Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

The Chave family's winemaking heritage in the Northern Rhône dates to 1481, originally centered in what is now the Saint-Joseph appellation. Because only the aristocracy could own land at that time, the Chaves farmed as growers for centuries before acquiring their own parcels. The family began buying land on the Hermitage hill in 1865, when phylloxera had devastated vineyards across Europe and forced aristocratic owners to sell. The domaine has been passed from father to son ever since, with Gérard Chave taking over in 1970 and handing the helm to his son Jean-Louis, who joined in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut and an oenology degree at UC Davis in California.

• Winemaking lineage since 1481, originally in Saint-Joseph; Hermitage vineyard acquisition began in 1865 following phylloxera
• Domaine headquartered in Mauves, a village in the Northern Rhône just across the river from the Hermitage hill
• Gérard Chave (15th generation) managed the domaine from 1970, building its international reputation before passing it to Jean-Louis
• Jean-Louis Chave (16th generation) joined in 1992 with undergraduate and UC Davis oenology credentials; also founded négociant label JL Chave Sélection in 1996

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is widely regarded as the reference point for Hermitage, both red and white, and one of the most important wine estates in France. The domaine's unbroken 16-generation family ownership and its unwavering traditionalist philosophy have earned it admiration across the wine world. In 2022, Jean-Louis Chave received the Winemakers' Winemaker award from the Institute of Masters of Wine, joining a list of previous winners that includes Peter Sisseck, Paul Draper, Anne-Claude Leflaive, Egon Müller, and Angelo Gaja. Critics regularly award the Hermitage Rouge and Blanc scores at or near 100 points in top vintages.

• Considered the benchmark producer for Hermitage AOC, both rouge and blanc, among critics and fellow winemakers
• Jean-Louis Chave named 2022 Winemakers' Winemaker by the Institute of Masters of Wine, presented at ProWein
• Hermitage Rouge and Hermitage Blanc have each received 100-point scores from leading critics in top vintages
• Andrew Jefford described the Chave family as having 'a fair claim to be France's winemaking royal family'

The domaine holds 14.5 hectares (36 acres) of vines in Hermitage, spread across eight terraced plots that span nine of the eighteen recognised climats on the hill. The red wine lieux-dits include Les Bessards, L'Hermite, Péléat, Le Méal, Beaume, Les Diognières, and Vercanières. White wine grapes, Marsanne and Roussanne, are grown on 5 hectares across Les Rocoules, L'Hermite, Péléat, and Maison Blanche. Vine ages average 50 years, with the oldest parcels at Les Rocoules and Péléat exceeding 80 years. Soils vary dramatically across the hill, ranging from steep granite on Les Bessards to limestone, clay, loess, and sandstone in other lieux-dits.

• 14.5 hectares in Hermitage across 8 plots; holdings span 9 of the appellation's 18 recognised climats
• Les Bessards (2 hectares of steep granite): considered the structural backbone of Hermitage Rouge; oldest Bessards vines exceed 80 years
• 5 hectares of Marsanne and Roussanne for Hermitage Blanc, including Les Rocoules with vines over 80 years old
• Péléat is a Chave monopole for white wine production; diverse soils include granite, limestone, clay, schist, and sandstone

The Chave approach is rooted in traditional viticulture and minimal-intervention winemaking. Vineyards are farmed organically. Each parcel is harvested separately and vinified individually, primarily in stainless steel and old open-top wooden fermenters, before the parcels are assembled into the final blend. Red grapes are partially destemmed, with up to 50 percent of stems sometimes retained in very ripe years. After fermentation, wines are aged in 228-liter French oak barrels for approximately 18 months, with roughly 10 percent new oak. The final blend is then allowed to rest 60 to 90 days before bottling unfiltered. The Chaves have never released a single-vineyard or cru Hermitage; for them, the blend is the defining expression of the appellation.

• Organic viticulture; each parcel vinified separately in stainless steel and old open-top French oak fermenters
• Partial destemming for red wines; up to 50 percent stems retained in very ripe vintages
• Aged approximately 18 months in 228-liter French oak barrels, approximately 10 percent new oak; bottled unfiltered
• 60 to 90 days of rest after blending before bottling; philosophy of blend over single-vineyard expression

The domaine produces three Hermitage wines: the flagship Hermitage Rouge (100 percent Syrah blended from multiple lieux-dits), the Hermitage Blanc (typically 80 percent Marsanne and 20 percent Roussanne), and the prestige Cuvée Cathelin. Cuvée Cathelin, named after the late French painter and family friend Bernard Cathelin, debuted with the 1990 vintage and is produced only in exceptional years, in approximately 200 cases. It is drawn from the same lieux-dits as the regular Hermitage but at different proportions. Confirmed Cathelin vintages include 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2010, among others. The domaine also produces a Saint-Joseph Rouge and a small quantity of Vin de Paille.

• Hermitage Rouge: 100 percent Syrah blended from multiple lieux-dits; production approximately 2,000 cases per vintage
• Hermitage Blanc: typically 80 percent Marsanne and 20 percent Roussanne; approximately 1,250 cases per year; capable of exceptional longevity
• Cuvée Cathelin: approximately 200 cases; only produced in exceptional vintages; debut vintage 1990; named after painter Bernard Cathelin
• Also produces Saint-Joseph Rouge and, in small quantities, Vin de Paille from dried grapes

Total production at Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is deliberately small. Hermitage Rouge production runs to approximately 2,000 cases per vintage, Hermitage Blanc to approximately 1,250 cases, and Cuvée Cathelin to just 200 cases in years it is produced at all. Demand far exceeds supply, and the wines are allocated through a tight network of importers and fine wine merchants. Jean-Louis Chave recommends a minimum of 15 years of bottle age for the estate Hermitage Rouge to reach full expression. The Hermitage Blanc is equally long-lived, with many observers noting it can outlast the rouge. The JL Chave Sélection négociant range offers more accessible Northern Rhône wines at lower prices.

• Hermitage Rouge: approximately 2,000 cases per vintage; Hermitage Blanc: approximately 1,250 cases; Cuvée Cathelin: approximately 200 cases in select vintages only
• Jean-Louis Chave recommends a minimum of 15 years of bottle age for Hermitage Rouge to achieve full expression
• Hermitage Blanc is considered equally or more age-worthy than the Rouge by many critics
• JL Chave Sélection négociant line, founded 1996, provides broader access to Chave-quality Northern Rhône wines