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Tasting notes
Steeply sloping vineyards, where the granite is very similar to that found in Hermitage. Old vines. Dark crimson. Smoky/charry reduction at first but mostly dark, dark fruit. That same charry character on the palate suggests this needs more time though there are already attractive notes of smoked meat and the tannins are remarkably silky. Serious, complex and finishes so fresh. (JH)
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
(made with 25 percent whole clusters) Inky ruby. Pungent, spice-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, candied violet, licorice and smoky minerals. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering pliant black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors that are complemented and lifted by a jolt of peppery spices. Becomes sweeter and deeper with air, with no loss of energy, and finishes sappy and very long; smooth tannins add shape and grip.
The 2014 St Joseph Domaine is a wine readers should buy by the case. It’s not going to be the longest-lived St Joseph out there, but it’s absolutely loaded with character. I was able to drink a bottle of this over lunch and it’s one of those bottles that’s always the first to be emptied. Ripe, polished and sexy, with medium-bodied richness, it has perfumed notes of dark fruits, graphite, crushed flowers and spice in an ethereally textured, seamless package. Drink bottles through 2024.
Tasted in components: #1, from Bachasson: Highly perfumed aromas and flavors of fresh dark berries and cherry, bearing an intense floral overtone. Juicy and precise with excellent clarity and finishing lift. #2, from 90-year-old vines in Clos Florentin: Potent dark berry and pungent flowers on the mineral-accented nose. Deeply concentrated yet lithe, offering vibrant blackberry and violet pastille flavors that open up slowly on the back half. Rich but nervy, displaying outstanding closing thrust and lingering sweetness. The final wine should be a weighty yet energetic Saint-Joseph with intense dark berry and floral character supported by a spine of juicy acidity and minerality.
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.