Saint-Joseph
2020
The Chave family is the epitome of People, Place and Time. They have been vignerons in the Rhône valley since 1481, passing the torch from father to son for an astonishing 16 generations. Originally the family farmed only in St. Joseph and moved to Hermitage about a century ago when phylloxera swept through the region. Today their Hermitage Rouge and Hermitage Blanc are generally regarded as the appellation's greatest wines. In recent years Jean Louis has begun the painstaking process of...
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Very pure and refined, with flavors of plum, cassis and bitter cherry layered seamlessly, while a piercing sanguine note and flecks of savory, black tea and sweet bay peek in throughout. Fine-grained on the finish. Lovely.
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Both Saint Josephs from Chave are brilliant, and the estate 2019 Saint Joseph offers classic blackberry fruits as well as peppery, violet, and smoky bacon fat. It has a ripe, concentrated style yet brings plenty of tannins and has a firm, age-worthy feel.
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Tasted in components. #1, from Chaillets: shows expansive, ripe black and blue fruit, incense and potpourri qualities; olive paste and exotic spice notes build in the glass. Tightens up with air and takes on a zesty mineral nuance. #2, Dardouille: black currant, boysenberry, fruitcake and violet pastille aromas and flavors show sharp delineation and back-end thrust. Shuts down slowly and dusty tannins build. #3, from Baschesson: vibrant black and fruit scents show sharp definition and take on a suave floral note with air. Sweet and energetic, showing very good depth and strong, floral-driven persistence...
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Looking at the 2018 from barrel, I was able to taste two barrel samples of the 2018 Saint Joseph. It’s largely in the same style as the 2017 and just textbook Saint Joseph with its darker, mineral-laced fruits and smoked meat and pepper aromas and flavors. It’s beautifully done, medium to full-bodied, and will drink nicely in its youth yet also age.
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As with the 2020 L'Hermitage, I tasted this wine in its components, shortly before blending and bottling. This vintage is highly successful at Chave, and this wine, which would qualify as the gateway bottling made from estate fruit, looks to be outstanding, with juicy, spice-laced red and blue fruit character of noteworthy freshness, plus strong florality and mineral drive. I was also struck by the fineness of the tannins, which will likely make the final wine deceptively approachable on release. Don't be fooled - this wine has a long and enviable track record for rewarding patience.
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The rating and review of the 2020 Saint Joseph is a composite based on tasting several lots—Chalaix, Dardouilles and Bechasson—from barrel. With aromas that range from violets to rose petals, garrigue and licorice, plus fruit notes from raspberries to blueberries and cassis, it should prove remarkably complex, backed by ample concentration and ripe, silky tannins.
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Tasted in components. #1, from 18-year-old vines in Chaillets: smoke-accented cherry and blackberry qualities, plus a suggestion of licorice. Silky and open-knit, offering juicy dark berry flavors that deepen on the back half. Round tannins come in late. #2, from Dardouille: deeper and more brooding than the Chaillets, showing an array of black and blue fruit and floral qualities and a touch of smoky bacon. Very long and penetrating, with the floral note repeating strongly. #3, from Baschesson: Very suave and highly perfumed, showing intense dark berry, floral and spice character and a vibrant mineral underpinning. The floral note repeats emphatically on the back end and fine-grained tannins lend gentle grip. The ultimate rendition of this wine should be rich yet energetic, with pronounced floral character; it's shaping up to be quite a formidable wine and it should be (compared to many an Hermitage) a solid value if you can find it.
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