Paul Jaboulet Aîné
About Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Undoubtedly one of the greatest names in the Rhône Valley, Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 by Antoine Jaboulet and is perhaps best known for its flagship La Chapelle, of which the 1961 vintage still holds the title as one of the greatest wines ever made. A series of mishaps in the 1990s threw the estate in disarray and it took the financial might of the Frey family to set the estate on a path to recovery.
Since 2006, the Frey family have accomplished an impressive feat at Paul Jaboulet Aine by taking this historic estate to its rightful place as the first growth of the Rhone. With their experience at Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux, the Frey family saw the potential in Jaboulet’s vineyards, including the important and iconic vineyard, Hermitage La Chapelle.
Caroline Frey has since taken over as owner and winemaker of Paul Jaboulet Aîné and within 10 years, enabled Paul Jaboulet Aîné to attain organic certification.
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Inc. TAX€1,070.09
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Wine Advocate (100)
Of the three benchmark la Chapelles ('90, '78 and '61), the 1961 Hermitage la Chapelle is the largest, most massive and over-the-top of the trio. Offering a stunning - literally off the charts - bouquet of truffles, soy sauce, smoked meats, coffee bean and wood smoke, it is the absolute essence of this cuvee and of the magical, south-facing Hermitage Hill from where it comes. Thick, unctuous and massive on the palate, I can only imagine what this beast of a wine must have tasted like in its youth. I also wish every winemaker/person who comments about a wine being too big, too rich, or too over-the-top could have a glass of this elixir. It's certainly fully mature, yet it still amazingly has sweet tannin and no shortage of fruit or texture. Given its mid-palate density, it will most likely be a 100-year wine. Still, why wait?Inc. TAX€12,904.62 -
James Suckling (97)
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.Inc. TAX€834.53 -
Vinous (94)
Dark purple. An explosively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cola, incense and smoky minerals, and a suave floral topnote builds in the glass. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated black and blue fruit, violet pastille and spicecake flavors; juicy acidity provides back-end cut and lift. Espresso, licorice and dark fruit liqueur notes cling on an impressively long, expansive finish framed by supple, building tannins.Inc. TAX€1,234.38 -
Vinous (95)
(made entirely from fruit grown in the Mayson Blanche lieu-dit and aged in used demi-muids for nine months) Light green-hued yellow. Highly perfumed, incisive aromas of white peach, tangerine and honey pick up suggestions of iodine and chamomile as the wine opens up. Shows superb clarity and thrust on the palate, offering sappy citrus and pit fruit flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air while maintaining energy. Finishes with excellent focus, mineral lift and persistence, leaving behind hints of candied lemon, pear nectar and oyster shell. The combination of depth and finesse here is pretty stunning, and I'll bet that this wine will enjoy a very long, smooth aging arc.Inc. TAX€636.25 -
Vinous (95)
(made entirely from fruit grown in the Mayson Blanche lieu-dit and aged in used demi-muids for nine months) Light green-hued yellow. Highly perfumed, incisive aromas of white peach, tangerine and honey pick up suggestions of iodine and chamomile as the wine opens up. Shows superb clarity and thrust on the palate, offering sappy citrus and pit fruit flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air while maintaining energy. Finishes with excellent focus, mineral lift and persistence, leaving behind hints of candied lemon, pear nectar and oyster shell. The combination of depth and finesse here is pretty stunning, and I'll bet that this wine will enjoy a very long, smooth aging arc.Inc. TAX€1,144.38
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In Bond€888.00
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Wine Advocate (100)
Of the three benchmark la Chapelles ('90, '78 and '61), the 1961 Hermitage la Chapelle is the largest, most massive and over-the-top of the trio. Offering a stunning - literally off the charts - bouquet of truffles, soy sauce, smoked meats, coffee bean and wood smoke, it is the absolute essence of this cuvee and of the magical, south-facing Hermitage Hill from where it comes. Thick, unctuous and massive on the palate, I can only imagine what this beast of a wine must have tasted like in its youth. I also wish every winemaker/person who comments about a wine being too big, too rich, or too over-the-top could have a glass of this elixir. It's certainly fully mature, yet it still amazingly has sweet tannin and no shortage of fruit or texture. Given its mid-palate density, it will most likely be a 100-year wine. Still, why wait?In Bond€10,750.00 -
James Suckling (97)
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.In Bond€683.00 -
Vinous (94)
Dark purple. An explosively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cola, incense and smoky minerals, and a suave floral topnote builds in the glass. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated black and blue fruit, violet pastille and spicecake flavors; juicy acidity provides back-end cut and lift. Espresso, licorice and dark fruit liqueur notes cling on an impressively long, expansive finish framed by supple, building tannins.In Bond€1,010.00 -
Vinous (95)
(made entirely from fruit grown in the Mayson Blanche lieu-dit and aged in used demi-muids for nine months) Light green-hued yellow. Highly perfumed, incisive aromas of white peach, tangerine and honey pick up suggestions of iodine and chamomile as the wine opens up. Shows superb clarity and thrust on the palate, offering sappy citrus and pit fruit flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air while maintaining energy. Finishes with excellent focus, mineral lift and persistence, leaving behind hints of candied lemon, pear nectar and oyster shell. The combination of depth and finesse here is pretty stunning, and I'll bet that this wine will enjoy a very long, smooth aging arc.In Bond€524.00 -
Vinous (95)
(made entirely from fruit grown in the Mayson Blanche lieu-dit and aged in used demi-muids for nine months) Light green-hued yellow. Highly perfumed, incisive aromas of white peach, tangerine and honey pick up suggestions of iodine and chamomile as the wine opens up. Shows superb clarity and thrust on the palate, offering sappy citrus and pit fruit flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air while maintaining energy. Finishes with excellent focus, mineral lift and persistence, leaving behind hints of candied lemon, pear nectar and oyster shell. The combination of depth and finesse here is pretty stunning, and I'll bet that this wine will enjoy a very long, smooth aging arc.In Bond€935.00