Stellar Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle 1989--Made from Syrah

The first time that I tasted it was 1991. It showed excellent fruit on the nose and on the palate. It was complex and layered with a really long finish. Hermitage wines like those of Cote Rotie, Piedmont, and Premier and Grand Cru Burgundies often show what I call a lemon peel effect. There is often a bitter tartness. Five years later, there is this wonderful silky wine!

Robert Parker had given a 100 point review of this wine and a 99 point review of the Penfolds Grange from Australia. Obviously, the Penfolds showed better when young. Jancis Robinson had also written an article about these two wines titled “Of Mangoes and Mushrooms” about two wines made from the same grape, Syrah.

I next tasted the Jaboulet at my very good friend, Mike de Maar’s 50th birthday in 1998. By this time, the wine had evolved quite nicely. On Monday, August 26th, 2019, I had lunch with the aforementioned Mike de Maar at Il Terrazzo Carmines in Seattle. He produced a bottle which was quite profound. We left most of the wine for the waiter! It was long and wonderful!