Deep, saturated ruby. Mute nose hints at cassis, violet and woodsmoke. Huge and primary in the mouth; the palate is inundated by a wave of almost confectionery fruit. But there also firm acidity and powerful underlying structure. Very fresh and unevolved for the vintage but harmonious from the start. Utterly seamless. Finishes with lush, melting tannins. An extraordinary showing for this wine, and as impressive as any '97 Hermitage I tasted in early December.

The 1997 Hermitage La Chapelle has begun to completely close down, which is surprising in view of how sweet, seductive, and precocious this vintage can be. However, the color seems to get deeper with exposure to air (the wine was far more drinkable after 24 hours of aeration than it was upon opening). The moderately intense bouquet exhibits plenty of ripe blackberry and cherry fruit, in addition to spicy, mineral characteristics. There is considerable weight and volume, but the wine is tight, and nearly impenetrable, leaving an impression of a large, deep, four-square monolith in need of 7-10 years of cellaring - at the minimum. This is an outstanding Hermitage La Chapelle that will have at least three decades of positive evolution. For readers intent on committing infanticide, open and decant it 12-24 hours in advance. The improvement is dramatic. Perhaps it is Jacques Jaboulet's preference to bottle with very high levels of CO2 (1200 ppm) that makes this wine so difficult to taste in its youth. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025

Tasted several times, last in Glasgow at the SuperBOWL in Oct-04. Very bretty, farmyard nose with notes of caramel, dark chocolate and a little sweet raspberry. Quite forward on the palate with moderate tannins. The palate is more diffuse and lacks grip on the finish. A good wine, but not a great one, and I would drink this over the next five years. Tasted October 2004.

Ageing very fast to judge from how rapidly an open bottle is oxidising and by the brown colour. Furry tannins. A certain brown sugar sort of sweetness. Easy peasy but hardly majestic. Positively light and soft. There are tannins there which should support it for a while. Quite pretty balance. (JR)