98 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage

Thoughts? I can pick up a few bottles this week but the tasting notes seem all over the place. Will this have a feral, musky, bacon fat nose put more emphasis on red fruit? Trying to get a read on it, and on how it’s aged, before I buy.

Thanks!

Well, this was the 1st of several “uninspiring” vintages at Jaboulet … 1997 had been the last really fine La Chapelle … I´d say the 1998 has a mean decent nose with some red fruits more typical for a Crozes-Hermitage, medium depth and length … it´s not a really bad wine, it´s simply not what one expects from a Hermitage, far less from a La Chapelle …
To be honest I haven´t tasted it for a good 4-5 years … but I don´t think wonders do happen in the bottle …
I´d now pay 30-35 Euro for this - not more (and only to have another bottle to check in …)
The 1999 is not (much) better - the 2000 is worse (think about a mean Beaujolais Village …) -
but the 2001 is worth buying, much stronger with good typicity (90-91 points), reminds me on the 1994.

I thought it was during the mid-Nineties that Jaboulet lost their way a bit [scratch.gif] ; anyway, I agree that the '97 can be very good – I’ve had several very satisfying bottles over the past couple of years and it’s not impossible to find for under $100. Haven’t had the '98, sorry.

That´s a bit too simple.
After the great 1990 the 1991, 94 and 95 were very good for the vintage (92+93 are small years everywhere).
IMHO 1996 and 1997 are outstanding.
Only 1998 - 2000 are really disapointing, 2001 an improvement again.

In summer 1997 Gerard Jaboulet died suddenly at age 55 - and that might have been the major reason.

Gerhard,

Now I’ll have to look for the 1996; I’ve had a couple of very good bottles of the '88 but my experience with Jaboulet’s Hermitage is quite limited, apart from what I’ve mentioned.

Frank, both 1996 and 1997 are outstanding - in the 93 to 95 point range if you´ve got a good bottle, but quite different in style. The 1996 is more dark berries and with more noticable acidity, more masculine, while 1997 seems to be sweeter, more red berried and more seductive. Both were quite tannic for quite a long time, but recent tastings were more open - but it depends also on storage conditions and the individual bottle (there were several bottlings at Jaboulet).

Thanks, Gerhard, I appreciate the guidance.

Try to get some of the 90 flirtysmile

usually 400-500+

Sorry to hijack but how are Post 2001 vintages stacking up?

A 1998 only a few months ago was fairly red-fruited, did not have the expected depth of La Chapelle but pleasant enough. Quite different than 97 and 96 at same table. Quite.

Well, the 2003 La Chapelle is not dissimilar to the 2003 Chave, massive fruity and full-bodied with low acidity, very impressive but not very typical Hermitage then … (not tasted for a good 7 years, but I have tasted the 03 Chave recently, and this wine, while still youthful, becomes more and more Hermitage with time, very well structured, ageworthy and less and less New-World in style, potential for many decades) … and I´m confident that also La Chapelle will come around with age.

2005 La Chapelle (which I think is the last vintage the Jaboulets vinnified) is very tannic and massively concentrated, reminds me a bit on the 1995, very old-fashioned … needs a lot of time and may be shut down now … with a slight ? if the fruit is enough for the structure, will certainly never be a charmer …

In 2005/06 Jaboulet sold out to the Frey family …

2009 is a very impressive effort, dark black-ruby, lots of red and black berried fruit, meaty, black olives and cassis, sweet tannins, but completely different in style, much more modern but without too much oak influence, quite low but enough acidity. Not so far away from the 1990 with a more modern character, Certainly in the mid-90ies-point region. Sadly the price has gone up high, too.

BTW. The Crozes Thalabert 09 is also very impressive, again a small La Chapelle … and the 2010 Thalabert is similar super, with slightly more freshness, but a bit less chewy … (a matter of taste between 09 and 10)

No other La Chapelles tasted after 2001 - the price is a bit hurting … even at the Jaboulet-shop in Tain L´Hermitage …
The 2007 (not tasted myself, but by a friend) is said to be quite fruity and soft, full-bodied but foreward, promising but not really outstanding, probably now accessable …

Thanks for that Gerhard. Interesting, the Thalaberts sound like something to look for given the price hikes.

Had a 1997 and a 2001 a weekend or so back.

The 1997 was showing fantastically. The 01 was so bretty I thought it was a Chateau Musar :-/

Dave, I took a 2003 La Chapelle to a fine wine dinner on Monday night. I plan to do a full TN in due course, but I was happy with it as a wine. I largely agree with Gerhard’s comments on the vintage.

It’s a big, juicy wine, packed full of ripe plums and cherries, cardamom and other spices, kirsch, mocca etc. It’s 14.5% alcohol, but with that I thought it was quite elegant. The wine divided the room with some having it as their WoTN (in quality company) and others finding it over-ripe, over-sweet and too Aussie Shiraz-like.

I think it’s in its drinking window now. I gave it a vigorous double decant and 5 hours air before the dinner, which it needed …

Agree the 1997 is very fine now (but no hurry).

In my last bottle of 2001 1+ year ago there was no brett at all, at least nothing detectable …
(yours must have been a bottle where the brett has blossomed by too warm shipping/storage)

I second that vote for the 2010 Thalabert. Everything seems aligned to develop into an excellent wine. And it’s pretty nice now with some air. I haven’t had the '09.

The 1990 Thalabert is still probably the best Crozes-Hermitage ever, from anyone, IMO.

Yes, 1990 Thalabert is a beautiful wine, certainly the best Crozes I’ve drunk.

-Al

Al,

I saw a bottle for sale last year for not too terribly much money, and trusted the seller (Benchmark?) but worried that 25 years might be pushing it for a Crozes Hermitage; when I last had it, way back when, it drank like a good quality Hermitage so I probably should have gone for it. What’s money, after all??