2009 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

From The Wine Society's cellar. Very dark garnet. Oaky but with more obviously peppery Syrah character than in the 2007. Deep dark fruit. Sweet fruited. Chewy, vanilla-laced black fruit. Thick texture, a bit drying on the finish. (JH)

One of my favorite vintages of this cuvée, the 2009 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from a ripe, blockbuster styled year yet now, at age 13, is pure, classic Hermitage with its darker currant and blackberry fruits as well as notes of smoked meats, leather, soy sauce, graphite, and roasted herbs. Powerful, concentrated, and full-bodied on the palate, it's shed most of its baby fat and has a classic, elegant mouthfeel, ripe yet still present tannins, and a gorgeous finish. This is clearly the finest example of this cuvée after the 1990. However, while the 1990 still tastes like an infant, this certainly shows some maturity and is ready to go. Nevertheless, it has another 20-30 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

Tasted blind. Glowing colour. Gentle, savoury nose. Fireworks on the nose but a bit lean and reductive on the finish. Is this the Italian? Lightly bitter finish and pretty drying. Not much sweet fruit here. Marked acidity. (JR)