This wine is comprised of Syrah from multiple Vineyard Locations.
Tournon: The oldest vines in the Saint-Joseph, some dating to the early 1900s. The soil is granite mixed with clay. Holdings on Dardouelle, with more clay in its lower reaches, and Les Oliviers, known for its rich wines with milder tannins. Mauves: More acid granite slopes. Holdings on Les Côtes, the most southerly site in Mauves, and Sapelias. St-Jean-de-Muzols: From Pichonnier, with less rich, smaller granite particles, a site that gives more generous wines with riper tannins. Lemps: From Bachasson, with a neutral soil makeup comparable to Bessards on Hermitage. The grapes are vinified at the Domaine using indigenous yeasts in wood tonneaux and stainless steel tanks, then aged for 15-18 months in barriques.
96-97 Vinous: As with the 2020 L'Hermitage, I tasted this wine in its components, shortly before blending and bottling. This vintage is highly successful at Chave, and this wine, which would qualify as the gateway bottling made from estate fruit, looks to be outstanding, with juicy, spice-laced red and blue fruit character of noteworthy freshness, plus strong florality and mineral drive. I was also struck by the fineness of the tannins, which will likely make the final wine deceptively approachable on release. Don't be fooled - this wine has a long and enviable track record for rewarding patience.
94-96 Wine Advocate: The rating and review of the 2020 Saint Joseph is a composite based on tasting several lots—Chalaix, Dardouilles and Bechasson—from barrel. With aromas that range from violets to rose petals, garrigue and licorice, plus fruit notes from raspberries to blueberries and cassis, it should prove remarkably complex, backed by ample concentration and ripe, silky tannins.
95 Points Wine Spectator: Dark and brooding, with richness to the black plum and cherry flavors edged with bacon. Creamy and svelte on the palate, this shows polish, with cardamon, allspice and aniseed adding detail, backed by a thread of singed mesquite. Concentration builds toward the very long, serious finish, which is firmly grounded by iron.
