One of the Rhône’s Greatest Winemakers Is Returning to America After a 5-Year Absence

Paul Jaboulet Aîné is always mentioned among the top producers of the Rhône Valley, but serious wine lovers and collectors in the U.S. may have noticed its absence from wine shops and top-tier restaurants in recent years. Usually referred to simply as Jaboulet, the storied producer is back on our shores in a big way, and the wines are better than ever. Jaboulet has not been carried by a national importer with full distributor coverage of America in a decade; the brand left its prior importer in 2014 and wines were available via a hodgepodge of small distributors and brokers. While a quick search shows that the most recent vintage available online or in-store is 2016, the 2021 vintage of Paul Jaboulet Aîné and its breakout brand Domaine de La Chapelle are just arriving stateside. We got a sneak peek into the new vintage.

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Founded on the Hermitage hill in 1834 by Antoine Jaboulet, the winery grew under his descendants and was acquired by the Frey family in 2006. Winemaker Caroline Frey began the transition to organic and biodynamic farming and achieved organic certification in 2016. This type of viticulture creates wines that “are more precise, balanced, and deeply rooted,” Frey tells Robb Report. “Organic and biodynamic viticulture enable better functioning of the soil and the vine, which supports optimal ripeness and the true expression of the terroirs.” And she adds that it also helps retain water, which helps ward off some of the effects of climate change.

The 2021 vintage began with heavy frost, during which the Jaboulet team had to light candles in the vineyards at night to protect the vines. This was followed by heavy rain until mid-July, resulting in juicier berries. While this sounds like a good thing, Frey had to remove some of the juice prior to fermentation via gentle pressing, allowing her to “restore the juice-to-skin ratio necessary for crafting great wines,” she says. “The aromatics and balance were excellent. In the context of climate change, 2021 stands out as a rare vintage.”

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The full Jaboulet line includes bottlings from Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, Cornas, and Côte-Rôtie. For the first time, the wines of La Chapelle are being released as their own brand, rather than under the Jaboulet label. Frey explains, “La Chapelle is such a unique wine with a strong identity and profound history that it deserves to stand alone. Our rigorous and diligent work over the past 20 years justifies the creation of a distinct entity, Domaine de La Chapelle.” The project includes a dedicated winery designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels at the base of the Hermitage hill. The two new releases are Domaine de La Chapelle 2021 La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge, made with 100 percent Syrah, and Domaine de La Chapelle 2021 Le Chavalier de Sterimberg Hermitage Blanc, a pure varietal expression of Marsanne.

La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge 2021 has aromas of blackberry, dried lavender, and smoke. It is lush on the palate, offering exquisite flavors of black currant, violet candy, and sage leaf with twin veins of minerality and acidity lighting up the palate. Le Chavalier de Sterimberg Hermitage Blanc 2021 has a nose of Bartlett pear and passionfruit with touches of honeysuckle and river rock. It is full bodied and has flavors of pineapple, carambola, lemon zest, freesia, and a lingering note of sourdough boule. This is definitely not a vintage to sleep on.

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