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Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 2018 - First Bottle

Technical Details

Blend	Syrah
Winemaker	Caroline Frey
Country	France
Region	Rhone Valley
Appellation	Hermitage
Vineyard	La Chapelle
Farming Method	Certified Organic

Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 2018

Rhone Blends | France

WA98+, JD98+, VN96, JS96

$184.95 $275.00 - 750mL

There are wines, even for jaded old wine-slingers like us, that ENCHANT. And really, deep down, AMAZE, as in “How is this possible?”. The concentration, polish, pure intensity and ineffable balance contained within this stunner is truly jaw-dropping. You can read all the data points below from the pros, but it’s definitely one of the all-time great La Chapelles and a MUST for collectors and aficionados!

We are beyond proud to have a fabulous direct relationship with Jaboulet and be able to offer this world-class vintage today. BUT! One caveat...there’s not a lot! So...first come, first served!

PAIRING IDEAS: A beef (or lamb) stew, with noodles and crusty bread and excellent hard cheese, is the way to go. You can go the Moroccan route or keep it simple with herbs and black olives (which complement the Syrah beautifully).

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: This wine hits all the right chords and gets the blood pumping. This wine strikes like lightning, so it only makes sense to play “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons!

Technical Details

Blend	Syrah
Winemaker	Caroline Frey
Country	France
Region	Rhone Valley
Appellation	Hermitage
Vineyard	La Chapelle
Farming Method	Certified Organic

About The Producer

A legendary cru... Over centuries this mythical cru has built its reputation on a single hill, and an epic history. In the beginning, the hill was home to a hermitage founded by Henri Gaspard de Sterimberg in 1224. This knight, returning from the Albigensian Crusade, and weary of bloodshed, asked permission to Blanche of Castille to take refuge from the world on the summit of this granite hill. Soon joined by others, the community began to plant vines... A charming tale, but one that overlooks the fact that the Hermitage owes only its name to the hermit: the vineyard has existed since ancient times with the famous wines of Vienne. The first vintage of this cuvee was 2001 and the Maison Bleue takes its name from our little stone house used as a shelter to winegrowers located at the heart of the Murets. It houses our grapes for drying straw wines when we produce them.

Reviews

98+

Jeb Dunnuck
#2 Jeb Dunnuck's Top 100 Wines of 2020! As I wrote last year from barrel, the 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle is a backward, primordial Hermitage built for the ages. Incredible crème de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, burning embers, and liquid violet-like aromas and flavors dominate the bouquet, and this beauty is full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful on the palate. With just hints of the smoky, meaty, beefy character that emerges from all aged examples of this cuvée, it has incredible tannins, perfect balance, and a monster of a finish. Don't think about touching bottles for at least 7-8 years, and it's going to keep for 50 years or more.

98+

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The beautifully proportioned 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle comes across as a complex, complete version of this renowned bottling, with no rough edges—just moderate spice, cassis, red berries and cedar on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, brimming with harmony and elegance on the palate, while the finish is long, echoing with cassis, charcoal and crushed stone. The tannins firm up a bit on the finish, so I suspect this will close down soon, then blossom sometime after 2025.

Vinous
Opaque ruby. Displays powerful, highly perfumed aromas of black/blue fruit preserves, licorice, cola, baking spices and potpourri, along with an exotic suggestion of incense. Utterly stains the palate with intense blackberry, cherry, cassis, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that deliver a suave blend of weight and energy. Youthfully solid tannins add shape and grip to an extremely long, mineral- and floral-accented finish that shows outstanding clarity and dark fruit thrust.

James Suckling
Seems a little shy at the moment, but you can tell that this has serious poise and pedigree with subtle clove, crushed-brick, iron, black-cherry and plum-skin character. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved with super refined tannins that are so fine-textured, yet intense. Give this three or four years to show its true self. From organically grown grapes. Better after 2023.