Chave Hermitage Blanc 1997
The 1997 Chave Hermitage Blanc is a white wine from the Hermitage appellation in the Rhône Valley, produced by Domaine Chave. It blends 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne. The Wine Advocate awards it 95/100 and Jancis Robinson 18/20. Critics describe a mature, ample, and silky white, where freshness accompanies nuances of honey, citrus, flowers, spices, and savory notes. Drinking windows cited: 2015-2020 for The Wine Advocate and 2005-2025 for Jancis Robinson.
The bottle offered
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Packaging
- Loose
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Wine details
- Couleur
- White
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Rhone
- Appellation
- Hermitage
- Producteur / Domaine
- Domaine Chave
- Millésime
- 1997
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- 80% Marsanne, 20% Roussanne
Domaine Chave
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a family-run estate based in Mauves, in the Ardèche, at the heart of the northern Rhône. The Chave family has been cultivating vines since 1481 and owns vineyards in Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Jean-Louis Chave, representing the sixteenth generation, now runs the estate alongside his father, Gérard.
- Owner
- Gérard et Jean-Louis Chave
- Maître de chais
- Jean-Louis Chave
- Surface (ha)
- 26.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- 56 000 bouteilles/an
Histoire du domaine
The Chave family’s history in Rhône winegrowing dates back to 1481, following the allocation of land by a local lord at the end of the 15th century. The family’s origins lie on the hillsides that today correspond to the Saint-Joseph appellation. Gérard Chave took over the family estate in 1970 and consolidated its portfolio of plots on the Hermitage hill. Jean-Louis Chave joined his father in 1992, after studying in the United States, including a course in oenology at the University of California, Davis. He represents the sixteenth generation of the family and now runs the estate, whilst Gérard Chave remains involved in its operations. During the 1990s, the estate undertook to reclaim the Bachasson hillside in Saint-Joseph, where the family had historically cultivated vines. In 2009, he acquired Clos Florentin with a view to restoring this wine-growing area, where the vineyards had declined significantly following the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th century. The registered vineyard covers 26 hectares, comprising 21 hectares of red grape varieties and 5 hectares of white grape varieties. Winemaking is overseen by Jean-Louis Chave, with grapes processed on a plot-by-plot basis prior to the estate’s blends.
