Jean-Louis Chave : Saint-Joseph Domaine 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Saint-Joseph Domaine 2023 by Jean-Louis Chave

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a bright purple hue, both deep and clear.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with notes of black fruits such as blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry, combined with floral touches of violet and spicy hints of white pepper. Nuances of liquorice, tapenade, warm stone and a subtle smokiness also emerge, evolving toward sweet cocoa and fine spices with aeration.

Palate
Dense and elegant, the palate offers a silky texture carried by finely chiselled tannins. The fruit shows vibrant and precise, supported by a balanced and gentle acidity. The finish stretches out at length on aromas of ripe black fruits, sweet spices and garrigue.

Food and wine pairings

This red wine pairs ideally with flavourful meats such as grilled Wagyu beef, roasted rack of Noir de Bigorre pork or braised shoulder of venison. It also goes very well with Mediterranean slow-cooked dishes, offal, as well as aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Parmesan.

Serving and cellaring

For optimal tasting, it is advisable to serve it at a temperature of 16 to 17 °C, after decanting for one to two hours. This wine can be enjoyed from its early years but will continue to evolve favourably until around 2038.

The elegance and precision of a Saint-Joseph wine by Jean-Louis Chave

The estate

Although the family's winemaking history dates back to 1481, the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave company was officially established in 1990. Located in Mauves, in the Rhône Valley, the estate spans 28 hectares divided between the Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations. Now led by Jean-Louis Chave, who represents the sixteenth generation, the estate stands out for its commitment to tradition, its manual work on steep hillsides and its organic farming certification obtained in 2019.

The vineyard

The vines used for this Saint-Joseph wine grow on steep, well-exposed slopes composed of decomposed granite, gneiss and light pockets of clay. These historic terraces, once abandoned after the phylloxera crisis, have been meticulously restored. The vineyard is farmed organically, with a high planting density and goblet pruning on stakes, requiring exclusively manual work.

Winemaking and ageing

The making of the Saint-Joseph Domaine 2023 begins with manual harvesting followed by partial destemming. Fermentation takes place slowly thanks to the action of indigenous yeasts, accompanied by gentle macerations for measured extraction. Ageing then continues for 12 to 15 months exclusively in old oak barrels, with no new wood, in order to preserve the aromatic purity.

Grape variety

Syrah (100%).