Tasting Report: Vertical Tasting – Hermitage La Chapelle

Paul Jaboulet Aîne Hermitage La Chapelle is one of the most iconic syrahs in the world, despite a period from 1992 to 2007 when mediocre wines were made. Moreover, the recent vintages harken back to the glory days of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s producing extremely elegant and soulful wines with fabulous intensity and balance.

I have always been a huge fan of La Chapelle. I fondly remember spending time in the 1980s with the late Gerard Jaboulet tasting the wines and walking the various vineyards that make up the beautiful blended syrah from the areas of Méal and Bessards in Hermitage. I have tasted or drunk most of the great vintages of this beautiful wine back to the late 1800s and the best, such as 1961 or 1978, exhibit incredible density and depth yet balance and finesse. There's an underlying elegance and class to the wines that are hard to find in most other syrahs regardless if they are from the Rhone or Barossa Valley.

This summer I sat down with the owner and winemaker of Paul Jaboulet Aîne, Caroline Frey, and tasted a range of La Chapelles back to 1983 as well as new vintages of the white and second wine. Frey has taken La Chapelle back to its former glory since her family bought the winery in 2006. Her soft touch in viticulture - most of the vineyards are organically or biodynamically cultivated - as well as her delicate winemaking with the limited use of new oak yields wines with clarity and style. 

"In the end, you have to find in the bottle what must be one of the greatest terroirs in the world," she says, with a warm smile. "You have to find those amazing slopes that we work in."

Indeed, it's that combination of ripe fruit, spice and mineral character that is unique to Hermitage La Chapelle. It's a character that is almost impossible to find in other wines, not only from the appellation but anywhere else in the world. I found the 1989 was clearly the standout of the tasting and a perfect wine. I remember tasting and buying the wine in the early 1990s and it's magnificent. Some people believe the 1990 is better, and it's great, but the 1989 has more finesse and depth and complexity. The 1983 is probably the big eye opener in the 1980s and I have had it three or four times this year. It's superb. The 1991 is also one to look out for.

The current vintages are also terrific quality. I know that 2010 is heralded as the new great vintage of La Chapelle but I believe more in the 2009 due to its ultra-fine line of tannins and form. The 2011 is also a revelation. And don't miss the Hermitage blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg. This is a new style that is fresher and more precise than past vintages that seemed slightly oxidized and dull.