Louis Chèze started his venture in 1978 with one hectare of vines in the Saint-Joseph appellation, on a hillside on the right bank of the Rhône in the commune of Limony. Since then, the domain has grown to 30 hectares, and owns vineyards in Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and more recently, on the other side of the Rhône on the hillsides of Seyssuel, opposite the Côte-Rôtie. Like François Villard, Yves Cuilleron and Pierre Galliard, Louis Chèze now cultivates vines on the remains of the ancient Roman vineyards there. The domain has a modern winery so the vinification process is as fine-tuned as it can be. Every cuvée is the outcome of a meticulous single parcel selection that allows the terroir and grapes to express themselves fully. As the wines are produced on a granite terrain they are very fresh, stylish and full of character. This Rhône Valley domain is growing in reputation.

A family property taken up in 1978 by Louis Chèze, this domain is made up of 35 hectares across some splendid terroirs, including Seyssuel just above Côte-Rôtie. The Cuvée des Anges is made using a 2-hectare parcel in Saint-Joseph. The Syrah grapes grow well in the granite-rich terroir, and the vines are around 50 years old. Sustainable agriculture is key to the farming practiced in this vineyard. After manual harvests and several instances of sorting, the bunches are destemmed and left to macerate. Next comes fermentation before the wine is matured in new casks for up to 22 months depending on the vintage. There is no filtering. This wine has a deep, ruby colour, and its complex nose gives of notes of dark fruits and gentle spices. On the palate this cuvée is frank with pronounced but harmonious tannins. The finish is marked by delicious blueberry aromas. We recommend serving this wine alongside red meat or game. It has an ageing potential of around 15 years.