CHAVE CIRCA BLANC

Description

The Chave family has been making wine in the Northern Rhone since 1481 when the original Jean Louis Chave (the current head is also Jean Louis, the 25th of his name in the family) was granted vineyard land in what is now the St. Joseph appellation, by a nobleman named Farconnet. That land was around the town of Mauves just a few kilometres away from Tain l’Hermitage but on the opposite bank of the river, where they are still based today and continue to make their wines. For the astute who are familiar with the history of St. Joseph, and know about the official boundary expansion in 1969 to vineyards far to the north (and often not of the same calibre as the original ones), you’ll duly note that the Chave family vineyards are squarely in the original borders; and further, encompass some of the best sites that appellation has to offer.

The Circa Blanc is an incredible expression of 100% Roussanne from mature rootstock, on a bed of granite soils that hails from the walled 4-hectare ‘Clos Forentin’ vineyard which the Chaves acquired in 2009. Fewer than 400 cases are produced annually. Typically, northern Rhone whites will be comprised of majority Marsanne which will serve as the “base”, with Roussanne only there to help give it a bit of lift; and to find a 100% Roussanne one would most often have to look to a handful of incredibly rare ones from the southern Rhone in Chateauneuf du Pape. Needless to say, this is a rare gem.

“The 2021 Saint Joseph Circa Blanc is terrific. Offering a classic perfume of ripe pears, honeycomb, quince, and sappy flowers, it picks up a beautiful sense of minerality with time in the glass. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, rich, and layered, it’s one heck of an impressive Northern Rhône white that’s going to shine for at least 3-5 years, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it have an interesting evolution over the coming decade.” – Jeb Dunnuck