1999 Paul Jaboulet Aîné "La Chapelle" Hermitage (lightly stained & scuffed label)

Medium-deep red-ruby. Roasted, tarry red fruits, animal fur and chocolate on the nose; as vibrant and vinous as a barrel sample. Extremely lush and concentrated, and already highly aromatic in the mouth, with notes of red and black fruits, roasted nuts, spices, chocolate and tobacco. Beautifully integrated acidity. Finishes very long, with substantial, very fine tannins. A superb vintage for this top Hermitage bottling. (ST) 93+

Conventional wisdom has it that the late 1990s was a slump period at Paul Jaboulet Âiné, but there is nothing to be found in this lovely vintage of Hermitage 'la Chapelle' that would validate this perception, as this is a beautiful bottle of Hermitage that exemplifies the excellence of 1999 in the northern Rhône. The bouquet is deep, complex and classic in profile, offering up a vibrant blend of cassis, black raspberries, smoked meats, dark soil tones, a hint of hay, pepper, a touch of fruitcake and a gentle topnote of cigar smoke that will become more pronounced with further bottle age. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and just starting to stir, with an excellent core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and grip, moderate tannins and excellent length and grip on the complex and classy finish. This is first rate Hermitage that is just about ready to drink at age twenty, but has decades and decades still ahead of it. (JD) 92+