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With the arrival of another great and much anticipated stage race, we return to the exciting world of /WORLD TOUR WINE/ !!
The Dauphine has a nice little lineup of wines selected and we begin in the Rhone Valley. Today's third stage crosses the Rhone at the 166km mark, racing directly through the St. Joseph appellation of the northern Rhone wine region. We have actually visited the northern Rhone in Paris-Nice, enjoying a modest bottle of Condrieu. Today's bottle is the other grape of the northern Rhone - Syrah. Here, in a narrow, tiny strip of hillsides along the Rhone running south from Lyon, the Syrah grape reaches its greatest expression on the planet. The places here are legendary - Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas. This area grows wines of such depth, complexity, and sophistication that we may actually make up for the absolute horrors we endured drinking Aussie Shiraz in the Tour Down Under.
Today's wine is from another legend - Jean-Louis Chave. Jean-Louis is a SIXTEENTH-generation winemaker in the northern Rhone. His Hermitage rouge and blanc are widely considered the finest expressions of wine in the northern Rhone. I personally have never had a bottle of Chave Hermitage rouge. The single glass of 2003 Chave Hermitage blanc that I enjoyed was one of the most singular wine memories of my life. If you want to learn more, watch https://youtube.com/watch?v=ISf3hSIjCQU starting at 27:00 mark. The pertinent clip is about 5 minutes.
JL Chave has a nice little negociant business where he buys grapes from other farmers and then does the vinification himself. This group of wines - JL Chave Selection - offers some of the Chave magic for very reasonable prices, surely within the reach of any Bert.
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Offerus Saint-Joseph 2022 ($35).
Initial pop and pour. Pours a deep, dark purple/ruby. The nose is sensational - violets, blackberry, herbs, blood, pepper-crusted brisket. The palate upon initial opening has a violence to its tannic attack that demands respect. I let the glass sit for 30-40 mins. As it opens, beautiful structure declares itself. Blackberry fruit and game, then lifted acidity and tannic grip, then a long, deep finish of smoked meat and olive tapenade.
Amazing bottle. I bought two others to cellar and this will definitely benefit from some time. By far the best quality/price ratio of the year so far. I thought about buying a bottle of full blown Chave Saint-Joseph (~$110) but wanted to highlight one of my favorite value wines for the Berts.