Jaboulet Hermitage La Maison Bleue 2017

The history of Crozes-Hermitage is inextricably linked with Thalabert and Jaboulet. The earliest records of winemaking in this region can be traced to the early 14th century, a time when barrels of wine from the village of Mercurol were shipped across the channel to London. The trail goes dark until the early 18th century, when wines from the northern village of Larnages were regularly exported to England by way of Bordeaux. Back then they were sold as "Vin de Mure", named after Larnages' wealthiest family. It wasn't until the early 19th century, just after Antoine Jaboulet purchased Thalabert, that wines from Crozes-Hermitage grew in reputation and price to levels that put them near the top of the pecking order in the Rhone valley. Jaboulet documents show that casks of 1889 Crozes Rouge from Thalabert were sold for 500 francs per 220-litre barrel. For comparison, Cornas and Saint Joseph were sold for 400 francs per barrel and Chateauneuf du Pape a measly 350 francs. The only barrels of wine that fetched a higher price were from Hermitage and Cote Rotie. The message was clear: Thalabert is the gold standard for price and quality for all of Crozes-Hermitage. It is a distinction that holds to this day.