Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Chapelle Blanc 2020 (750ML)

94 DE / 94 JS / 91+ WA

This cuvee is not made every year - the last vintage bottled was 2014.

Agreeably fresh nose. Detailed floral notes mingling with tobacco, brioche, subtle spice and bitter orange. Concentrated without a huge body; certainly powerful, but all reined in at present. Quite marked grapefruit bitters on the long, dry finish, with a little tannin. A good vintage of La Chapelle blanc, but give it time. No oak maturation, just concrete eggs now. - Matt Walls, Decanter 

Fresh apricot, pear blossom, lemon verbena, crushed flint, cream and sandalwood on the nose. Full-bodied, yet elegant and fresh, with vibrant acidity and a supple, seamless palate. Mineral, textured finish. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2023. - James Suckling

The 2020 Hermitage la Chapelle Blanc (last bottled in 2014) comes entirely from the Maison Blanche lieu-dit and is 100% Marsanne. Like the other Jaboulet whites from 2020, it's on the leaner side, with pear and citrus enriched by some leesy character. Medium-bodied, it's long and elegant, even if it's a significant departure in style from most examples of Hermitage Blanc. With it's higher-than-normal acid levels and crisper feel, it's conceivable that I've underrated it as a young wine and that it will blossom in time. - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate