JL Chave Crozes-Hermitage "Silene" 2023
We have 21 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
The 2023 Silène draws from the southern reaches of Crozes-Hermitage, where the Rhône River moderates a continental climate of hot summers and brisk winters. Here, Syrah thrives in varied soils—granitic outcrops, sandy loess, and stony alluvium—each contributing its own voice to the wine’s profile. The vintage’s warm, sun-filled days were balanced by timely rains, preserving acidity and aromatic lift. Half the fruit comes from Chave’s own biodynamically farmed parcels, rooted deeply in living soils that have been tended with the same quiet precision for centuries. The other half comes from trusted growers whose vineyards mirror Chave’s exacting standards, making Silène a true composite portrait of Crozes-Hermitage terroir.
The Wine
Made entirely from Syrah, the 2023 vintage shows the Northern Rhône’s classic interplay of fruit and savory nuance. Dark cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant aromas mingle with cracked pepper, violet, and a faint whiff of smoked herbs. On the palate, the fruit is pure and vibrant, framed by fine-grained tannins and a graphite-tinged minerality that lingers through the finish. Aged in neutral oak to preserve varietal character, the wine is supple and approachable now yet structured enough to evolve gracefully over the next 5–7 years. This is Syrah in its most honest form—neither over-polished nor rustic, but perfectly balanced between the two.
The People
The Chave family has been farming the slopes of the Northern Rhône since 1481—sixteen unbroken generations of stewardship, now led by Gérard Chave and his son Jean-Louis. After studies at the University of Connecticut and UC Davis, Jean-Louis returned to the Rhône in 1992, replanting the family’s historic Saint-Joseph holdings and carrying forward their philosophy: meticulous farming, low yields, and minimal intervention to let terroir speak. While their Hermitage bottlings are legendary for complexity and longevity, the Silène—part of the Jean-Louis Chave Selections négociant range—offers a more accessible expression without compromising quality. Named after the mythical mentor of Dionysus, Silène reflects Chave’s belief that wine should embody both wisdom and joy, whether in the rarest cuvée or the humblest glass.
Food pairing:
Grilled lamb chops with garlic-rosemary roasted potatoes. (recipe on blog)
The lamb’s juicy, savory depth complements the wine’s supple tannins while the rosemary and garlic echo Syrah’s signature peppery, floral lift. The roasted potatoes bring an earthy warmth that grounds Silène’s vibrant black fruit and stony minerality, with the grill’s gentle smokiness weaving it all into a seamless, satisfying experience.
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Domaine Jean Louis Chave
The Rhône Valley is a diverse and historic wine region, divided into two distinct areas. The Northern Rhône is the birthplace of Syrah, with steep, terraced vineyards that produce some of the world's most revered wines, such as those from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. The Southern Rhône is much more expansive, offering a wider range of styles, but typically based around Grenache-based blends, with wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape known for their complexity and power. While the region is celebrated for its reds, it also produces incredible textured whites, and as a whole the region displays the spectrum of French wine and the incredible differences that can come from small geographic changes.
Rhone Valley
Syrah is a dark-skinned grape of French origin, specifically from the Northern Rhône Valley, where it produces some of the world's most powerful and complex wines. Known as Shiraz in Australia, Syrah is capable of displaying a wide range of aromas and flavors. Cool climate Syrahs tend to express floral notes like violets, along with savory elements like olives, while those grown in warmer climates like Australia are more likely to show black pepper and dark fruit notes such as plum. The grape's versatility allows it to adapt to various climates and soil types, but it maintains its unique characteristics no matter where it is planted.
