The colour is medium garnet. On the nose corked. With time it only gets worst. Very unfortunate, but it happens.
A “corked” wine, which smells like wet newspaper/cardboard, is the result of the presence of a chemical called TCA (2,4,6 trichloranisole). While unpleasant, cork taint is not in any way harmful to humans. Today several procedures and treatments are in place to render cork less susceptible to developing cork taint, but it can still happen. As it has been the case with this bottle.
La Petite Chapelle is produced by Paul Jaboulet Aîné, one of the largest landowners in the small appellation of Hermitage.
Founded in 1834 by Antoine Jaboulet, the company stayed in the Jaboulet family till 2006, when it was sold to the Frey family. The Frey family is very active in the wine business and count numerous wine properties among its holdings, including Chateau La Lagune in the Haut Medoc appellation of Bordeaux.
The prestige of the Hermitage wine can be traced back to the 17th Century, when it was an official wine in the French courts of King Louis XIII and Louis XIV, the “Sun King”. But the 19th Century saw the rise of the wines of the Médoc and those from Hermitage were delegated to beef up lacklustre vintages from Bordeaux. In the 20th century some vineyards were even neglected.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné is the producer of the iconic La Chapelle 1961, which helped to renew interest in the great granitic vineyard of l’Hermitage and its wines.
The hillside where the Hermitage vineyards are planted faces south, overlooking a short section where the river Rhône flows west to east. The town of Tain l’Hermitage sits between the vineyard slopes and the water. A combination that creates an amazing scenery.
I bought this bottle when I visited the winery in 2015. I paid 72 EUR, significantly more than what I would have spent back home in Switzerland. When I found out I was highly disappointed and felt cheated. Now that I discover that the bottle is flawed, I’m even more disappointed.
Country: France
Region: Hermitage
Grapes: Syrah
Type: Red
Vintage: 2009
Producer: Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: N/A