The Chave family has been producing wines in the northern
Rhône Valley for 16 generations, gradually purchasing vineyard properties in the
Saint-Joseph and
Hermitage appellations.
Gerard Chave took over the family business in 1970 and forged an international reputation for the estate's wines, also expanding its land holdings in Hermitage to 14 hectares (35 acres). Gerard's son,
Jean-Louis Chave joined the family company in 1992, continuing the family's tradition of purchasing and replanting vineyards, and also founded the family's negociant label
JL Chave Selection. At the heart of the
Jean-Louis Chave estate is the diverse mosaic of parcels. In Hermitage, their 35 hectares of vineyards are spread across 9 "
lieux-dits," some of which are home to very old
Syrah vines (up to 60 years of age). These vineyards are managed organically and the wines produced with minimal intervention winemaking. The estate relies on 16 generations of savoir-faire to produce the Jean-Louis Chave flagship Hermitage Red and White wines, incredibly complex blends of grapes harvested in these many different lieux-dits.
Their
Hermitage red is based on rich and ripe Syrah from the clay and limestone soils of the Meal and Bessards Vineyards. Meanwhile, the
Hermitage white is produced from mostly old vine
Marsanne from the family's Peleat monopole plot, along with
Roussanne. This is a Hermitage white wine a remarkable potential for age, evolving layered, nuanced aromas over time. The estate's
Saint-Joseph red is produced from the historical center of this prestigious appellation, and offers gorgeous blackberry, olive, violet and smoky aromas.
The Jean-Louis Chave range also includes wines from all over the northern Rhone, including a Côtes-du-Rhone blend "
Mon Coeur," Crozes-Hermitage "
Silene," and "
Offerus from fruit harvested in Mauves and St-Jean-de-Muzols.
Praised by wine critics world-wide, the wines of Jean-Louis Chave are best known as
capturing the essence of the iconic Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations in the glass, as well as offering wine lovers a taste of some of the other wine producing areas of the northern Rhône.
