2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph Offerus- France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (11/22/2009)
Medium garnet color. No variation on the edge. Nose of steamed meats, blueberry, underbrush, crushed river stones, and leather. The palate has a very bright and lively mouthfeel. A light to mid-weight wine, this has some great blueberry pie, red cherries, white pepper, a chalkiness, some soil, some tar, a bit of bruised leather, and a slight hint of funkadelicness. I get it: Its a very reasonably priced Rhone masquerading as a Cote Rote. Nice.
Great acid level with a slightly boosted alcohol note that dissipates quickly, say after an hour. Great long brightness on the tongue keep this fun and playful, but broaches serious and refined. Great effort and wonderful QPR. The funkidelicness keeps me at bay ever so slightly. (90 pts.)
I love this wine as well as the “Mon Coeur”. I’m actually drinking an '07 Mon Coeur right now and I think it’s what everyone that isn’t digging the ripeness of the '07 CDP’s would really like. Thanks for the note Mike.
For the record, Offerus is not a Domaine Jean-Louis Chave wine. It is a negociant wine, and deliberately made in a different style from the Domaine J-L Chave estate Saint-Joseph, although with the care and exactitude one expects of Chave.
The way Kermit describes it, Offerus is actually the better wine compared to the domaine St. Joseph - “Offerus is different. Because of his terroir, his domaine-bottled Saint-Joseph is more of an ultra-delicious quaffer. Offerus will always be darker, more intense, chewier, more serious an event.” Is that how you see the style difference?
Keith – Jean-Louis once said to me that he sees Offerus to the estate St-Jo as Cuvée Cathelin is to the regular Hermitage. I prefer the estate St-Jo and the regular Hermitage due to their greater finesse, but it is a matter of preference of style.