Editors notes
The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from the firm's vineyards on the western half of the Hermitage slope, but with substantial contributions from Les Rocoules and Les Bessards. Classic notes of cassis, black olives, mocha and roasted meat are joined by hints of baking spices in a wine that's full-bodied, deep, dense and rich, with a velvety texture and a lingering finish. It's lower in alcohol than the 2018, less voluptuous and maybe just a step behind that monumental wine, but it's still a serious collectible with three decades of evolution ahead of it.
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Critic Scores & reviews
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Jeb Dunnuck
99"Reminding me of the 2009 La Chapelle (which is a personal favorite), the brilliant 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle knocks it out of the park with its massive, opulent personality. Notes of smoked black fruits, scorched earth, burning embers, and graphite as well as subtle background meatiness flow to a monster of a Hermitage that has full-bodied richness, incredible depth of fruit, and an overwhelming, sexy style that's already impossible to resist."
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James Suckling
98"The icon is in dangerously seductive form. Such pristine dark cherries, blackberries and dark plums, dark chocolate, finely crushed spices and plenty of crushed dark stones on offer. The palate is very intense, very slick and fine tannins deliver an almost playfully soft impression. The oak is super integrated. Like La Maison Bleue, this approachability is an aberration, as it has immense power, concentration and length with such regal and alluring swagger at the finish. But there is so much more to come."
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Rhone Valley
The Rhône Valley is in the South of France and is situated in the Rhône river valley. The region has been growing wines for centuries and is generally split into two sub-regions. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is the predominant grape variety, though it is often blended with other white varieties like Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier, or the red grape Mourvedre. In the Southern Rhône, a wide range of white, red and rosés are produced alongside the undisputed king of the Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The Northern Rhône is cooler than the Southern Rhône and has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winter. The appellations from North to South are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray.
In Southern Rhône, the climate is more Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation but others include Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas and Lirac. Large pebbles are used in the region, placed at the base of the vines to absorb the suns heat during the day, to keep the vines warm at night.
Châteauneuf-du-Papes are blended from the 13 permitted grape varieties, though Grenache usually dominates, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. These wines can be supremely rich and complex and typically warrant 5-10 years in the cellar for best results.
Hermitage
Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of France, south of the city Lyon. The region produces some of the world's finest Syrah, rich, incredibly age worthy wines that are among the most expensive Syrah (Shiraz) globally.
The red wines produced in Hermitage are one of France's most prestigious wines. Among the offering from Rhone, none beat it, though Cote Rotie (45km to the north) and Chateauneuf-du-Pape (110km to the south) are of corresponding quality in their respective blends. The white counterpoint to the red is Hermitage Blanc, a wine to behold comprising the Roussane and Marsanne varietals. Surprisingly they account for around one third of the regions entire plantings.
About the brand Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Antoine Jaboulet set up his winemaking business Tain-l'Hermitage in 1834. He was succeeded by his sons, Paul and Henri who in turn passed the baton to Paul’s son Louis. Next came Louis’s son Gérard and then, in 1997, Gérard’s cousin, Michel Jaboulet. He ran the domain until 2006 when it was bought by the Frey Group which also owns vineyards in Champagne and Bordeaux (Château la Lagune). Today, oenologist Caroline Frey runs the property which has worked steadily to achieve an excellent standard. In 2013, Maison Jaboulet officially converted its vineyards to organic and in 2015 it received “High Environmental Value” certification. Beyond these accreditations though, the domain’s goal of bringing out the best in each majestic Rhône terroir remains unchanged. It achieves this goal by preserving the quality of the fruit, through meticulous vinification, and an attentive élevage.
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