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Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a powerhouse producer located in the northern Rhône, making wine under the Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations. Chave's red and white Hermitage wines – based on Syrah and Marsanne and Roussanne respectively – are some of the most important in the Rhône Valley, commanding both high prices and 100-point scores.
The estate has 14.5 hectares (36 acres) of land in Hermitage, making it one of the largest land owners in the appellation. The vineyards were planted when the Chave family arrived in Hermitage in the late 19th Century after phylloxera had devastated much of France. The vineyards were terraced and today cover eight different plots on the hill, providing a range of mesoclimates and terroirs for the Chave wines. Many of the vines are between 30 and 60 years old.
Jean-Louis Chave make several wines under the Hermitage banner. The generic red and white Hermitage wines are Chave's flagships, although the range is headed by the Cathelin cuvée, one of the Rhone's most collectable wines. Chave also make a couple of wines from Saint-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône wine.
| Varietal | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1990 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Location | Northern Rhone |
| Producer | J.L. Chave |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Red |
| Rating | 99 RP - The 1990 is spectacular. When I arrived at 6:00 p.m. September 11 2001 at Domaine Chave I found Chave in tears and his family distraught. I had heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center but not the subsequent collapse of both towers. Gerard Chave knows all about suicidal bombers having served in the French military during the Algerian revolution. It took a long time to gather sufficient focus to do my tastings. However the brilliant wines that unfolded in the cellars were at least for several hours a much needed antidote for pushing to the back of my mind the horror of 9-11-01. 1990 is the Hermitage appellation's greatest vintage since 1978 and maybe since 1961. I have been tasting Chave's Hermitage since the great 1978 vintage and the black-colored 1990 is unquestionably the most massive and concentrated wine he has yet produced. Perhaps the real difference between it and the splendid 1989 is that the 1990 exhibits a more roasted character to its nose as well as a bit more tannin and concentration in the mouth. Except for that they are both mind-boggling monumental bottles of red Hermitage. The 1990 which offers huge aromas of tar roasted cassis fruit and hickory as well as astonishing concentration will not be interesting to drink young. RP |
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| Varietal | Syrah |
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| Vintage | 1990 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Location | Northern Rhone |
| Producer | J.L. Chave |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Red |
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