Grape Variety: 100% Syrah

Growing Region: Rhone Valley, France

Consulting Winemaker: Denis Dubourdieu

TASTING NOTE:

This is Paul Jaboulet's most famous wine made from grapes grown in the vineyards around the Chapel of St. Christophe high on the Hermitage hill above the town of Tain. Because of a fortuitous bend in the Rhone River, Hermitage hill faces south on a southeastern axis to permit superb sun exposure and shelter from cold winds.

I had the pleasure of tasting a barrel sample of this wine while I was visiting the cellars of Jaboulet in 2005. The summer of 2004 was quite dry with above average temperatures, which were still cooler than the scorching days of 2003. Between you and me, the Rhone wines from 2004 enjoyed a little more finesse and balance than the blockbuster 2003's.

The wine we know as "La Chapelle" is not the wine of a single site with a uniform soil structure, but a marriage of wines with differing personalities. In this sense, it has more in common with a first growth of Bordeaux, while a mono-varietal; it represents a flexible blend from varying geological and mesoclimatic sites. The wine is a deep, ruby red in colour. Spicy aromas of cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco and espresso. Very rich, dense and chewy, offering a powerful dark fruit and wild game character complicated by tobacco and liquorice. As sweet and lush as this is, it's solidly framed by powerful tannins. This has serious extract and impressive muscle, having 18 to 24 months in barrel, finishing on an unforgettable note.

CELLARING POTENTIAL:

Give this wine a decade in a quiet cellar, at the very least.

SUGGESTED FOOD MATCHES:

Perfect with venison, roasts, red meat, hard cheeses, game, beef. This wine deserves to be served and enjoyed in a Riedel glass.

92 Points - Wine Spectator (May 15, 2007)