-
98
/ 100
James Suckling -
98
/ 100
Vinous -
96
/ 100
The Wine Advocate -
96
/ 100
Jeff Leve
Red
Classification
Syrah
Variety
2016
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Rhone Valley, Hermitage
Region
13.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
98 / 100"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. - 97 to 98 Points - Tasted 2018"
- James Suckling
98 / 100
"(raised in 20% new oak) Dark purple. A highly expressive, mineral-accented bouquet evokes fresh blackberry and blueberry, candied flowers, incense and exotic spices. Sweet, palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur and violet pastille flavors are complicated by suggestions of cracked pepper and bitter chocolate; a spicecake nuance gains strength with aeration. Steadily building tannins add shape and grip to the extremely long, incisive finish, which emphatically repeats the floral and mineral notes. I wouldn't be surprised to see this wine turn out as well as the amazing 2015 version. - 96 to 98 Points - Josh Raynolds - Tasted June 2018"
- Vinous
96 / 100
"Sourced from the granitic western portion of the appellation, the 2016 Hermitage La Chapelle features mouthwatering aromas of black olives and charred beef. It's full-bodied and creamy-velvety in texture, incredibly lush without being overtly fruity. In fact, it's largely savory, with elegant shadings of leather and spice on the long, silky finish. Yet despite being delicious now, this still has the granite backbone to age through 2040. The charming Caroline Frey was all smiles during my visit to the Jaboulet tasting room on the main square in Tain l'Hermitage. Her Burgundy vintage was complete and very promising. And even though severe hail damage at Château La Lagune in Bordeaux resulted in no grapes being harvested there this year, it meant she could focus all her energy on the 2018s in the Rhône. We started off with the 2016s. "Hopefully, we will still have years like this," she said. "It's a vintage with more length. I like it!" There's no doubt the 2016s are successful here, but in many instances the 2017s look even better. "I'm always a little afraid of hot vintages," she said. "But I find a balance in this one." The proof is in the pudding: Some of the 2017s are the best I've ever tasted at this address. - Joe Czerwinski - Published: Nov 01, 2018"
- The Wine Advocate
96 / 100
"Concentrated, deep, dark, vibrant, fresh, and loaded from top to bottom with smoky, black, red, and blue fruits, thyme, cocoa and an array of spices. Full-bodied, long, rich, crisp, tannic, and structured to age, this is clearly on the road to greatness, if you have just a bit of patience. Drink from 2030-2055."
- Jeff Leve
Tasting Notes
Jaboulet's Hermitage La Chapelle is undoubtedly one of the greatest red wines in the world. Named after a tiny chapel (built by the knight Gaspard de Stérimberg in 1235) sitting at the highest point of the appellation's steepest hillside, this incredibly concentrated wine requires a minimum of ten years' keeping before it can unveil the full breadth of its aromas. The grapes are all destemmed, and harvested as late as possible. After a long vatting (25 days on average), the wine is matured in barrels (25% new wood) for a period of 12 to 16 months. In its youth, Hermitage la Chapelle is distinguished by its dark colour, developing incredibly intense aromas. Slightly woody, with hints of spice and very ripe wild fruits in its youth, La Chapelle develops licorice, candied fruit, mushroom, leather and undergrowth aromas after many years of ageing. The imposing structure of this exceptional wine offers a perfect combination of power, character and refinement. With its phenomenal longevity, Jaboulet's Hermitage la Chapelle easily matches the best red wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity