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Following on rom the rst instalment on Paul Jaboulet La ChapelleHermitage in our last edition o the Asian Wine Journal, it is quitepossible that I am becoming obsessed with La Chapelle and perhapssu ering rom autosuggestion the dwelling upon an idea, thought,or concept, thereby inducing some change in the mental or bodily

unctions in this case my brain (messages o excitement andenthusiasm) and a revelation to my palate. My deprivation and craving to try the legendary 1990 was more thansatis ed on a recent trip to France, in Bordeaux o all places! Well,at least thats where the story begins. Participating in the 2007 enPrimeur tastings, I was a guest o the Frey amily, consummate hosts

and my lodgings at the impeccably renovated Chteau La Lagune.Indeed, an auspicious circumstance i not nostalgic, recollecting myearly days as a sommelier, Chteau La Lagune being amongst the rstBordeaux wines I cut my teeth on.

Dinner in the congenial ambiance o Chteaus converted cellar open-plan kitchen one evening was patronised by a number o reveredMaster o Wines and accomplished wine writers rom around the world(obviously I was the exception), beginning with exquisite ChampagneBillecart-Salmon Cuvee Elizabeth Salmon, quintessential Rose.A ter an impressive 2004 Chteau La Lagune, demonstrative o theproperties renaissance, we were served the next red blind, always aninteresting albeit masochistic exercise amongst presumably superiorpalates. I was fanked by two heavyweight Master o Wines whomboth immediately announced in agreement that without question, thewine was a digni ed Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux and o considerableage, probably 1985 or 1986 and were exclusively debating theintricacies and di erentials o the two vintages.

When it came my turn to comment, I was eeling extremelyuncom ortable at the prospect o disagreeing with these expertdeductions however, recalling the golden rule o blind tasting, alwaysstick with your rst impressions, and despite the David and Goliathproportions o what I was about to do, declared I believe they were inentirely the wrong region. I opined the wine had too much spice andsweetness and that its sweaty leathery characters and extraordinarycomplexity o mushrooms, autumn orest and oriental spices clearly

put it in the Rhone Valley. With some trepidation, I surmised thatit was an Hermitage, most likely Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage,probably rom the early nineties, although eeling a little like thecharacter Richard Pratt in Roald Dahls ingenious misdirection shortstory, Taste (1951), as my conclusion was hardly oracular given theChteau proprietor also owns Paul Jaboulet.

When our host revealed the wine was indeed 1991 Jaboulet LaChapelle Hermitage, there was an awkward moment o silence anda simultaneous reaching or the glass with vigorous inhaling anddraining o its contents necessitating a second bottle to be promptlyliberated rom the cellar. Our MWs immediately declared the second

bottle was much more Rhone like! Admittedly the wine lookedresher at rst however, more so because it was colder than the rstbottle but quickly warmed up and breathed out to be identical to the

rst. Enough said.

Is there a point here other than my braggartism? Absolutely; i twoseriously acute palates and Masters o Wines no less, unequivocallyconsider an o -vintage or cooler year o an Hermitage rom aproducer considered to be underachieving at the time, comparableto a digni ed Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux, I think we should takingmuch more notice, i not empowered to reassess our impression o Hermitage, moreover rush out to buy a bottle o this wine! A quicklook at www.winesearcher.com brings up Fine & Rare Wines www. rw.co.uk having a ew bottles at a paltry 101 pounds Stirling, signi cantlyless expensive I would suggest than the Bordeaux equivalent our MWswere ponti cating about.

Incidentally, and to be consistent in quoting the same critics romthe my rst instalment, Robert Parker rated the 1991 La Chapelle 90points and Jancis Robinson 17 points, with both their tastings notesvery positive. Jacques Jaboulet stated that in 1991, the weather was

ne until harvest, when it turned damp and gloomy. The saturateddark ruby/purple-colored 1991 La Chapelle is just beginning to revealsecondary nuances. Aromas o Asian spices, soy, grilled steak, pepper,and blackberries are beginning to emerge. Ripe and dense, with tartacidity (a cool vintage characteristic), it is a medium to ull-bodied,concentrated, impressively-endowed La Chapelle with surprising

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length and intensity. It looks to be slightly better than I originallysuggested. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020 90 Points. RobertParker; Hermitage, La Chapelle 1991 Paul Jaboulet An 17 Drink2003-18 Healthy but very shaded briary crimson. Some real Hermitageper ume. Then sweet ruit on the ront palate truly a hint o majesty.Dusty, dry, very ne tannins. Briary, this wine still has a way to go buthas real ruit intensity though it could do with a little more. Quite

resh. Medium length. Jancis Robinson

My note on the wine: extraordinary per ume o sweaty saddle andworn leather, a melange o Asian spices - Indian cardamom seed,mixed spice box, anise, building to an intense spiciness with liquoricenotes; alluring cedar orest, morels and dried woods, ducks guts andpan- ried liver smells, the iron-fint-gunpowder ngerprint o theterroir gives way to a tangible dried mushroom character and theto ee sweetness o a wine at its meridian. Subtlety sweet, caramel-led palate, tawny port favours, so light and ethereal yet incrediblypower ul and voluminous in its favour presence and explosion o spices dominated by star anise and clove. Becomes very gamey andsavoury, Chinese roast duck juices (when the duck is just cut open

and the cooking juices and garlic, clove aromas ll the senses); somuch like a great Burgundy, with its sweetness yet oscillating tangytartness and piercingly sour raspberry, redcurrant berry- ruit. Althoughdrinking absolutely per ectly still has ne tannins and harmoniousacidity that suggests will hold or some time yet - an incredible wine,demonstrative o the magni cence o Hermitage. Whilst I detestpublishing scores on wines, to be consistent with the a orementionedreviews, I rate this wine 200 out o 100!

The ollowing morning, and I am talking way be ore the sparrowsstarted singing, I few down to the Rhone Valley emerging rom Lyonairport to a bracing 6 degrees Celsius, although already a wonder ullysunny day. I am scheduled or a comprehensive tasting at the Jabouletcellars with export manager Christophe Brunet, who had previouslybeen with Miguel Torres and knows the Asia market intimately.Moreover, Brunet was one o the worlds leading sommeliers in hisprevious career and there is no acet o wine, ood, wine- ood pairing,the workings o restaurants and every minutiae o the Rhone Valley(or any wine region or that matter) that this dynamic, passionate andamiable individual has.

A ter a most enlightening tasting, particularly the white wines,in the impressive Jaboulet maturation cellars, a cavernous ancientRoman limestone quarry ingeniously adapted to barrel cellaring andreceiving visitors, I was whisked o to lunch by Brunet and joinedby Nicholas Jaboulet (the late and legendary Gerald Jaboulet wasNicholass uncle) at the Les Cedres restaurant. This two star Michelinestablishment serves exquisite regionally ocused haute-cuisinewith the most impeccable and highly-polished service I have ever

encountered. However, and much to my elation, the dining experiencewas somewhat overwhelmed by the bottle o 1990 La Chapelle thatarrived at the table, pristinely cellared by the restaurant and expertlydecanted and served by our duti ul sommelier.

This is unquestionably one o the most pro ound wines I have evertasted and an experience that will be everlasting in my memory.

My note reds: Old leather and antique timbers, dark soy and orientalspices, concentrated black cherry, dried gs and prunes with aChristmas cake richness, oscillating to tangy dried tomato andsavoury notes o old balsamic and reside charcoals. Breathes outbecoming incredibly intense and port-like (in a good way) with sweet

molasses, dried liquorice and tar, the sweetness o per ume GrandCru Burgundy-like (and I am thinking La Tache) amongst ducks gut,pan ried liver and smokey bacon at. Harmonising these hedonisticsensations is a wonder ul reshness o pine orest, pine needle andmenthol, like Barolo on steroids. Incredibly unctuous and chewypalate, although strikingly resh and lively, intense spicy black pepperwarmth, then a saturation o black cherry and blood plum, with layerso rich sweet berry ruit, dark chocolate and liquorice, a big blacktarry, meaty, leathery mouth ul o wine; a wave o tannins cut throughthe unctuousness bringing with it accentuated minerality - iron, wetgranite and gunfint with an earthy arewell o black tru fe, cedar-

orest foor and pine mushroom. A tour de orce, the wine continuallygrowing and evolving over the hour and shows no signs o stopping,can only assume it will continue to age or many decades.

This is the antithesis o 1991, although which wine is better is really aquestion o personal pre erence o style but clearly the pro oundness o the 1990, moreover that it is still evolving, convinces me will becomethe equivalent to the 1961. Will it achieve the same stratosphericprice o the 1961? This will depend largely upon the rarity actor,

and one has to consider most o the 1961 has been consumed and isindeed a very rare beast, whereas there is still ample 1990 availableon the secondary market. Time will tell.Considering the trio o good Northern Rhone vintages, 1989, 1990,1991, although 1991 was a more avourable Cote Rotie year,and drawing on comments rom Neil Martins Wine Journal LaChapelle 80 to 90 the Sequel!, on Robert Parkers website, www.erobertparker.com. Comparing the 1989 to 1990 Martin opines ...Ipre er the 1989 to the 1990... 1989 is more demure, it has superiordelineation and reshness... it was the 1989 that has greater nesseand poise. Moreover whilst time in glass allowed the 1989 to reveal itscomplexity and nuances, the 1990 just sat there waiting or applause.Analysing the price, Fine & Rare list the 1989 La Chapelle at 2414pounds Stirling (HK$37,241) per case, a third o the price o 1990,and whilst perhaps not the wine or investment and super longevity,an exceptionally good buy i you actually want to drink the wine.I would also like to mention we had a most impressive Paul JabouletChevalier de Sterimberg Blanc white a ter the 1990 La Chapellehowever, much to my rustration I cannot nd my tasting note andwill hope ully report on this in due course.

Following our indulgent lunch I spent the a ternoon with Brunetwalking through the Hermitage vineyards, making our way aroundthe precarious terraces and climbing up to the La Chapelle vineyardand tiny Chapel o Saint-Christophe, with its breathtaking viewsoverlooking the terraced vineyards along the Rhne. Even today, withthe tranquillity and timeless arid terrain, one can easily relate to theserenity and isolation sought by Gaspard de Sterimberg, the valiantand injured knight who returned rom the Albigensian crusade in

1234. Seeking his recluse in these hills, and building the tiny Chapel,he saw out his remaining days as a hermit, hence the name o theHermitage appellation.

They have been making wine in the Rhone Valley since 600BC, withHermitage seen as the spiritual home o Syrah, the rst plantingsthought to have been around the 10th Century. Enduring the centuries,the Jaboulet amily became the sole owners o the La Chapelle vineyardin 1919. However, one cannot help but eel even more enthusiasticabout the whole extensive Jaboulet range under the new ownershipo the Freys and there are already marked improvements across therange, as refected in my tasting notes. I also tasted the La ChapelleBlanc 2006, last made in 1961, at Vinexpo Hong Kong, which is madein miniscule quantities.

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Notes from Tastings at the Paul Jaboulet Cellars: White Wines2007 Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone Blan50% Grenache blanc ; 20% Marsanne ; 20% Viognier ; 10%Bourboulenc average age o vines 25 years vini ed in stainlesssteel tank matured 2 to 3 months, 50% in oak casks. This stead astwine takes its name rom the 45th North parallel which runs twokilometres rom the Jaboulet cellars and has been made since themid 50s.

Fresh and alluring bouquet o honeydewmelon and ripe pears amongst lavender

elds, and anise with subtle almondskin - rich and oily favoured palateentry with cashew nuts, plenty o ripe pear and peaches ruit, excellentmouth eel - so t and inviting but withgood acidity, green olive and artichokesavouriness and hint o bitter almond,seriously good drink, would be per ect

or outdoor compotation, also withlighter Indian cuisine.

2006 Paul Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Jalets 100% Marsanne - average age o vines25 years - vini ed in stainless steeltank and casks or 30% o the blend.Malolactic ermentation is carried outin tank and barrel with stirring o thelees.

Sherbet like per ume with Turkishdelight dust with icing sugar, rich

nutty peanut oil characters, sweetvanillin and crme caramel amongstapricot and peach ruit, Indian spices- turmeric, virgin olive oil - muchtighter on palate with pear and goldendelicious apple, so tly textured with arich mid palate, some green olive andraw almond on the tailing and touch o chalky phenolic. Delicious wine, would give white Burgundy in lowerappellations a run or their money, greatly underappreciated style andregion or white wine, or red or that matter.

2005 Paul Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Domaine Mule Blanche - Blanc Small estate with 3 hectares white, the wine generally equal quantitieso Roussanne and Marsanne planted on a glacial-fuvial plain withclay-chalk soil - vines 40 to 60 years - the bunches pressed wholethen vini ed and matured in wood. Mule Blanche takes it names

rom when mules were used in the vineyards, in the days be oremechanisation, as they were hardier than draughthorses.

Very rich and exotic nose, white tru fe oil, ripe pear and apricot,baked banana, marmalade characters, anise and dried Provence herbsand an air o a hot Mediterranean day with baked earth and straw,dried fowers. Opulent palate, creamy and white burgundy-like, nuttyand rich, has the texture o olive oil with syrupy peach and apricotsucculence, some buttery-toasty oak and lees nuances, very complex,

ne phenolic adds to its substance, excellent length with nutty,

bitternut almond skin and a resh citrus acidity tailing enhancing anattractive interplay between ripe favours and tanginess with somewarming anise, clove spice. A class act and white wine o greatcharacter and complexity, would pair nicely with roasted chicken, richsea ood dishes and sweeter yellow curries.

2004 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage Chevalier de Sterimberg Blanc 65% Marsanne, 35% Roussanne grown in clay-chalk and sandy,pebble soils on steep slopes o Hermitage. 35 year old vines vini ed

and matured in oak, malolacticermentation in oak with regular lees

stirring over 10 to 12 month ageingprocess. Named a ter the gallantknight Gaspard de Strimberg,a ter being injured during theAlbigensian crusade o 1224, oundis recluse on the hills overlookingthe Rhone River, building the tinychapel o Saint-Christophe, atop o what is now known as La Chapelle

vineyard.

Expressive minerality, cold graniteand silex, wet chalky aroma, likesteeping into a damp and stone coldcellar, yet chased away by a waveo hedonistic and exotic sensations,golden syrup and seductive caramel-nougat, vanilla custard, cone honey,ripe mango and intense apricot

ruit, then oscillating to spicyaromas Indian spice cupboardwith, turmeric- yellow curry, ennelseed, anise - intriguing rich, nuttyand salty Oloroso Sherry charactersamongst dry summer elds -wallfower.

Unctuous Sauternes like glycerinetexture, caramel and custard, loadedwith peach and apricot conserve,yet exponentially more vivacious

than the bouquet suggests with impressive acidity and structure,accentuated minerality with a core o wet granite, rich peachy mid-palate yet wrapped in whitlo lettuce lea bitterness, peppery virginolive oil favours amongst toasty, nutty old Oloroso sherry characters,long tailing o nougat richness yet with cleansing a re reshinglypersistent acidity. A phenomenal, idiosyncratic white wine that wouldmake or a marvellous aperiti leaving the second hal o the bottle

(thats i its not all immediately consumed) with cheese. I would alsosuggest with the acidity and structure, the product o a cooler year,this wine has, it will age or 20 plus years. I am putting a couple o case in my cellar!

2006 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc 100 percent Marsanne rom Jaboulets terroir des Rocoules estate 45 to 50 year old vines. Last made 1961, Jaboulet appropriatelyreviving this cuvee. (sampled at Vinepo Hong Kong). Exotic andcaptivating bouquet o ripe pears, custard and apples, Turkish delightamongst grilled nuts, toasted almond, olive oil and white tru fe oilscents, hay barn-dried fowers character, Indian spices - cumin, ennel

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seed, aniseed, much in the same vein as Chevalier de Sterimberg butthis is a much tighter, more nervy bouquet with and mandarin citrusbackground. Rich and viscous palate entry, explosion o succulentgrape ruit and mandarin, tangy marmalade, becoming more savourytowards middle palate and apply and picking up warming spicy,aniseed, resh ginger intensity with a twist o almond skin bitterness,salty-parmesan cheese and surge o citrusy, bite o resh lemon aciditythat lingers orever. A split personality wine; so rich and exotic on thenose and ront palate, then tight, savoury and crispy-lemon on theback, clearly it will age or decades and should ideally be le t or agood ten years to realise its potential.

2006 Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone Blanc 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah grown in shingle with clay, stonyargillaceous limestone soil-pebbles - average age o vines 25 years,vini ed and matured in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks no oak used - stable mate to the Blanc with well-proven consistentquality-price rapport.

Sweet red berry ruit and spicy peppery notes, baked earth and Garrigue

characters (a melange o earthy rusticity and resinous rosemary,lavender, wild thyme lending a distinctive air o Provence. Lovely,crunchy juicy berry ruit, the high syrah content showing through indarker, deeper ruit, lively acidity lends a reshness to the wine withlingering green olive, black tea, savoury-meaty earthiness. Superbdrink - chill down a ew degrees more than usual or consummateall-rounder to hand-to-hand combat with Southeast Asian communalstyle dinning with multi-favoured dishes coming to the table all atonce.

Red Wines2006 Paul Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Les Jalets 100 percent Syrah 6 ha vineyard, grown on a stony plain o glacialorigin, jalets is the old French word or the pebbles, the vineyardsimilar to Chteauneu du Pape with its carpet o rounded stones.

Vini ed and matured in stainless steel no oak.

Deep black pepper, oriental spice and soy with sweet blackberryper ume, blood rose petal, tamarillo (tree tomato to some), lavenderand Garrigue, similar vein to Parallele 45, but more expressive inminerality-gravelly. Crunchy palate entry with sweet blueberry,blackberry ruit, turning more tart mid palate - very elegant almostin a Pinot Noir way has savoury complexity, subtle spice and whitepepper, with a menthol-pine orest tailing and hint o liquorice.

2005 Paul Jaboulet Crozes - Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 100 percent Syrah, grown 40 ha estate is on a pebbly plain o ancientglacial origin, the small round pebbles storing heat during the day andrelease it at night, providing optimum maturity. Vines 40 to 60 years highly selective berry sorting and batch selection a ter vini cationaged in oak or 12 months in the ancient limestone cellars.Domaine de Thalabert has belonged to Paul Jaboulet An since 1834.It is the proverbial sleeper Jaboulets extensive port olio, grosslyunderrated-underpriced and has the capability o ageing or over adecade, even two in structured years.

Markedly more ragrant in the line-up, concentrated aroma blueberryand sharp raspberry yet overwhelmed by wet granite and slate odours distinctive terroir; savoury, meaty palate entry, tart red berry ruit,beauti ully elegant, some chewy black oolong tea tannins, backedearth, per ect cut o resh acidity with added menthol-anise -pineneedle reshness, tangy tamarillo, raspberry, persimmon tailing andpowdery tannins. Still very primary, would be best le t to age or atleast ve years. Brilliant wine though, has poise and elegance wayabove the Crozes-Hermitage status.

2004 Paul Jaboulet La Petite Chapelle 100 percent Syrah - 40 to 60 years situated on the Hermitage hillwithin the very diverse terroirs o les Bessards, les Gre eux, leMal and les Rocoules. Grapes are brought down rom the slopes o lHermitage on small sledges, the parcels vini ed and kept separate upuntil selection and blending, then matured in oak or 15 to 18 months.Initiated with the 2001 vintage, the philosophy o a second cuvee ordeclassi cation is logical (in the same vein as the Bordelaise) althoughthere has been some criticism that this cuvee does not o er enough towarrant the La Chapelle name. I disagree with Robert Parkers speci ccomments on the 2004; in my opinion this wine o ers the Hermitage

nesse, elegance and distinctiveness only more approachable than LaChapelle itsel . Very seductive nose, quantum leap up in aromatics,salami and hung air-dried meats, clove and black pepper spice, blackplum and blackberry amongst reside charcoals and sweet liquorice.Palate has much more weight and richness in the line-up, slipperyand seamless, deep plumy red berry compote, touch o caramelsweetness, Chinese lacquered roast duck favours, spicy warmth o clove and anise is checked by cold granite minerality, chewy netannins rm the back palate, impressive acidity carries tart red berry

ruit on seemingly orever very classy wine with a vibrancy and cutthat suggests at least 10 years away rom its prime.

Paul Jaboulet Aine wines are available throughout Asia, the importers in each country detailed below. Christophe Brunet can be contacted atc.brunet@jaboulet.com and Paul Jaboulet has an excellent website: www.jaboulet.com

Singapore: Hock Tong Bee Tel. +65 (6732) 0555 Email: clinton@paci c.net.sgThey have a good range o La Chapelle vintages, price are retail per bottle 2000 - S$220, 2001 - S$250, 2003 - $330, 2004 -S$288, 1990 ex-Domaine S$1585 (which is pretty much market price, but a relative bargain)Hong Kong: Links Concept Company, Tel: +852 2802 2818 Email: patricio@linksconcept.com.hkThey have stock several back vintages o La Chapelle but more current are the outstanding 2003 (HK$1325 per bottle retail) and praiseworthy2004 (HK$1150 per bottle retail), both exceptionally well priced, a refection o the zero tax on wine in Hong Kong.Mainland China: Summergate International, based in Shanghai, Tel: +86 (21) 6329 4433 Email: ian. ord@summergate.comTaiwan: Creation Wine & Spirits, Tel. +886 (2) 2718 2669 Email: lucy@creation.com.twSouth Korea: Nara Food, based in Seoul, Tel. +82 (2) 542 4543 Email: altoman@nara ood.comJapan: Maxxium Japan K.K, based in Tokyo, Tel. +81 3 5401 6260Philippines: Bacchus International Inc., based in Makati City, Tel. +63 (28) 92.17.44 Email: atl@bacchusworld.comMalaysia: Bacardi Martini Malaysia, Tel. +60 (3) 7956 5155 Email: jgoh@bacardi.comIndonesia: Bogacitra, Tel. +62 (21) 554 3050, Email: jsukamto@dnet.net.idThailand: Bangkok Liquor, Tel. +66 (662) 674-7901 Email: kitti@bangkokliquor.com

Vietnam: Tan Khoa Trading, based in Ho Chi Minh City Tel. +84 (8) 208 454 Email: dongkhoi-tankhoa@hcm.vnn.vnIndia: Sanjay, based in Bombay, Tel. +91 22 232 4000 Email: sanjay@sansula.com