantity in Stock: 3
2020 Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60
Price: $73.50 Your Price: $64.68 Quantity in Stock: 11
2020 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Rhone, France
Price: $194.25 Your Price: $170.94 Quantity in Stock: 1
2020 Domaine Lemenicier Cornas Rhone Valley France
Price: $55.00 Your Price: $48.40 Quantity in Stock: 11
2020 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance Rhone, France
Price: $134.00 Your Price: $117.92 Quantity in Stock: 1
2020 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Magnum 1.5L Rhone, France
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $396.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale
Price: $74.50 Your Price: $65.56 Quantity in Stock: 6
2016 Paul Jaboulet Aine Cornas Les Grandes Terrasses
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $57.20 Quantity in Stock: 13