When Chave's St. Joseph Offerus is on, it can be shockingly good.

In the past few weeks, I tasted through a cast of vintages that we had laying around here - 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015. When it came to 2010 and 2015, the wines really blew me away. I immediately went deep on the 2015.

When it comes to vintages like 2010 and 2015, Chave's Offerus may be one of the most overlooked wines of the Northern Rhône. When you taste old examples, this comes into clear focus. We have a customer who has been cellaring Offerus since the mid-nineties. We've been amazed by the older bottles that he's shared with us.

There's no getting around the fact that the Northern Rhône has blown up in recent years and pricing has followed. Gonon's benchmark St. Joseph has crossed the $80 mark. Amidst all of this, Chave's Offerus has cruised under-the-radar. In vintages like 2015, the wine offers some serious value and is shocking in its depth and detail.

The Chave's are Rhône royalty. Simply put, no one family has had more experience with Syrah (the Chaves have been in the Rhône since 1481) and no one coaxes more intensity, more complexity, more refinement from Syrah. Chave is famous for Hermitage, but the family's original holdings were in St. Joseph and in recent years they've been purchasing more and more land in St. Joseph. The 2015 Offerus has a good amount of domaine fruit along with carefully purchased grapes.

The Offerus always boasts Chave's meticulous winemaking. In 2015, the wine is elevated in a big way. In the Northern Rhône, the 2015s are endowed with a soaring dynamic energy, power and complexity. The 2015 Offerus weaves all of these qualities into near perfect harmony.

This is an incredibly exciting vintage of Offerus. The notes of dark fruits, crushed rock, spice and floral tones are rendered with startling precision. There's a drive and nuanced complexity that you rarely encounter at this price point.

Everything seems to be in place for the 2015 Offerus to age nicely for the next 7-10 years. However, it also makes for absolutely irresistible drinking today. We created special pack pricing because you'll definitely want to drink a couple bottles in the near future and will be fascinated by how it will age.

The "Offerus" is in stock - and ready for the upcoming weekend. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits