The Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné was created in 1834 through the magical conjunction of a fertile land on a hillside by the Rhone and a family with a passion for winemaking.

Famed through the Hermitage La Chapelle, over the years the Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné took ownership of the finest appellations of the northern Rhone Valley, applying organic and biodynamic principles since taken over by the Frey family, ensuring a legacy in both vineyards and incredible wines.

The Crozes Hermitage vineyard is the largest of all the Northern Rhône Valley Appellations. It extends over 11 communes situated in the Drôme, on the left bank of the Rhône.

Soil – This estate of around 7ha is located on pebbly terraces that are glacial in origin. These small, round pebbles store heat during the day and release it at night, providing optimum and regular maturity.

Blend – 50% Marsanne, 50% Roussanne.

Age of the Vines – 40 to 60 years

Vinification – The hand-picked grapes are directly put into small crates, the whole bunch grapes are pressed slightly, the must settles for 2 days before being racked, then the fermentation starts

Ageing – The traditional ageing process in 80% French oak barrels and 20% concrete egg shaped tanks) for 8 months, brings freshness with a palette of complex aromas (candied lemons, marmalade)

Beautiful pale gold color, the nose is delicate with floral notes (acacia) and aromas of pear and white peach. This wine is round and warm on the palate, with a fruity and mineral finish as well as an elegant and fresh balance.

Matching Food and Wine – Calf sweetbread terrine with chantilly aux herbes, Autumn salad with hazelnut oil. Blanquette of monkfish with grapes.

Serving Temperature – 12° to 14°C. Best Enjoyed Within 2 to 6 years.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 92 points

Already bottled, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche (Domaine) harkens back toward the quality of the superb 2017, with gentle nutty complexities interwoven with crushed stone, spice, melon and pear. Medium to full-bodied, this 50-50 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne from Les Chassis displays beautiful harmony and roundness while remaining long and crisp on the finish.

When I spoke with her via Zoom in mid-December, Caroline Frey was candid in discussing her COVID-19 experience. “I was thinking, ‘I’m young. I do a lot of sports,’” she said, assuming that even if she caught it, she wouldn’t be hugely affected. But when she contracted the virus, she lost her sense of smell, and she said it was just starting to come back as we tasted through the 2018s and 2019s from Paul Jaboulet Aîné. According to Frey, in 2018, the vineyards received plenty of rain from March through June, followed by dry, windy conditions, which kept the vines healthy. Harvest began on August 27th and extended through September 25th. “There’s something powerful and pure in 2018,” she said. “It’s a mix of ’15 (power) and ’16 (purity).” Referencing the 2018 Domaine de Thalabert, Frey said, “We have the power and density but not like ’03. The wine is still bringing freshness and balance.” The 2019 season was characterized by a cool spring and a slow start to the growing season, but that was followed by intense heat, including 10 days of temperatures that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). A major hailstorm struck Crozes-Hermitage in mid-June, leading to extensive crop losses (up to 60%, according to Frey), followed by another, smaller hail event in July that affected parts of Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Despite those storms, parts of the vineyards still experienced hydric stress, so picking didn’t begin until September 11 and concluded on September 27. “We had smaller berries and thicker skins than in 2018,” she said. “We did a very soft extraction—more like an infusion. When we have these levels of richness, we imagine the finish may be unbalanced, but that’s not the case. We have length and freshness.” Both of these vintages are hugely successful at Jaboulet, no doubt because of the team’s ability to deal with the hot, dry conditions. As Frey said, “The biggest challenge is to have the ripeness from the vines and not just the sun.” All of the wines—including the substantial volumes of the Côtes du Rhône Parallele 45—have now been certified organic (produced from organically grown grapes as defined by U.S. terms, as sulfur is added), with the estate wines being grown biodynamically since 2015. Because they are made in the same facility as some non-biodynamically grown wines, they’re not certified for the time being.