Ron Siegel

9.3

Better than my last btl showing pear, citrus, mineral, white flower with good acidity. — 5 days ago

Michael Greene

9.5

Brilliant Syrah. Still young but open. Velvety tannin. Inky dark fruit. Dried herbs. Amazing with rotisserie leg of lamb. — 15 days ago

Byron Hewett

9.2

A lighter styled CSJ, reflecting the vintage. Lovely. Almost ethereal. — a month ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.4

Medium ruby hue. Incredible bouquet: aromas and flavors of cherry, earthy, lavender, pine, raspberry, and strawberry. Medium body, with medium tannins and high acidity. Creamy palate with a lengthy finish. Highly expressive Pinot Noir. — a month ago

Eric Urbani

8.9

I consistently like this wine, though others have not rated it that well. — 12 days ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.9

Tasted from magnum, the 2013 Cristal Rosé is ravishing. Dense, creamy and powerful, the 2013 captures all the qualities of the vintage, specifically the interplay of rich fruit from the warm summer and cooler inflections from a year that started late and ended late with a rare October harvest. Today, the 2013 is deep and beautifully seamless, but it is also young – far too young to be at its best. Dosage is 6.5 grams per liter, a bit less than for the standard bottlings, a decision taken to balance longer aging on the lees and a bit more residual sugar that is always left in the magnums after fermentation. Readers who can find the 2013 in magnum will experience one of the greatest thrills in wine. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
— 12 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Not to be outdone, the 1989 Chave Hermitage Rouge showed more brambles than the ’88 along with other desiccated blue and black fruits. Dried flowers, beef, blood, leather and mushrooms. Every time I have the pleasure of drinking old Chave, I’m reminded that these wines have so much character and there is a reason they are so adored. Lovely with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Drink now through 2040. — a month ago

Vanessa

9.3

It’s always a resounding ‘YES’ for JL Chave!!

That includes this luscious and concentrated Syrah from Saint-Joseph AOC in the Northern Rhône of France.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a benchmark and icon of the Rhône Valley – a family-run operation since 1481 – with an entire range of deliciousness through the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and JL Chave Selection portfolios.

This wine is deep ruby, trending on purple. It has pronounced aromas and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, black cherry, cassis, pomegranate, also violet, bacon, sanguine, saddle leather, pipe tobacco, clove, cigar, damp earth, and black peppercorn. Alcohol is high (14.5% ABV) with medium (+) fine-grained and well-integrated tannins, medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and a long, elegant finish.

It has a rustic and savory character with robust dark fruit notes; it’s layered, complex, structured, and age-worthy, benefitting from decanting. Still, it’s tasting wonderfully now.

Cheers to JL Chave and treasures of the Rhône!! — 11 days ago

with Deked1

Rodney Miller

9.3

Great color even at age 34. The cork was purple. A good nose and it drank better early, but held together for a roast chicken and stuffing dinner — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

The 1994 was initially a bit shy on the nose but after many hours in the decanter, it showed such amazing character. In fact, it shared some characteristics with a lightly peated single malt scotch, with light smoke, marmalade, honey, golden raspberry and wet stone. More of its character was unlocked with food. In this case, monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2034+ — a month ago