Crozes-Hermitage 2018

In June 1970, Nicole and Bernard Chave (Nicole, Bernard Chave) purchased a small property - 4 hectares of land in the village of Mercyrol in the Drome department. One hectare was home to the Hermitage vineyard in the Crozes appellation, while the rest of the area was covered by cherry, apricot, pear and apple trees. Since 1972, they began to gradually expand their holdings, planting grapes or fruit trees in new areas. In 1994, the Shavi family already owned almost 16 hectares: one hectare of Hermitage, 6.5 hectares of Crozes-Hermitage and 8.5 hectares of fruit trees. From 1970 to 1973, the Shavi sold their grapes to buyers, and in 1973 they first filled the first vat with their own wine. In 1974 they joined the Ten-L'Hermitage wine cooperative, which they were members of until 1978, and in 1979 the family decided to create their own winery. In 1983, Shavi built an underground cellar. At that time, they sold all products - bottled and in bulk - to buyers and private clients. In 1996, after returning home after military service and studies, the eldest son Yann (Yann Chave) officially took part in the family business, and today he works with his parents in the vineyards and winery. Jan took the opportunity to rent an additional 5 hectares on which he planted grapes and made significant changes in the vineyards, putting quality first. The family's property continued to expand, and in 2007 Shavi already had about 20 hectares of vineyards (grapes were planted in place of the fruit trees). In 2003 Jan built a new winery building. Today most of the products are sold in bottles. The level of exports varies slightly from year to year, but on average accounts for 60% of the total production (wine is sent to Europe, America, Asia and Australia); the rest is purchased by French wholesalers and restaurants (including Bocuse, Ducasse, Troisgros, Marcon, Pic, Chabran, Têtedoie, Les Cèdres, etc.). Yann Chave wine is not sold in shopping centers.

Marsanne wines typically has straw-like color with some golden-green glints. On the nose the best examples have light mineral accent, complemented with hints of honeysuckle and melon.

Crozes-Hermitage wines are forced to live in the shadow of their mighty neighbour -Hermitage. Despite the similar composition of the soil and the use of typical Northern Rhône grape varieties, Crozes-Hermitage wines are lighter, fresher and are best drunk young. White wines are made from Marsanne and Roussane grapes, they are crisp and fruity.

Côtes du Rhône vineyards are located on the banks of the Rhône River. The soil and the geographical conditions are very heterogeneous in the northern and southern parts of the region therefore the valley is divided in two parts - Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Vines in Northern Rhône are mainly grown on so-called "terraces" - steep granite and slate slopes. Winemakers are often not very fond of the harsh mistral wind because of its low temperature. The unusual climate causes the vines to produce small yields, but at the same time provides an intense flavour that has given the wines of Northern Rhône worldwide fame. Syrah is the mainly used grape for red wines - it produces deep wines with hints of pepper that are suitable for long ageing. Viognier is the queen of white wines, but Marsanne and Rousanne are also always close by. Some appellations allow white grapes to be added to red wines in order to smoothen the roughness of Syrah and enrich the wines with floral aromas. The landscapes of Southern Rhône are very different from the northern part - the vineyards are located along the river on low hills and plains and the weather is much friendlier. The grapes ripen in the hot summer sun and obtain a high sugar level resulting in rich and mouth-filling wines. The main grape used is Grenache, but 12 other varieties are allowed in the region - interestingly some wines even combine all of them.