Broth, soy, blackberry, raspberry, cumin, freshly cut herbs, garrigue, cinnamon, incense, grilled campfire, ash. Maintains a clear tannic structure, subtle but persistent. This was a wonderful vintage across France, warm with a lot of sunshine but without extremes of temperature. The roots at La Chapelle go deep, giving a resistance to drought or excess heat, and this is a supremely successful wine that is in a sweet spot. The last year with Jaboulet family as owners, before the Freys bought in 2006.

The best bottle I've ever had, the 2005 Hermitage la Chapelle showed much more density and concentration than I recall. Peppery herbs, currants, dried blood and licorice flow beautifully to a medium to full-bodied wine that has lots of tannin, but solid mid-palate depth as well. It has a touch of the savory rusticity found in the 2006, but was still impressive on this occasion. It's worth noting that both the 2004 and 2005 were blended by Caroline Frey.

The most famous wine of the estate, the 2005 Hermitage La Chapelle, looks outstanding. Apparently the new owners eliminated nearly 50% of the production to come up with this cuvee, which looks set to have at least 30 years of longevity. It was aged in all small French barrels, of which about 15-20% are new, so the actual winemaking and elevage haven’t changed as of yet, although the famed Bordeaux winemaking guru, Professor Denis Dubourdieu, has been hired, and his expertise tends to be more with white rather than red wines, so we’ll see what his talents provide in future vintages. This wine is outstanding, dark ruby/purple-colored with notes of creme de cassis, tobacco leaf, and some melted licorice and gamey animal notes. It is medium to full-bodied, has high tannin, moderate acidity, and admirable purity and depth. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2027. I fully expect quality will dramatically soar at Jaboulet (just as it has at Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux) and that these transitional vintages, particularly the mediocre 2004s which were not made by the new owners, and the good but hardly inspiring 2005s, will be lost memories when the new ownership team has the next fine vintage in the northern Rhone. As I reported last year, everything is in transition at Paul Jaboulet-Aine. This old family firm, founded in the early 1800s, was sold to the Frey family, who are major investors in the Billecart-Salmon Champagne house and proprietors of the well-known Chateau La Lagune in the southern Medoc. The entire winemaking operation is undergoing massive changes as the Jaboulet wines have had a lackluster as well as irregular track record after the death of Gerard Jaboulet in 1997. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/02/2008 Based on barrel samples, I had high hopes for the 2005 Hermitage La Chapelle, but it lacks a mid-palate and possesses hard tannins. However, there are some interesting creme de cassis, licorice, and earthy notes. But the wine’s hardness and leanness may prove troublesome after another 5-6 years of bottle age. Readers have to recognize that everything is in a state of transition at Paul Jaboulet-Aine. The Jaboulets sold this old family firm, founded in the early eighteen hundreds, to the Frey family, major investors in the Billecart-Salmon Champagne house and proprietors of Chateau La Lagune in the Medoc. A new winemaking team, which includes the brilliant Bordeaux Professor Denis Dubourdieu for the white wines, has been installed. As these tasting notes demonstrates, they seem to be moving quickly to erase some of the lackluster wines produced from the mid-1990s through 2004. However, much still needs improvement. I suspect, given the Frey’s resources as well as their accomplishments at Chateau La Lagune, this historic firm is in good hands, and the listless quality of these releases will be forgotten very quickly. The red wine portfolio includes some disappointing cuvees, especially the 2005s, which seem to have narrowed out and become harder, leaner, and more austere. The first vintage for which the Frey family had some degree of control, 2006, is a mixed year, but generally the wines are good. ()

CS Sweet like black cherry pastry laced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruit like deep crimson velvet and texture to match. Softness disguises a terrific weight and density of fruit. Sweet peppery finish. (JH)

Magnum. Released from the estate in 2025. Deep garnet colour. Meaty and chocolatey on the nose. Hearty and structural; the tannins are still shag-pile thick, but the high acid helps to keep the wine drinkable. There's a little desiccation on the finish, but nothing out of keeping with a wine of this age. An honest, powerful Hermitage, showing the typical meatiness of maturity. (RH)

Ripe, almost jammy style of fruit. Firmly tannic, with tangy acidity, and rather overt oak scent. Rather awkwardly arranged. The components are all high quality, but aren't especially well knit. (RH)