Chave Saint Joseph Red 2011

Reviewed by

Jeb Dunnuck

Published

2013-12-30

Tasted out of bottle and a smoking St.-Joseph that savvy readers need to seek out, the 2011 St.-Joseph (which was just bottled prior to this tasting) offers gorgeous richness and depth, especially in the vintage. Black currants, charcoal, mineral, bouquet garni and ample background meatiness all emerge from the glass, and this medium to full-bodied beauty has brilliant purity of fruit, a great texture and fine tannin that should allow it to evolve gracefully. It’s a fantastic value that should not be missed! One of the highlight visits during my time spent working in the Northern Rhone, Jean-Louis Chave (who is often called “The Pope of Hermitage” by others) makes some of the most profound wines in the world today. As he says, “We don’t make Chave, we make Hermitage,” and there are few things more educational, when trying to understand this storied appellation, than to taste through each of Jean-Louis’s different Hermitage plots from barrel. The striking minerality and austere cut of the l’Ermite parcel is in stark contrast to the voluptuousness and texture that’s found in the Le Meal (which is just down the slope); and both are completely different from the silky, polished and perfumed Peleat lieu-dit. Despite the notoriety here, Jean-Louis remains one of the most humble and straight talking winemakers out there, and his wines deserve a place in any wine lover’s cellar. One of the highlight visits during my time spent working in the Northern Rhone, Jean-Louis Chave (who is often called “The Pope of Hermitage” by others) makes some of the most profound wines in the world today. As he says, “We don’t make Chave, we make Hermitage,” and there are few things more educational, when trying to understand this storied appellation, than to taste through each of Jean-Louis’s different Hermitage plots from barrel. The striking minerality and austere cut of the l’Ermite parcel is in stark contrast to the voluptuousness and texture that’s found in the Le Meal (which is just down the slope); and both are completely different from the silky, polished and perfumed Peleat lieu-dit. Despite the notoriety here, Jean-Louis remains one of the most humble and straight talking winemakers out there, and his wines deserve a place in any wine lover’s cellar. Importer: Langdon-Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900

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