Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is one of the most revered names in the Northern Rhône and a benchmark for Syrah-based wines worldwide. Based in the village of Mauves, this family-run estate traces its roots back to 1481, making it one of the oldest winemaking dynasties in the region. Today they run it in the 16th (!) generation. The current generation at the helm, continues this legacy, combining deep respect for tradition with thoughtful innovation. His wines are celebrated for their ability to express both the power and elegance of the Hermitage appellation, cementing Domaine Chave’s status as one of France’s preeminent producers.
What sets Domaine Jean-Louis Chave apart is its philosophy of blending. Unlike other esteemed Hermitage producers, such as M. Chapoutier, who vinify and bottle single-parcel wines, Chave crafts one single red Hermitage wine each vintage. This approach reflects a profound commitment to expressing the entirety of Hermitage’s terroir. Jean-Louis and his team carefully select fruit from multiple parcels across the hill, including the granite-rich Le Méal, the steep, iron-laden Les Bessards, and the limestone-based L’Hermite. The resulting wine is a harmonious masterpiece, capturing the complexity and balance of these diverse micro-terroirs. Each vintage of Chave’s Hermitage offers an extraordinary interplay of structure, depth, and aromatic intensity, with the ability to age gracefully for decades.
Hermitage parcel “Les Bessards”
In addition to its exceptional quality, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave’s Hermitage is regarded as one of the most collectible wines in the world. The domaine’s commitment to low yields, meticulous farming, and traditional winemaking techniques ensures that the wine remains a true reflection of its place of origin. Furthermore it should be mentioned that Jean-Louis Chave’s pursuit of excellence extends to the domaine’s white Hermitage and the Saint-Joseph appellation, where they also produce compelling wines. For enthusiasts of Northern Rhône wines, Chave’s Hermitage is not merely a Syrah; it is a profound expression of history, craftsmanship, and the singular terroir of Hermitage hill.
I attended a Chave tasting in Singapore organized by Linden Wilkie, founder and Managing Director of The Fine Wine Experience based in Hong Kong. Linden is a real expert and very connected. I always love to attend his events. We mainly tasted wines that were produced by the father of today’s generation. The focus of that time was to make elegant and not too heavy wines, as can happen with Syrah that get a lot of sun (e.g., Barossa). This came through clearly. The wines had great aromatic complexity with a green and leafy touch like you find in the best CabFranc from the likes of Clos Rougeard or in the Burgundies of the a producer like Dujac. Also, good consistency in the good and bad vintages, showing that large holdings with the possibility to blend and discard barrels helps a lot. I really like these measured, drinkable Syrah and prefer them to the heavier Barossa or Paso Robles wines.
Tasting Notes
Flight 1 – white
2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, 91 Points
Mostly Marsanne. Rich, ripe, oxidative, stewed fruit, this was not up my valley though it found some friends who can handle odixation and late harvesting better than me in a white.
2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, 95 Points
Mostly Marsanne. Discrete nose, muted at first. Aromas of cyder, apple, honey, bakery,some flowers. Opened up more and more. An elegant wine. Very good.
1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, 93 Points
Mostly Marsanne. Lots of shelfish on the nose, almost too fishy at first but it dissipated with some air. Crisp, mineral palate, felt like a Rhone version of a Chablis almost. Lovely.
Flight 2
1985 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 96 Points
Beautiful stemmy nose, elegant, like a Dujac or a Clos de La Roche from Hubert Lignier. Long, complex finish. 96+
1983 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 96 Points
Also here, a nose that recalls whole cluster aromas on the forefront. Then drief fruit, tobacco, meaty. Tea leaves on the finish. Nice!
1981 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 93 Points
Burgundy. The mid palate was acidic but there was also good fruit to stuff it, aromatic finish. Overall not fully balance. If you own this, make sure you eat a fatty dish.
1998 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 93 Points
The leanest wine of the evening, came a cross as a touch unripe with a green streek. Good aromatic depth but I wish for more generous fruit.
Flight 3
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 95 Points
Ripe, meaty, savory, red and dark fruit, some beef blood. First wine with no whole cluster like top note. Ripe but not overripe. Drinkability is still there. Nice, but should it not be even better given the vintage?
1978 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 95 Points
Very complex nose of ripe berries, herbs, pine, some coconut. The palate stays medium and fresh. A strong performance.
1999 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 94 Points
Starts with spicy nose, red fruit, earth. On the palate medium bodied with unfortunately drying tannins.
1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 96 Points
Ripe and meaty as well just like the 1990. Aromatically deeper tonight with extra notes of pepper, spices and undergrowth. Great wine, 1989 are long distance runners and after 30 years still go strong as the 1990ies seem to have past their peaks.
Flight 4
1975 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 99 Points
Wow, beguiling nose of tobacco, leather, red current, meat, barnyard. Complex and deep, like the best Rayas or Richebourgs. Elegant palate. WOTN for me.
1997 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 97 Points
A very strong wine here as well. Lots of ripe fruit, spices, gingerbread, touch of pine, stays elegant and fresh on the palate.
1976 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 95 Points
Started off with a very animalic nose, almost stinky, wet fur, dried meat, leather. Medium bodied, good freshness. Hard to score, undeniably characterful and complex if you can accept the barnyard funk in the aromas. 94-96
Vintages tasted on other occasions
2014 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 96 Points
Opened this out of curiosity to check on the vintage. Medium-dark purple, shiny, pointing to good acidity. The nose is still discrete and opened up a bit more in the glass. Aromas of smoke, meat, dark fruit, clean and ripe. The palate is medium bodied, not a blockbuster like 2005 but so elegant, good stuffing, great, fresh finish. I like these cooler vintages for their drinkability. The tannins are polished, can be drunk younger while you wait until vintages like 2010, 2015 come round. Another great showing of one of my all time favorite wines. 96-97
2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 97 Points
Served during a Rhone tasting. Opened 1 hour before but not decanted. This wine was picked by many as the WOTN among strong competition. It had an unusual fruity flamboyance for a Hermitage, much more than the 04 for example. Being surrounded by several top CdP’s it stood its ground even for lovers of more fruity wines. Very long, complex and aromatic with fruit and necessary backbone at the same time. The sommelier of the local hotel who helped me organize the event also loved it. Outstanding!
2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 97 Points
During a tasting dinner. Rich and dense with lots of tannins and excellent freshness. The full Chave package as I remember the 2005. Deep aromas of forest floor, bacon, smoke, earthy elements and some funk. Very complex. This bottle showed youghfully after an 1h decant still. I will wait with my 2005s for another 5-6 years and drink the 2004 and 2006 in the meantime. 97pt with upside form here.
2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 96-97 Points
Dark garnet with purple core. Expressive and complex nose of dark fruits, forest, pepper, spice box, very fresh (no heat at all) and refined. On the palate just as impressive as the nose suggests. Medium tannins with good acidity. This wine does not primarily impress with its power but with its elegance and aromatic depth. It is a perfect example of a refined Syrah from Rhone. Very popular with the group, it blew two high caliber Shiraz Astralis away. Ready now with a short decant. A huge success for Chave in the so, so 2004 vintage. Note: Given the price of the 03, 05, 09, 10, this together with the 06 is where the smart money goes for JL Chave.
2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 93 Points
During a Shiraz dinner with friends. Tasted blind. Nose of black and red fruit, touch of torrefaction. Ripe and lush palate, structured, dense, ripe but not sweet. Relatively short finish. No where near 100 points. Well, well. The 2003 vintage did it again. Lots of power, little finesse. Even this wine was not able to fully escape it. Nearby, I prefer the 04, 05 and 06 vintages and in general Jean-Louis Chave is my favorite Syrah producer but not this 2003 wine.
2000 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, 93 Points
Medium Ruby. Quite expressive nose of Eucalyptus, earth, leather and distinctively medicinal notes. Deep and complex, though quite an unusual nose. On the palate, super dry without being too drying, but still quite reserved. Nothing “southern” here. Outstanding aromatic length though. Gets better with time, so decant 2-3h before. Needs a bit more fruit and fat on the mid palate to obtain a higher score.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
February 2019