J.L Chave

"One of my favorite true and authentic vignerons to visit is the Chave family, located in the tiny, one-horse village of Mauves, just south of Tournon. The son, Jean-Louis, is taking over the reins more and more, but his father, Gerard, is still involved even though he is officially retired. As always, these wines performed brilliantly. Readers should keep in mind that the reviews of the 2007 white Hermitage and 2007 red Hermitage are a matter of extrapolating from tasting all the separate vineyards that go into these wines. That said, the Chaves appear to be ratcheting up their quality level because of a Draconian selection process in the vineyard as well as in the winery. The Chave estate wines' finest value is St.-Joseph (5,000 bottles produced in each vintage), which comes from hillside vines planted in pure schist just outside their home village of Mauves." Robert Parker

2008 JL Chave Selection Cotes Du Rhone 'Mon Coeur'
Shelf Price $44 | Offer Price $38
A blend of Grenache and Syrah from mostly Rasteau and Cairanne.

"Dark and driven with lots of licorice snap, charred mesquite, black currant paste and espresso notes carried by a long, tarry finish. A bit brooding, but the length and acidity are there. Drink now through 2011. 2,600 cases made." 90 points Wine Spectator.

2007 JL Chave Selection Saint-Joseph 'Offerus'
Shelf Price $64 | Offer Price $54
Inky ruby. Powerful aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry and olive, with a smoky undertone of dark chocolate and violet. Weighty dark berry and violet pastille flavors coat the palate, with velvety tannins providing shape on the back. Rich but not especially heavy, with very good finishing cling to the flavors of candied flowers and cracked pepper. This could only be syrah. 90 points. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 10

2007 Domaine J.L Chave Hermitage
Shelf Price $419 | Offer Price $330
"The red 2007 Hermitage is a candidate for the wine of the vintage. It is a blend of fruit from some of Hermitage's finest vineyard sites (Les Bessards, Meal, l'Ermite, Peleat, and Les Beaumes). The latter two vineyards tend to offer finesse, elegance, and aromatic complexity without the power and richness found in Meal and Les Bessards. L'Ermite seems to provide an extraordinary liqueur of rocks and floral character. The 2007 production was very tiny because of serious crop-thinning as well as a strict selection process in the cellar. This should turn out to be a mid-90 point red Hermitage with loads of tannin, and a style not dissimilar from Chave's 1996, but even better. Very structured with superb concentration, noble sweet tannins, and oodles of tar-infused creme de cassis, licorice, fig, and earth notes. It is a large-framed, big-boned effort with a finish that lasts nearly a minute. 93-95 points" Robert Parker's, The Wine Advocate