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Paul Jaboulet Aîné

According to Caroline Frey, "2008 was a biblical vintage, but only the scary parts of the Bible. We got 6 months worth of rain, 232 millimeters (nearly 9 inches!), on the 3rd and 4th of September, and the topsoil was washing off the hillsides and the standing water in flat vineyards was like lakes." After the storm, she went on, the team went into the vineyards and dropped about 60% of the crop due to mildew. The ultimate yield realized from the Hermitage vines was a pitifully low 9 hectoliters per hectare, said Frey, and the acidity was very high. Conditions in low-lying vineyards were even more frightening. The decision was made that only one Crozes and one Hermitage (not La Chapelle) would be bottled. All of the rest of the company's syrah was either sold off to negociants or will be bottled under second labels. "We can't afford to have the reputation of our flagship wines jeopardized by bottling anything sub-standard," noted Frey. By the way, all of the red wines here see about 20% new oak, according to resident winemaker Jacques Desvernois. I should note that I only taste the top bottlings on my visits to this address.

From 2008 and 2007 Rhone Valley Wines (Jan 2010) by Josh Raynolds

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2007 Hermitage La Chapelle

Release Price: $320

Color: Red

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