1994 Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage, La Chapelle Rouge

Fully mature at 31 years old, still with plenty of heart, offering waves of raspberry puree, crushed rose petals, orange zest, saffron, turmeric, seaspray and undergrowth. Expect a wine that is fully in its drinking window, with softly spun tannins, no need to carafe except for sediment, just sit back and drink in that fragrance. Today owned by Caroline Frey, at this point by the Jaboulet family. Tasted the same week as a wider vertical of La Chapelle.

The Jaboulet family declassified their famed Hermitage La Chapelle and Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert in both the 1992 and 1993 vintages. I was hoping for more impressive wines in 1994. Although the 1994 Hermitage La Chapelle exhibits a deep ruby color, ripe fruit in the nose, and medium body, it is surprisingly uninspiring. There is good rather than great concentration, a tannic, hard finish, and none of the weight or texture that make this wine so extraordinary in great years such as 1990 and 1989. La Chapelle can be one of the world's greatest wines, but the 1994 will not be one of them. It has 10-15 years of aging potential. I tasted all of these wines twice - just to be sure. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel (212) 355-0700

Richard Mayson's cellar. Browning garnet. More evolved than the 1990. Chewy and a bit tight in its acid/tannin grip. Not much fruit left in the middle. Slightly bitter aftertaste.  (JH)