Wine Advisor
JL Chave Selection, St Joseph Offerus 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Full violet color. Heady, spice-accented dark berry, cola and floral pastille scents show excellent clarity and pick up a mineral nuance with aeration. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blueberry and olive paste flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Finishes gently sweet, broad and very long, with an echo of candied violet and slowly emerging tannins.
About the Producer
In 1993, Jean-Louis Chav took over the family estate, but as if that wasn't enough work, a few years later he began reclaiming his family's hillside vineyard in St. Joseph. These vineyards were abandoned and needed to be re-terraced and replanted. The first vintage on the Jean-Louis Chave Selection label was 1995, and it came entirely from St. Joseph. At first, it was buying fruit from growers. As Jean-Louis Chav's own vineyards were replanted and began to bear fruit, Offeus became more estate-owned vineyards and less fruit was bought. Project Jean-Louis grew in scope over time as more newly planted vineyards came online Made from young vines planted in 2003 and owned by the estate. St. Joseph Blanc purchased vineyards from 2009, a Hermitage Rouge and Blanc, and the Rhône Coast.
