Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

The domaine dates to the 15th century: the Chave family has farmed in these parts since 1481 and bought its first parcels in Hermitage in 1865. Gérard Chave took over from his father about two decades before 1990, and Wine Spectator credits him with turning the domaine into one of the appellation's leaders during his tenure in the 1970s and '80s. His son Jean-Louis Chave returned to the domaine in 1992 after his studies at the University of California (Davis), and Gérard gradually passed the baton to him. In Wine Spectator interviews Jean-Louis described the handover in his own words: "The first vintage was really 1992, then it became more and more each year" (online chat, 2009), and "You can't say when he stopped and I took over, because the generations overlap always" (to James Molesworth, 2012).

• Family farming in the area since 1481; first Hermitage parcels bought in 1865
• Gérard Chave took over from his father about two decades before 1990 and led the domaine through the 1970s and '80s
• Jean-Louis Chave returned in 1992 after studies at the University of California (Davis) and took over gradually
• 1992 was Jean-Louis Chave's first vintage, with his share of the work growing each year

The family owns 14 hectares in Hermitage, of which 10 are Syrah, in seven parcels located in many of the most highly regarded sectors of the hill, such as Le Méal, Les Bessards and L'Hermite, and the wines are always a blend. Wine Spectator gave the holding as 37 acres of vines in Hermitage in both 2009 and 2012, spread over the appellation's different soils. In the 2009 vintage, Le Méal (clay) reached 15.5 percent alcohol and Bessards (granite) 14.5 percent. Chave is always among the last Hermitage growers to pick. The expense going to the vineyard is far greater than in the past, with 45 people working in the vineyards all the time as of 2012.

• 14 hectares, 10 of them Syrah, in seven parcels (2019 figure)
• Parcels include Le Méal, Les Bessards and L'Hermite, among the most highly regarded sectors of the hill
• 2009 vintage: Le Méal (clay) at 15.5 percent alcohol, Bessards (granite) at 14.5 percent
• Always among the last Hermitage growers to pick; 45 people working in the vineyards as of 2012

In 2012 the domaine produced 2,000 cases of red and 1,000 cases of white Hermitage a year. The grapes are partially destemmed, then fermented in open wood vats or concrete tanks; each parcel is kept separately and aged in casks of different sizes, with new wood never exceeding 20 percent, for up to 18 months; after blending, the wines are fined with egg white and bottled without filtration. Jean-Louis Chave counts temperature-controlled fermentation, first used in 1991, as the biggest technical change. In the 1990 vintage Gérard Chave released a special bottling, Cathelin, named after the late Bernard Cathelin, a painter who was a friend of the family. It is also a blend, in different proportions from the regular Hermitage, and is aged entirely in new barrels. The debut 1990 was followed by 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2009 and 2010; the 1990 came mostly from Les Bessards, with 2,500 bottles produced.

• Production in 2012: 2,000 cases of red and 1,000 cases of white a year
• Partial destemming; fermentation in open wood vats or concrete tanks; parcels aged separately up to 18 months, new wood never above 20 percent; egg-white fining, no filtration
• Cathelin: first made in 1990, named after the late painter Bernard Cathelin; not made every year; aged entirely in new barrels
• The 1990 Cathelin came mostly from Les Bessards: 2,500 bottles, 100 percent Syrah

In 2009 Jean-Louis Chave was working to improve the reputation of the neighboring St.-Joseph appellation. Wine Spectator called his estate wine arguably the best St.-Joseph, a refined and mineral-filled Syrah. The 2006 came from one vineyard, Lemps, and replanting the steep slopes took him 14 years for 2 hectares. By March 2009 he had bought a four-hectare walled parcel on the southern edge of the town of Mauves. The négociant line carries the Jean-Louis Chave Séléction name; its St.-Joseph Offerus, at about half the price of the estate St.-Joseph, debuted with the 1995 vintage.

• Estate St.-Joseph: the 2006 came from one vineyard, Lemps
• Four-hectare walled parcel on the southern edge of Mauves bought by March 2009
• Replanting 2 hectares of steep St.-Joseph slopes took 14 years
• Jean-Louis Chave Séléction négociant line; St.-Joseph Offerus debuted with the 1995 vintage

In Decanter's words, for decades Gérard Chave has been regarded as the supreme exponent of the wines of Hermitage, white as well as red, his skill always lying in composing the best balanced and most ageworthy blend from parcels in different sectors of the hill. Wine Spectator calls the domaine long famous for its reds and whites from Hermitage, and the wines some of the most sought-after Rhône bottlings among private collectors. In 2012 Jean-Louis and Gérard Chave joined James Molesworth for a Wine Spectator tasting of 20 vintages of Chave Hermitage, a complete set from 2009 back to 1990, where Jean-Louis summed up the approach: "The philosophy is not about the winemaking, it is about where the wine is from and trying to capture that." Gérard Chave's phrase at the same tasting: "Consistency in quality, but not uniformity in style."

• Decanter: Gérard Chave long regarded as the supreme exponent of Hermitage, white as well as red
• Wine Spectator: some of the most sought-after Rhône bottlings among private collectors
• Blending parcels from different sectors of the hill is the house approach; the Hermitage wines are always a blend
• 2012 vertical: 20 vintages of Hermitage, 2009 back to 1990, tasted with Jean-Louis and Gérard Chave

Primary sources (producer's own site): none used. The producer's own single-page site could not be confirmed against an independent reference and carries no text beyond a one-line tagline, so this article is sourced to independent press. Secondary sources: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/day-7-20-years-of-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-46994 (Wine Spectator, July 9, 2012), https://www.winespectator.com/articles/jean-louis-chave-chat-with-wine-spectator-41007 (Wine Spectator, October 21, 2009), https://www.decanter.com/learn/wine-legend-jl-chave-cathelin-ermitage-1990-297936/ (Decanter, updated November 14, 2019). Last verified 2026-10-12.