While much of the Crozes vineyards are on flat land around Hermitage hill, Chave's parcel, which they developed hardly more than ten years ago, is positioned on an east-facing hillside behind Hermitage. The soils are partly granite, and the resulting bright, fleshy wine is a great introduction to the Chave style--as well as a sort of sneak peak at the somewhat pricier wines from Hermitage itself--for under $30. Jean-Louis Chave, who is in his mid-40s, has managed to craft some of the finest wines in the Rhone today. He started the negociant J-L Chave Selection in the mid-1990s with the goal of sourcing expressive, terroir-driven wines from outside the Hermitage AOC. 13% abv.
