Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2019
-
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Chave’s methods for all their winemaking are 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 Rhône terroir.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Both Saint Josephs from Chave are brilliant, and the estate 2019 Saint Joseph offers classic blackberry fruits as well as peppery, violet, and smoky bacon fat. It has a ripe, concentrated style yet brings plenty of tannins and has a firm, age-worthy feel.
-
Decanter
A tasting of barrels samples of various lieux-dits: Les Dardouille, Le Clos, Les Challaix, Bachasson (both higher and lower sites). The overall impression is a rich, full vintage, but by no means excessive, jammy or baked. Each site expresses its particular character with aplomb, and there is plenty of high-toned precision to the aromas, ranging from the floral and spicy to the deeply fruited. The alcohol is marginally higher than in a typical year, but not unbalanced. J.L. Chave's Saint-Joseph is lively, vibrant and rich, fresher than most 2019s.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled in late July 2021, Chave's 2019 Saint Joseph boasts copious floral scents of violets and lavender set against a backdrop of purple raspberries. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, with a wonderfully rich yet silky feel and plenty of airy, refreshing length on the finish. It should drink well on release and for at least a decade after that.
Other Vintages
2020-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator - Decanter
-
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
- Decanter
-
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Spanning the longest stretch of river in the northern Rhône—from Condrieu in the north, to Cornas in the south—the heart of St.-Joseph lies directly across the Rhône River from Hermitage. While its soils are basically the same as Hermitage: granite, supplemented by sand and gravel, its east facing slope receives less sunlight than Hermitage, which causes less overall berry ripening on its Syrah vines. However, some of the best of them can rival any fine expression of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie or Cornas with concentrated black fruits, dark spices, crushed rock and violets. A general advantage of the region is that its Syrahs typically don’t need as much time in the bottle compared to a Cote-Rotie or Hermitage and are much easier on the bank account!
A textbook St.-Joseph red is firm with a core of minerality that is enhanced by savory and peppery qualities. Aromas and flavors of smoke, olives, herbs, and violets are common; its wines are dense in red and black fruit.
St.-Joseph is also a source of fine northern Rhône white wine. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne grow well here and can be blended or made into single varietal wines. St.-Joseph whites are full and silky with citrus, pear and pineapple flavors and a rich bouquet reminiscent of honeysuckle, toasted nuts, spice and caramel.