This is a predominantly Balance & Finesse wine, but it shares structural nuances of Rich & Full as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
The Chave Circa straddles Balance and Finesse and Rich and Full with a combination of weight and texture of equal freshness. The wine unfolds with ripe pear and peach, with slight orange peel nuances, followed by white flowers, minerals, and layers of honey in the persistent finish.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Quality is what matters, not name reputation. That said, Chave is a Rhône OG and his wines sing at every level.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Marsanne
Mar-SAN
Marsanne is principally a Rhone varietal (can also be found in the U.S. and Australia) that makes full-bodied wines with moderate acidity. However, it is often blended with Roussanne and Viognier, especially in the Northern Rhone, to make rich wines with floral aromatics.
Roussanne
Roo-SAN
Rousanne is a high quality, aromatic, white Rhone varietal often blended with Marsanne in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and St. Joseph. Rousanne is more aromatic than Marsanne, often with a refreshing floral, and slightly herbal perfume, and has higher acidity that provides it better ability to age gracefully.
Jean-Louis Chave is the rare 18th-generation winemaker who continues to carry the torch of an estate that began in 1481 and continues to have the deserved distinction of being one of the finest producers in the Northern Rhône Valley.
Jean-Louis Chave makes traditional wines that exude a perfect balance of power and nuance achieved through low yields, strict vineyard management, minimal new oak, and slight intervention with no filtering.
The Chave estate does not produce single-site cuvées; rather both their Hermitage and St. Joseph wines are a blend of family-run vineyards, some of which are over 100-years-old, yielding wines of both complexity and purity.
Pear
White Flowers
Honey
