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Much more round and fleshy than the ’05 – which I think I underrated based off a recent bottle – the 2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph sports upfront, ripe aromas of black cherry, wild herb, tapenade, graphite, and smoked beef on the nose. It gets even more meaty and dense with air, possessing medium to full body, loads of ripe fruit, and a rich full texture that comes into focus on the finish. Straight up delicious and given the round, fleshy profile, I lean toward drinking over the next 8 to 10 years.
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Jean-Louis Chave owns a small negociant operation that produces two wines. The elegant, tasty 2006 St.-Joseph exhibits raspberry, tapenade, crushed rock, and forest floor notes in its medium-bodied personality. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years. 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. Importer: Langdon-Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900
Ruby-red. Strikingly complex nose displays scents of black raspberry, cassis, black olive and incense. Lively, finely etched red and dark berry flavors stain the palate and become creamier with air. The minerals come on strong on the back end and carry through the finish. Very sweet but focused, with excellent closing vivacity and clarity. This is a relative bargain, and a great introduction to Chave's style.
The 2006 St.-Joseph exhibits beautiful sweet cherry, tapenade, herb, and mineral characteristics in an exceptionally elegant, finessed style with lovely purity, but also a sensuality to the fruit. It should drink nicely for 10-12 years. A bastion of traditionalism and terroir-sensitive winemaking, the Chaves, both father Gerard and son Jean-Louis, continue to establish higher and higher standards for artisanal, high quality winemaking without manipulation or compromise. As I have said many times in the past, after more than two dozen visits to their cellars in Mauves, the Chave address remains one of the most extraordinary places of learning in the wine world. Most importantly, they have had a remarkable succession of successful vintages that began in 1994. Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900
About the producer
The Chaves have been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône since 1481. Jean-Louis Chave is the 16th generation to head up the family domaine, having taken over from his father in 1992.