Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

When it comes to the wineries of France, a century or two of history is not unusual. But for an estate to be passed down from one generation to the next since 1481 – that deserves a degree of wonder. The Chave family originally started making wine in Saint-Joseph; it was only after phylloxera, when the noble landowners were abandoning the slopes of Hermitage that they managed to get a foothold on this sacred hill.

Jean-Louis is a meticulous winemaker and a deep thinker. But for winemaking royalty, he is remarkably personable and down-to-earth. The family home is in Hermitage, but the winery is in the village of Mauves on the west bank of the river. The courtyard is dominated by a titanic horse chestnut tree; underneath lies the cellar. It gives birth to some of the finest wines in the world.

He's committed to a traditional approach, which for him means destemming the crop (he says this was historically done by hand in Hermitage before destemming machines) and blending his Hermitage from parcels across the Hill. His main output therefore is one red Hermitage and one white. He does however make a special cuvée of red Hermitage in top vintages called Cuvée Cathelin; it is also is a blend, the components changing to suit the vintage. And let’s not forget his sweet white Hermitage Vin de Paille.

His gift to future generations will be restructured Saint-Joseph vineyards, and bottled proof of just how good top Saint-Joseph can be. His Clos Florentin, from a vineyard near Mauves, is unquestionably among the greatest wine from this extensive appellation.