Winemaker Notes
The Chave’s methods for all their winemaking are traditional farming, super low yields, full ripeness, and minimal manipulation. Their unmatched meticulousness continues through five centuries to render venerable expressions of the purest of Rhône terroir.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A tasting of the four main vineyards shows that Chave's 2017 domaine St-Joseph is looking strong. Le Clos is rich, fruity, opulent and velvety in texture, and hedonistic in this vintage. The Challeys component, from a granitic hill just above Le Clos, is structured and saline, with more black olive than Le Clos' blackberry. The clay and granite Dardouyes site contributes lush fruit, spice and a spry acidity, whereas the ethereal Bachesson has an incredible floral aroma. The general effect is one of rich fruit but good precision, superb balance and complexity.
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Wine Spectator
This has a lovely mouthfeel, with velvety waves of crushed plum and boysenberry reduction wrapped in sweet toast, bay leaf and alder notes. The long finish has a black tea note curling around and a late mineral twinge for contrast. Drink now through 2035.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Showing similar to last year, the 2017 Saint Joseph offers textbook Saint Joseph minerality as well as notes of ripe red and black fruits, bacon fat, and peppery herbs. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it's up with the crème de la crème of the appellation.
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James Suckling
Final blend in tank, immediately prior to bottling. This has fresh and exotic red fruit with plenty of spice and tarry nuances, plenty of fragrance and dry stony aromas, too. Elegant and plush with complex texture. The tannins are gently grippy. Finishes with chocolate and spice. Best from 2025.
Barrel Sample: 93-94
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Just a wonderfully fun, joyous expression of the appellation, Chave's 2017 Saint Joseph was set to be bottled the day after my visit. It blends lots from Chalaix, Dardouille, Les Oliviers, Bachasson, and Le Clos Florentin into a medium to full-bodied wine loaded with cherries and delicate herbal nuances. Silky and crisp on the finish, it can be enjoyed now and anytime over the next 5-6 years.
Rating: 91-93
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Spanning the longest stretch of river in the northern Rhône—from Condrieu in the north, to Cornas in the south—the heart of St.-Joseph lies directly across the Rhône River from Hermitage. While its soils are basically the same as Hermitage: granite, supplemented by sand and gravel, its east facing slope receives less sunlight than Hermitage, which causes less overall berry ripening on its Syrah vines. However, some of the best of them can rival any fine expression of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie or Cornas with concentrated black fruits, dark spices, crushed rock and violets. A general advantage of the region is that its Syrahs typically don’t need as much time in the bottle compared to a Cote-Rotie or Hermitage and are much easier on the bank account!
A textbook St.-Joseph red is firm with a core of minerality that is enhanced by savory and peppery qualities. Aromas and flavors of smoke, olives, herbs, and violets are common; its wines are dense in red and black fruit.
St.-Joseph is also a source of fine northern Rhône white wine. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne grow well here and can be blended or made into single varietal wines. St.-Joseph whites are full and silky with citrus, pear and pineapple flavors and a rich bouquet reminiscent of honeysuckle, toasted nuts, spice and caramel.