Wine Advisor
Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc 2010
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2010 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc is 100% Marsanne from the vineyard known as Maison Blanche situated at the top of the Hermitage appellation, above the famed lieu-dit for white Hermitage, Les Rocoules. This cuvee is very limited in availability so I’ll keep my notes brief. Aromas of white currants, pepper, quince and apricot marmalade are present in this full-bodied, gorgeously rich, pure, stunning white. Completely locked down at present, it should be forgotten for 8-10 years and drunk over the following two decades. It will unquestionably be a very long-lived white wine. Readers should not forget the southern Rhone offerings from Paul Jaboulet-Aine that I reviewed in Issue #203 (October, 2012), especially such terrific values as the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Plan de Dieu Domaine Pere et Fille and the resurrected Chateauneuf du Papes, the 2010 Domaine de Terre Ferme. The Northern Rhone wines reviewed herein reflect the emphasis on building domaine names while not forsaking the negociant wines. The wines reviewed in this report are only the domaine wines where the Paul Jaboulet firm owns the vineyards and harvests the grapes. In Cornas, the Jaboulets own the highly regarded Domaine de St.-Pierre. A second wine, the Hermitage La Petite Chapelle, is now made in order to increase the quality of Jaboulet’s flagship offering, the Hermitage La Chapelle. As for the Hermitage La Chapelle, recent vintages (starting with 2009) have been the greatest wines made at this estate since one of the all-time classics, the 1990. There was no 2011 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Roure declared. The white wines from Paul Jaboulet-Aine have also jumped in quality. Keep in mind that the proprietors, the Frey family, not only own Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux, but are also major stockholders in the impressive Champagne firm of Billecart-Salmon. The 2010 whites all performed well. They are slightly less evolved and precocious than the 2011s, and possess a slightly greater degree of the crushed rock minerality than one finds in the more fruit-driven 2011s. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2010 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc exhibits sumptuous aromas of acacia flowers, anise, white currants, quince and ripe apricots along with a liqueur of minerals-like character. Medium to full-bodied with zesty acidity and a long, pure finish, it should drink well for 20-25 years – at the minimum. One needs no further evidence of the extraordinary turn around in the quality of the Jaboulet wines than what proprietress Caroline Frey has accomplished in 2009 as well as 2010. As I indicated last year, this is one of the great qualitative turn arounds in the wine world. It is welcomed by all wine lovers given the historic legacy of the wines of Jaboulet and the importance of this famous firm in all of France. Ms. Frey, who is also responsible for the brilliant wines produced at La Lagune in Bordeaux, has reduced the amount of new oak for the red wines to about 20% and to negligible proportions for the whites. A second wine of Hermitage, La Petite Chapelle, is fashioned from 33% or more of the production that is culled out to guarantee that the great reputation of the Hermitage La Chapelle has enjoyed over the last century is maintained. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(100% marsanne): Bright gold. Orange oil and pear on the pungent, mineral-dominated nose. Rich, dense and focused, with a complex array of palate-staining orchard and pit fruit flavors. Broad and smooth but light on its feet thanks to a spine of zesty minerality. Very smooth and gently sweet on the endless finish, which leaves notes of honey and bitter pear skin behind.
About the Producer
Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine is the most famous and most representative winery in the Rhone Valley region of France. Hectares of vineyards and a super winery with an annual output of nearly 4 million bottles. Gabler Winery originated from the Hermitage Mountains. In 1834, Mr. Anthony began to plant grapes in this area, and he has linked his life to this land since then. With his passion and perseverance in winemaking, the quality of the wines produced by the winery has continued to rise to his sons Paul and Henri. And Paul added his own name "Paul" to the name of the winery, and the name Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine has been used to this day. The Gabor family continued to operate the winery and maintained a high standard until 2006 when the Frey family acquired part of the management rights of the winery. The Frey family have long been winemakers in the Champagne region and are the owners of Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux. The Hermitage vineyards are located on terraced fields between 130 and 250 meters above sea level, with soils of sand, gravel and gravel blocks in the lower part and brown soil and rocky soil in the upper part. The area is only 26 hectares, in addition to the 5 hectares of white grape varieties, the red grapes are only 21 hectares, scattered around the chapel at the top of the Hermitage hills. 6,000 Syrah vines are planted per hectare, with an average age of 45 years, producing 3,000 liters of wine per hectare. Not only grapes are planted on the Hermitage hills, but also fruits such as cherries and pears are planted in the same proportion. Fruits planted around the vineyards often bring the same fruit aroma to the grapes. In 1919, Hermitage La Chapelle bought the Hermitage La Chapelle, and its top red wine, Hermitage La Chapelle, has been included in the list of the most outstanding red wines in the world. Made from 100% Syrah and aged in oak barrels for 18 months, this wine is known as an exemplary wine of the extraordinary quality and amazing potential of Rhone Valley Syrah. Only 2,500 bottles of Gabora Church Garden red wine are produced each year, and it is said that the quota for the Asian market is only 400 bottles. Production of this wine was discontinued in 1961, and it was produced again after 2006. With a strict winemaking tradition and respect for nature, Gabora Winery produces no more than 4,000 liters per hectare, and each gardener takes care of the vineyard with no more than 2.5 hectares, which is three times less than the average vineyard. In addition, the bottle's unique long neck, dark color and calm design allow the wine to last longer. The wines of Château Gaboraux have now been exported to more than 70 countries. The high-quality grapes and exquisite brewing techniques have created elegant but affordable wines, which perfectly present the rich, powerful and rich and varied characteristics of the wines of the Rhone Valley. Gabora Winery hollowed out a 20-meter-high hill into a 10-meter-high cavity as a natural wine cellar, which is unique. Not only is there natural low temperature here, but the stalactites in the cave are intertwined, making it dizzying.
