A gorgeous intensity of plum, spice and grilled meat on the nose. Cloves and hints of dried spices. This is a big, structured La Chappelle. Full and powerful with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. A bit austere and muscular but gorgeous. Tar, spice, dried meat and asphalt. Needs to be aged for at least another five or six years. This is another 1991 in the making.
95 POINTS
Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2011 Hermitage La Chapelle represents about one-third of the production. It could turn out to be a modern day replay of the 1991. Aged in small oak (around one-third to one-half new), this wine comes from the estate’s extensive holdings in Le Meal as well as smaller holdings in Les Bessards and Les Rocoules. It boasts a dense purple color along with a big, sweet nose of graphite, licorice, forest floor, pepper, blackberries and hints of smoked duck and charcuterie. Pure and full-bodied with supple tannins and a more evolved, precocious style than the blockbuster 2010, the 2011 should drink well in 4-5 years and last for 20-25.
Readers should not forget the southern Rhone offerings from Paul Jaboulet-Aine that I reviewed in Issue #203 (October, 2012), especially such terrific values as the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Plan de Dieu Domaine Pere et Fille and the resurrected Chateauneuf du Papes, the 2010 Domaine de Terre Ferme. The Northern Rhone wines reviewed herein reflect the emphasis on building domaine names while not forsaking the negociant wines. The wines reviewed in this report are only the domaine wines where the Paul Jaboulet firm owns the vineyards and harvests the grapes. In Cornas, the Jaboulets own the highly regarded Domaine de St.-Pierre. A second wine, the Hermitage La Petite Chapelle, is now made in order to increase the quality of Jaboulet’s flagship offering, the Hermitage La Chapelle. As for the Hermitage La Chapelle, recent vintages (starting with 2009) have been the greatest wines made at this estate since one of the all-time classics, the 1990. There was no 2011 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Roure declared. The white wines from Paul Jaboulet-Aine have also jumped in quality. Keep in mind that the proprietors, the Frey family, not only own Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux, but are also major stockholders in the impressive Champagne firm of Billecart-Salmon. The 2010 whites all performed well. They are slightly less evolved and precocious than the 2011s, and possess a slightly greater degree of the crushed rock minerality than one finds in the more fruit-driven 2011s.
95 POINTS
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2011 Hermitage la Chapelle continues to shine (I wrote "love it" in the notes) and shows the sunnier, perfumed style of the vintage. Black raspberry, crushed rocks, olive and licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, open, sweetly fruited Hermitage. It has plenty of sweet tannin and will last for 20+ years.
95 POINTS
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
More dense, concentrated and structured, the knockout 2011 Hermitage La Chapelle, which comes mostly from the warmer, Le Meal lieu-dit, is up with the top 7-8 wines in the vintage. Offering up layers of black raspberry, powdered rock, chocolate, roasted meats and graphite, it flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness, solid mid-palate depth and masses of fine tannin that are sweet and polished. Reasonably approachable given the wealth of fruit and texture, it should nevertheless be given a handful of years in the cellar. It should have 20+ years of total longevity.
Since 2006, owner Caroline Frey has been steadily pushing for increased quality at this historic estate. Moving all of the vineyards to sustainable farming (which takes years to see benefits), both the vineyard and cellar staff have been doubled. In addition, a new gravity operated cellar was set up in 2010. All of this shows, and across the board, the wines have impeccably made, clean and pure profiles. Looking at the individual Northern Rhône appellations, this estate produces four Hermitage (La Chapelle, La Chapelle Blanc, Le Petite Chapelle and Les Chevalier de Stérimberg), four Crozes Hermitage (Domaine de Thalabert, Domaine Mule Blanche, Domaine de Roure and Domaine de Roure Blanc), one Côte Rôtie (Domaine des Pierrelles), one Cornas (Domaine de Saint Pierre), one Saint Joseph (Domaine de la Croix des Vignes) and one Condrieu (Domaine des Grands Amandiers). Looking at 2011, Caroline stated that it was easy to get ripeness, and harvest was early to avoid heat stress on the grapes. Of the three most recent vintages (2011, 2012 and 2013), 2011 had the highest yields, with both 2012 and 2013 seeing a significant drop. I was able to taste a number of these wines twice, once in a larger lineup covering the individual appellations, and again at a tasting at the domaine, with Caroline and oenologist Jacques Desvernois.
95 POINTS
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Made in the same fresh, focused and elegant style, the 2011 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc is 100% Marsanne that comes from the clay and limestone soils of the Les Rocoules lieu-dit. With only 150 cases produced, there’s not much to go around, yet it is a thrilling Hermitage Blanc that offers awesome aromas of white peach, lychee, buttered citrus and a liquid mineral-like quality that comes through with time in the glass. Full-bodied, expansive and textured, yet also incredibly focused, pure and elegant, it needs a handful of years to flesh out, and will have 20-25 years (or more) of total longevity.
Since 2006, owner Caroline Frey has been steadily pushing for increased quality at this historic estate. Moving all of the vineyards to sustainable farming (which takes years to see benefits), both the vineyard and cellar staff have been doubled. In addition, a new gravity operated cellar was set up in 2010. All of this shows, and across the board, the wines have impeccably made, clean and pure profiles. Looking at the individual Northern Rhône appellations, this estate produces four Hermitage (La Chapelle, La Chapelle Blanc, Le Petite Chapelle and Les Chevalier de Stérimberg), four Crozes Hermitage (Domaine de Thalabert, Domaine Mule Blanche, Domaine de Roure and Domaine de Roure Blanc), one Côte Rôtie (Domaine des Pierrelles), one Cornas (Domaine de Saint Pierre), one Saint Joseph (Domaine de la Croix des Vignes) and one Condrieu (Domaine des Grands Amandiers). Looking at 2011, Caroline stated that it was easy to get ripeness, and harvest was early to avoid heat stress on the grapes. Of the three most recent vintages (2011, 2012 and 2013), 2011 had the highest yields, with both 2012 and 2013 seeing a significant drop. I was able to taste a number of these wines twice, once in a larger lineup covering the individual appellations, and again at a tasting at the domaine, with Caroline and oenologist Jacques Desvernois.
91 POINTS
Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2011 Hermitage La Petite Chapelle possesses attractive, ripe cassis fruit, medium body, good elegance and a style not dissimilar to the 1991 Northern Rhones. This finesse-styled, supple, endearing Hermitage can be drunk over the next 10-12 years.
Readers should not forget the southern Rhone offerings from Paul Jaboulet-Aine that I reviewed in Issue #203 (October, 2012), especially such terrific values as the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Plan de Dieu Domaine Pere et Fille and the resurrected Chateauneuf du Papes, the 2010 Domaine de Terre Ferme. The Northern Rhone wines reviewed herein reflect the emphasis on building domaine names while not forsaking the negociant wines. The wines reviewed in this report are only the domaine wines where the Paul Jaboulet firm owns the vineyards and harvests the grapes. In Cornas, the Jaboulets own the highly regarded Domaine de St.-Pierre. A second wine, the Hermitage La Petite Chapelle, is now made in order to increase the quality of Jaboulet’s flagship offering, the Hermitage La Chapelle. As for the Hermitage La Chapelle, recent vintages (starting with 2009) have been the greatest wines made at this estate since one of the all-time classics, the 1990. There was no 2011 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Roure declared. The white wines from Paul Jaboulet-Aine have also jumped in quality. Keep in mind that the proprietors, the Frey family, not only own Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux, but are also major stockholders in the impressive Champagne firm of Billecart-Salmon. The 2010 whites all performed well. They are slightly less evolved and precocious than the 2011s, and possess a slightly greater degree of the crushed rock minerality than one finds in the more fruit-driven 2011s.
Josh Raynolds - Vinous
Opaque purple. Ripe blackberry and cherry compote on the nose. Lush, creamy and sweet, offering deep dark berry preserve flavors and a gentle note of cola. Becomes spicier with air and picks up a sexy floral nuance. Showing very good energy right now, with strong finishing punch and a lingering floral note.
Josh Raynolds - Vinous
Glass-staining purple. A room-filling bouquet evokes black and blue fruits, Asian spices, minerals and potpourri. Silky, palate-staining black raspberry and boysenberry flavors show unlikely vivacity and pick up spiciness and smokiness with air. Shows excellent focus and power on the finish, which features mounting tannins and lingering allspice and floral pastille notes.
