Vinous (93)

Opaque ruby. Smoke-accented black raspberry, cherry and violet qualities on the nose, along with a spicy nuance that builds in the glass. Shows very good depth as well as vivacity in the mouth, offering sweet dark berry, cherry and candied violet flavors that spread out steadily on the back half. Closes energetic and long, with repeating spice and floral qualities and gentle tannic grip. This high-altitude, windy and cool site has been performing impressively in the recent hot vintages.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2017 Cote Rotie Domaine des Pierrelles is full-bodied but exceedingly elegant, with silky, fine-grained tannins. Charming notes of violets, raspberries and black olives lead the way, backed by hints of dried spices and mocha, finishing long. It's a complex and compelling example of Cote Rotie, and it's great to see all of the Jaboulet team's hard work in the vineyards paying off.

Vinous (94)

Deep, shimmering violet. Expansive, mineral- and spice-accented black and blue fruit aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a suave floral note with air. Shows impressive depth as well as energy to the sweet black raspberry, boysenberry and candied violet flavors, which turn spicier on the back half. The floral and mineral notes drive a very long, juicy finish framed by smooth, even tannins.

Matthew Jukes (18+)

Following on from the terrific 2018 vintage, this is another exuberant wine with an inky dark hue and masses of swirling, black fruit notes. This is certainly the most exotically perfumed Thalabert I can remember and this reflects the unique fruit concentration and ripeness found in this vintage. Once you taste this wine you see that it is not all about the luxuriously appointed nose because the palate is packed with spice and tension and the finish is positively electric. In terms of accessibility and also potential, this wine is a conundrum – how can something so young and attractive also seem so compact and age-worthy? This is the key to all of Jaboulet’s 2019s. The exquisite balance between ravishing fruit and refreshing, robust tannins is mesmerising. This is a stupendous Thalabert and I think it is a notch up on the brilliant 2018.

Matthew Jukes (18+)

Yet another beautiful 2020, Thalabert is deep, dark and brooding in this vintage, and it has an almost Italianate liquorice and black-fruited theme underpinning its Syrah characters. This makes it an indulgent treat, and the palate is more velvety and forward than any young Thalabert I have tasted. In addition, it has the stuffing to age well, too. What more could you ask for?

Vintage Tastings (94)

Was a huge hit, with lots of oohs and aahs and good reason: this is what mature La Chapelle is all about. Rudy was admiring its .high-toned raspberry fruit,. which there was along with mint, game, earth, fig and cherry. Rudy observed that it did not have the density of the 1990 or 1978, which it did not, but there was still great structure, and the wine was not plateauing just yet. There was also still expression of tannin in its leathery, dry finish. It was a beautiful wine and very open.

Vinous - Josh Raynolds (92-94)

Deep, saturated ruby. Pungent, spicy aromas of cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco and green Chartreuse. Very rich, dense and chewy, offering a powerful dark fruit and wild game character complicated by tobacco and licorice root. As sweet and lush as this is, it's solidly framed by powerful tannins. This has serious extract and impressive muscle, finishing on a note of hot asphalt.

Vinous - Josh Raynolds (92-95)

Dark ruby, almost opaque. Assertively fragrant nose combines pungent violet- and lavender-accented cassis, blueberry, cherry pit and graphite. Spicy dark fruit and mineral flavors shows an impressive sweetness that carries into the solidly tannic and very long finish. This boasts great depth and chewy texture, but the dominating impression today is of rich, powerful fruit.

James Suckling (97-98)

Very spicy and peppery with blue-granite aromas plus hints of grilled and smoked meat. Cloves and nutmeg. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a super spicy finish that almost burns with so much character yet turns fine and focused at the end. A beauty.

Matthew Jukes (20++)

Like La Maison Bleue, La Chapelle barely moved an inch over the five days that it sat open (and gradually oxidising) on my tasting bench. This is a monumental wine with the finest Syrah nose I have seen since the ethereal and intriguing beauty of the remarkable 2016 vintage and also the monolithic stance of the legendary 1990. However, this is not to say that this vintage can be directly compared to either year. There is a latent power about this wine that is as elusive as it is impressive. This solaire vintage has certainly given La Chapelle a sense of foreboding power and yet there is so much grace here, too. You could be sniffing a handful of granite and gravel, a bouquet of freshly picked herbs, a mortar of freshly ground pepper or a punnet of juicy black fruit and yet there is so much more to discover here. What I find so remarkable about this wine is that it does not show any trace of over-ripeness nor does it have any unwanted oiliness or excessive alcohol. In spite of its richness and depth, this is a pristinely refreshing wine with crunch and crackle of filigree tannin which enlivens every sip. In this regard, it is a far less obvious superstar than the preening 1990 and it is a more erudite and statuesque model than the esoteric 2016. In short, this is one of only a handful of vintages of La Chapelle to which I have awarded a perfect score and who is to say that this will not happen again before too long? The care and attention in this entire portfolio of wines are evident and the hard work and holistic approach are not only paying off in the vineyards but also in the glass, too, and this makes 2019 another phenomenally successful vintage for Jaboulet.