Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Chapelle 2017 (3.0L)

97-99 WA / 95-97 JD / 95-96 VM

In need of serious air to open up, the 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle became more and more impressive the longer I kept it in the glass. At first it seemed a bit simple, if admirably plummy and rich, but by the time ten minutes had elapsed, it was showing off elegant notes of crushed stone, pencil shavings and cassis, while remaining full-bodied, rich and concentrated. It's velvety and long on the finish, but something left me wanting a bit more. It's surely a great La Chapelle, but will it reach that elusive triple-digit score? Joe Czerwinski - The Wine Advocate

The inky colored 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes all from the Le Méal (50%), Les Bessards (25%), and Rocoules (25%) and was brought up in 15% new oak, with the balance in once-used, twice-used, and older barrels and demi-muids, A magical wine in the making, with some resemblance to the 2009, its deep purple color is followed by a ripe, layered, incredibly sexy wine loaded with notions of blackberries, black raspberries, crushed rocks, spice, and new saddle leather. Fresh, vibrant, and layered, with a flamboyant style that's already almost impossible to resist, it's a gorgeous wine that will keep for 3+ decades. Jeb Dunnuck

Brilliant magenta. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, incense and potpourri, while olive and exotic spice nuances build in the glass. Displays intense, alluringly sweet black/blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors that show sharp delineation and are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Closes extremely long and precise, displaying a smoky, intensifying mineral quality and youthfully gripping tannins that build steadily. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media