A wonderful glass of wine, juicy, controlled, restrained, fragrant, enticing. The tannins are cashmere smooth, waves of crushed raspberries and wild strawberries fill the mouth, and this is easy to fall in love with. Fine tannins, blackberry and cranberry fruits, softly sweet while retaining grip and power. 21ha of vines. Caroline Frey owner and winemaker. Gregory Joannes-Hurst director.

Cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, cured meats, and hints of pepper define the bouquet of the 2022 Hermitage, a beautifully textured, seamless, incredibly elegant Hermitage from this team. Coming from the heart of the Le Méal lieu-dit with a tiny amount from Bessards, it's medium to full-bodied and has a supple, elegant, silky mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a brilliant Hermitage that deserves a decade of bottle age and will have 30 to 40 years of longevity. Drink 2032-2072. The big news at Paul Jaboulet Aîné is the separation of their flagship Hermitage La Chapelle and Le Chevalier de Stérimberg into their own label, Domaine de la Chapelle. All remaining wines continue under the Paul Jaboulet Aîné label. The transition began with the 2021 vintage and separates these two wines from the rest of the Jaboulet lineup moving forward. A dedicated winery for Domaine de la Chapelle, designed by architect Bjarke Ingels, is expected to be completed in time for the 2026 harvest. Following the purchase of the estate in 2006, Caroline Frey immediately initiated major changes in the vineyards, including converting to organic farming, dramatically reducing yields, and doubling the size of the vineyard team, all with the goal of improving quality. The domaine has practiced biodynamic farming since 2006 and achieved organic certification in 2016. Domaine de la Chapelle farms approximately 22 hectares on the Hermitage hill, with significant holdings in Le Méal and Les Bessards and additional parcels in lieux-dits such as Les Greffieux, Les Rocoules, and Les Dionnières. Vines range from 40 to 100 years old and are planted across a mix of granite and limestone-based soils. As to the winemaking, everything is destemmed with native fermentations in stainless steel. Elevage takes place in French oak barrels, about 15 percent new, and concrete eggs. The 2022 and 2023 Hermitage cuvées were sourced primarily from Le Méal, with a small portion from Les Bessards.

Black pepper, ripe black cherry, crushed violet, licorice and cedar wood tones present the outstanding 2022 Hermitage La Chapelle. While darker and more concentrated than the unfinished 2023 I tasted side by side, the 2022 clearly outperforms the 2021 tasted last year. Full-bodied, round and complex, the 2022 is a savory and serious La Chapelle built for the very long haul.

With an introverted, almost austere profile, the 2022 Hermitage La Chapelle offers up aromas of dark berries, spices, cornflower and licorice mingled with delicate notes of pencil lead and oak. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and structured, it has a beautiful fleshy core of fruit, velvety tannins and subtle dry extracts leading to a long, delicate and mineral finish. Crafted from a blend of various plots on Hermitage’s hill—Le Meal covering nine hectares, Les Roucoules two hectares and Les Bessards also two hectares—this La Chapelle is technically accomplished. However, it lacks the raciness and transparency that fully expresses its sumptuous terroir.

La Chapelle (and the white Chevalier de Sterimberg) are no longer labelled Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Varone, Les Bessards, Le Méal, Les Greffieux, Les Rocoules. All destemmed, and then optical sorted as well. Fermented in stainless steel, 20 months’ élevage in demi-muids, barriques and concrete/stainless steel (one-third of each). Cask/tank sample. Super-intense deep colour. Very graphite and earthy note on the nose, dark fruits, savoury, damp earth. The palate is sleek, rounded, plush and concentrated. The oak is well managed, a richness as well on the palate, smoke, meat, the tannins are super-soft and rounded already – this feels almost sleek, bordelais style – an earthy tar note, well-integrated acidity and alcohol. Accessible already with succulent and ripe tannins – super-soft on the palate, remarkably giving and gentle. A bloody, iron-infused finish. There is some oak coming through just on the finish, blood-sausage and iron notes. Lovely sanguine note on the finish. Evolving with air. (AC)