2009 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc

More honeyed, fuller-bodied and exuberant is the 2009 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc. This gorgeous white wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels, of which 50% were new. It offers up copious aromas of crushed rocks, citrus oil, mangoes, nectarines and acacia flowers as well as hints of licorice and quince. Full-bodied, dense, layered, and elegant as well as powerful and authoritative, it should drink well for 25-30+ years. One needs no further evidence of the extraordinary turn around in the quality of the Jaboulet wines than what proprietress Caroline Frey has accomplished in 2009 as well as 2010. As I indicated last year, this is one of the great qualitative turn arounds in the wine world. It is welcomed by all wine lovers given the historic legacy of the wines of Jaboulet and the importance of this famous firm in all of France. Ms. Frey, who is also responsible for the brilliant wines produced at La Lagune in Bordeaux, has reduced the amount of new oak for the red wines to about 20% and to negligible proportions for the whites. A second wine of Hermitage, La Petite Chapelle, is fashioned from 33% or more of the production that is culled out to guarantee that the great reputation of the Hermitage La Chapelle has enjoyed over the last century is maintained. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700