The first vintage where the new team was firmly in place, the 2006 Hermitage la Chapelle offers that classic, smoky, meaty La Chapelle bouquet to go with loads of fruits, medium to full-bodied richness, impressive mid-palate density and sweet tannin. This was easily the best showing I’ve had from this bottle, which often shows a much more rustic, evolved character.

Tasted at Liberty’s Annual Jaboulet tasting. This is missing some fruit concentration on the nose: blackberry leaf, a touch of black olive, smoked meat. Good definition. The palate is ripe on the entry but then goes into auto-cruise, lacking the momentum, the unbridled exuberance of a great La Chapelle. Very conservative and reticent on the finish. Tasted November 2009.

Jaboulet-Aine’s flagship wine is their Hermitage La Chapelle (their most recent great La Chapelle is the still young and evolving 1990). The 2006 Hermitage La Chapelle is a good wine, although it is disappointing for this extraordinary icon. It offers a deep ruby/purple hue along with aromas of berry fruit interwoven with crushed rocks and cassis. While elegant and attractive, it is undernourished and lacking the gravitas and density one expects from this great name. I have previously documented the decline in quality at this estate following the tragic death of Gerard Jaboulet. That ended in the unexpected sale of Paul Jaboulet-Aine to the Frey family that has done such brilliant work at Bordeaux’s Chateau La Lagune, and are major shareholders in the superb Champagne house of Billecart-Salmon. No doubt they will resurrect the reputation and the quality of the Jaboulet wines, as this was the leading estate in the northern Rhone during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. The Freys have already made some dramatic changes, moving toward eliminating the negociant line of wines, and concentrating exclusively on estate bottled offerings. They own over 120 acres in the northern Rhone as well as 14+ acres in the southern Rhone. The following offerings reflect the recent changes and a work in progress, with the 2006s still under-performing (the Frey family was not in a position to do much in that vintage). The 2007s are clearly better, and I believe that in a few years, when the northern Rhone has its next great vintage, consumers will see a dramatic increase in quality as the new owners have already brought in the world-famous oenologist, Professor Denis Dubourdieu as a consultant. Any readers who have some of the old vintages of Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert in their cellars should be checking them out. The 1978 and 1990 are still brilliant wines, but neither the 2006 or the 2007 will invoke memories of those wines. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

A little animal on the nose. Then sweet and salty Syrah with medium intensity. I wonder why such a mature vintage is available? But it’s fully developed and is not such poor value compared with some of these wines. (JR)