Domaine JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE

The Chaves began buying land on the hill of Hermitage in 1865. The land and family business of making great Rhône wine continues to be passed from generation to generation. The Chave family began producing wine in Mauves when they entered the wine business and continues to produce their Hermitage wines today. Chave began bottling and selling their own wine in the late 1800s, which was quite forward thinking in those days, when most wines were bottled and sold by négociants. It is incredible to think of the unbroken line of family ownership. Most recently from father to son with Gerard Chave, who began managing the domain in 1970 and handed it over to his son, Jean-Louis Chave. Jean-Louis Chave, the 16th generation of his family to manage the vineyard began working with his father at the domaine in 1992, is in charge of the estate with his wife, Erin Cannon-Chave.

Jean-Louis Chave produces 2 Hermitage reds and one Hermitage white wine.They own 15 hectares of vines in Hermitage. 10 hectares are planted with Syrah for the two Hermitage rouges – J-L Chave Hermitage and Chave Cuvée Cathelin. The vines are old, with an average age of 50 years. The remaining 5 hectares of vines are planted to 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne which produces the white Rhône wine. Vines that are more than 60 years of age.Along with the Frey family who owns Jaboulet, Michel Chapoutier, and the cooperative, the Chave family owns the largest percentage of vines in the Hermitage appellation.

The key to the beauty and complexity found in J-L Chave Hermitage comes from their mastery of blending. While for the red wines, the only grape used is Syrah, the wine is produced from a melange of fruit sources that comes from 7 lieux-dits. The red wine grapes are planted in Bessards, L’Hermite, Peleat, Meal, Beaume, Diognieres, and Vercandiered vineyards. The 2 hectares of vines on Bessards are considered by many people to be the heart and soul of the J-L Chave wines. The oldest vines on Bessards are more than 80 years of age. In addition, they also have parcels located on Les Rocoules and Peleat which have vines that are even older at over 85 years of age. The white wine grapes comes from  vines planted in Les Rocoules, L’Hermite, Peleat, Maison Blanches, and other vineyards. Les Rocoules has some of the oldest white wine grapes in the Northern Rhône, with vines that are close to 100 years of age! The typical blend for the white Hermitage ranges from 80% to 85% Marsanne and 15% to 20% Roussanne.