2015 Jaboulet Hermitage La Maison Bleue
96 JD / 95 VM / 95 JS / 94 WA
$67.89/750ml Buy Now
Limited (In Stock)
A new cuvée that’s replacing the Petit Chapelle, the 2015 Hermitage La Maison Bleue comes from grapes on the eastern side of the appellation, which is more limestone, clay, and sedimentary soils. Brought up in 20% new oak (which is the same for all the reds), it offers a rich, opulent, incredibly sexy style as well as full-bodied notes of black raspberry, blackberry jam, toasted bread, and spice. With tons of sweet fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish, it’s a much more in your face, pedal-to-the-metal effort compared to the more structured La Chapelle.—Jeb Dunnuck
Opaque purple. Powerful, highly complex aromas of red/blue fruit preserves, licorice, olive paste and potpourri carry a sexy floral overtone. Coats the palate with intense black and blue fruit and spicecake flavors; a sappy violet pastille nuance gains strength with air and lends an exotic touch. Velvety, even tannins shape an impressively long, chewy, mineral-accented finish that shows outstanding power and spicy thrust.-- Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
A striking, exotic nose with red stone fruits and extremely expressive berries as well as darker cherries and plums, and plenty of dark stony notes, too. The palate is super plush, expansive and deeply structured. Velvety, deep and supple, and packed with red and dark cherries and plums. Dense, velvety tannins. Super expressive and long with a stony finish. Drink from 2020 and beyond. –James Suckling
Replacing La Petite Chapelle in the Jaboulet lineup is the 2015 Hermitage La Maison Bleue. Rather than being a selection of lots that didn’t make the cut for La Chapelle, it’s more terroir-based, with the wine coming from the eastern (non-granitic) side of the appellation. Because of that, it’s softer in style, with a rich, velvety texture. Cedar and spice notes frame cassis and cola notes, lingering through the long, supple finish.—Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
Also Available:
2017 Jaboulet Hermitage La Maison Bleue
95 WA / 94 JD / 94 JS / 94 VM
$58.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now
Jaboulet's 2017 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is flat-out sexy stuff, full-bodied, plush and generous without being overripe or unstructured. Licorice, cassis and Asian five-spice powder burst from the glass in a complex whirl of scents and flavors. Sourced from the eastern end of the appellation, it offers immediate gratification and admirable quality at a fraction of the price of the La Chapelle. Joe Czcerwinski - The Wine Advocate
2018 Jaboulet Hermitage La Maison Bleue
96 JD / 94 VM / 94 JS / 94 WA
$58.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now
The two top wines are the La Maison Bleue, from vines in the eastern side of the appellation, and the La Chapelle, which comes from vines on the western side of the appellation. The soils between these two regions are drastically different, with the Maison Bleue coming from more loess and limestone and the La Chapelle from more granite soils. There are around 2,000 cases produced of each in a vintage. The 2018 Hermitage La Maison Bleue sports a dense purple color to go with gorgeous blackberry and cassis fruits interwoven with notes of spice, dried meats, chocolate, and loamy earth. Rich, full-bodied, and expansive on the palate, it doesn't have the minerality or chiseled style of the La Chapelle, but it brings incredible fruit, texture, and opulence. It's a gorgeous wine I’d be thrilled to drink and is better than many vintages of the La Chapelle in the late 1990s and early 2000s. - Jeb Dunnuck
