J.L. Chave Selection Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge ‘Mon Coeur’ 2022, France

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a family owned winery, passed from father to son since 1481. Currently, the Domaine is under the direction of Jean-Louis, although his father, Gerard, is still around, keeping a watchful eye. To ensure quality, Jean-Louis works with growers who share his devotion to quality, practice organic farming and the preservation of terroir in the finished wines. For Mon Coeur, the grapes (Grenache and Syrah) are taken to the Domaine for aging and finishing so that Jean-Louis has control over the final product. His goal for the top level Mon Coeur, his Cotes du Rhone blend, is single-minded: produce a wine that is authentic and represents the best of the appellation and the grape. This is a delicious wine that represents very good value for the appellation. Chave owns vines in 9 of the 18 vineyards that cover the Hermitage hillside. Keenly aware of the different dynamics fruit from different parcels can have, Jean-Louis pays close attention to the terroir-influences when selecting fruit for this, his top cuvee. He uses little to no oak on his wines, believing that the innate character of the fruit is what makes a truly great wine. In this vein, he intervenes with filtering or fining minimally, if at all.