Five centuries of winemaking heritage culminate in the masterful bottles of Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, where the 16th generation continues a legacy that began in 1481. Based in a small village on the northern right bank of the Rhone, this legendary estate serves as the ultimate benchmark for Hermitage, blending organic precision with an unparalleled understanding of granite-soaked terroir.

The key to perfect balance in Chave’s Hermitage is in their remarkable blending skill, which begins again every season. Many hours of thought, insight, and conversation go into the final component blend for Hermitage. Never once has the Chave family released a single vineyard or cru Hermitage. While percentages vary from year to year, the constant backbone of Hermitage Rouge is Syrah from Bessards Vineyard with its steep, granitic slopes. Similarly with the Blanc, the components vary, however the base is made from old vines Marsanne from their Péléat vineyard. 

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his négociant line, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family. After taking over the estate from his father in 1993, Jean-Louis took on this project, utilizing purchased fruit from his neighbors' vineyards within the historic limits of the St. Joseph appellation.; over time the project morphed into almost exclusively wines from his own grapes. Owing to the benefit of ancient vines both white and red (upwards of a century in age, in some cases) as well as artful blending, today both Hermitage wines and the Saint Joseph cuvées represent the very finest of their ilk.