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.

A legendary Cru… Over centuries, it has build its reputation on a single hill, and an epic history. In the beginning, the hill was home to an Hermitage founded by Gaspard de Sterimberg in 1224. A knight of Blanche de Castille returning from the Albigensian Crusade, and weary of bloodshed, chose to take refuge from the world on the summit of this granite hill. Soon joined by others, the community built a chapel on top of the top of the hill, giving its name to the cru and the knight to the hill. They nurtured the vines which had been planted since the Roman times.

Soil – The Syrah vines are planted in poor and very diverse terroirs. The Bessards with very uneven granite soils, Le Meal with limestone and silica and the Rocoules with limestone and clay. It is the richness of these different exclusive terroirs which provide the La Chapelle with its signature complexity.

Grape Variety – 100% Syrah, goblet pruning on stakes

Age of vines – 40 to 95 years

Vinification – At a perfect maturity, the Syrah grapes are picked by hand, carried in small crates to the winery. They are hand sorted, destemmed and lightly crushed. The maceration on the skin lasts 3 to 4 weeks with daily pump-overs.

La Chapelle is ageing in oak in our cellars for 15 to 18 months. French Oak barrels are renewed 20% every year. The final blend is done after the end of the ageing and done through judicious selection from the terroirs of Hermitage in order to give ‘La Chapelle’ its own personality of power, ageing potential and legend.

The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from the firm’s vineyards on the western half of the Hermitage slope, primarily Le Méal, but with substantial contributions from Les Rocoules and Les Bessards. Classic notes of cassis, black olives, mocha and roasted meat are joined by hints of baking spices in a wine that’s full-bodied, deep, dense and rich, with a velvety texture and a lingering finish. It’s lower in alcohol than the 2018, less voluptuous and maybe just a step behind that monumental wine, but it’s still a serious collectible with three decades of evolution ahead of it.

James Suckling – 98 points

17 Jul, 2019 – The icon is in dangerously seductive form. Such pristine dark cherries, blackberries and dark plums, dark chocolate, finely crushed spices and plenty of crushed dark stones on offer. The palate is very intense, very slick and fine tannins deliver an almost playfully soft impression. The oak is super integrated. Like La Maison Bleue, this approachability is an aberration, as it has immense power, concentration and length with such regal and alluring swagger at the finish. But there is so much more to come. Try from 2024, better after 2030.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 98 points

The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from the firm’s vineyards on the western half of the Hermitage slope, primarily Le Méal, but with substantial contributions from Les Rocoules and Les Bessards. Classic notes of cassis, black olives, mocha and roasted meat are joined by hints of baking spices in a wine that’s full-bodied, deep, dense and rich, with a velvety texture and a lingering finish. It’s lower in alcohol than the 2018, less voluptuous and maybe just a step behind that monumental wine, but it’s still a serious collectible with three decades of evolution ahead of it.