2021 Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph, Rhone Valley, France

ABOUT THE WINE

The 2021 Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph is crafted from 100% Syrah, sourced from select granite-rich parcels in Saint-Joseph that lend the wine its signature minerality and purity. This vintage opens with aromatic layers of black cherry, raspberry, and floral violet, enriched by nuances of pepper, olive tapenade, and earthy herbs. The palate offers a vibrant core of juicy blackcurrant and plum, underscored by hints of graphite and smoke, and wrapped in fine-grained tannins. A bright, mouthwatering acidity enhances the wine’s balance and adds depth to the fruit, with a long finish that hints at the region’s stony terroir.

Aged in a combination of foudres and smaller barrels, the wine retains its fresh fruit profile, with oak influence kept minimal to emphasize terroir. The 2021 vintage, shaped by cooler growing conditions, brings forth a vibrant, balanced expression with slightly lower alcohol and a fine, elegant structure, making it approachable young yet ideal for aging over the next decade.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Going back to 1481, when the first Jean-Louis Chave was gifted a vineyard in St Joseph by the nobleman Farconnet, 25 generations have farmed some of the best parcels in the Northern Rhône. Though now known as perhaps the best producer of Hermitage (and certainly among the best blenders in the world), the family only expanded to this famous hill during the mid-1800s wave of phylloxera that decimated Europe's vineyards.

In the 1970s, when Gerard Chave took over from his father, the domaine rapidly achieved megastar status due to the extraordinary quality of his wines. Gerard's son Jean-Louis (25th of his name) now oversees the estate and has shown an ever expanding dedication to improving the already stunning quality of these rare wines. Jean-Louis Chave regularly dedicates the domaine to intense and exacting projects, the benefits of which will be seen by future generations. Indeed, the estate employs three full time stonemasons just to repair the traditional stone walls dotting the vineyards.

Since the 1990s, Jean-Louis Chave has offered a second label known as 'J.L. Chave Sélection' that provides a glimpse of the reason for the estate's fame at a fraction of the price. Many of these wines are from declassified estate wine and long term farming contracts, and are vinified in the domaine's primary cellar in Mauves.