“La Maison Bleue” (formerly “La Petite Chapelle”) was first produced in 2015. The name change was made to increase the focus on Jaboulet’s flagship in the Hermitage, “La Chapelle”. The wine is made from 100% Syrah from some of Hermitage’s best parcels (biodynamically grown) in top vineyards such as Les Bessards, Les Greffieux, Le Méal and Les Roucoules. The vines are 40-60 years old, and production is limited to 15-20 hl./ha. Better provenance is simply not found in the Hermitage. The wine is matured for 15-18 months in French wooden barrels (15% new in 2020).
Although the spring of 2020 was one of the warmest on record in France, a few rain showers brought water and coolness to the vineyards. The flowering took place early, but otherwise perfect. Due to an extreme heat period without rain from early July, drought stress was feared for the grapes, but since an early color change was experienced on the bunches – where the grapes then require not much water – disaster was avoided. The harvest already began at the end of August, and since the weather was perfect, you could wait to harvest the grapes on the different parcels until they were optimally ripe. The result was perfect, healthy, aromatic and flavorful grapes, which promised a great vintage.
La Maison Bleue 2020 has a nice, glossy dark red color. The fragrance is quite open and delicate, with delicious, endearing notes of mint and Provencal spices, followed by deeper nuances of dark fruits such as plums, blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries. On the palate, the wine is quite tame, with good harmony between the concentrated, slightly spicy tones and delicious, fruity and charming nuances. In the aftertaste you sense good tannin, and the pleasure lasts.
Good for duck, veal brisket, beef and game dishes.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 when Antoine Jaboulet moved to Tain l’Hermitage in the northern Rhône and bought the family’s first vineyards in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. His goal was to produce top wines, and since he was both passionate and uncompromising, his wines were quickly noticed. After him followed 6 generations of the Jaboulet family, who over the years bought up pearls of vineyards mainly in the northern Rhône – for example in appellations such as Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph, Cornas and St. Péray.
After the sudden death of Gérard Jaboulet at the age of 55 in 1997, the renowned family company went through a difficult time, as there were no children to ensure another generational change. His wife and other family members therefore had to step in to run the business, but they had difficulty in several ways in getting it to run. In 2006, they therefore sold the company to the Swiss Frey family, who also own Château la Lagune, 3. Cru Classé (Bordeaux) and Château Corton C (formerly Ch. de Corton-André) in Aloxe-Corton (Burgundy) in addition to having possessions in Champagne and in Valais (Switzerland).
Just a few years after the takeover, the Frey family had brought Paul Jaboulet Aîné back into the absolute elite of the Rhône. The eldest daughter in the family, Caroline, has overseen the reconstruction and remains at the head of the company. She is a trained oenologist in Bordeaux and is known to be a perfectionist down to her fingertips. All the company’s fields have thus been thoroughly renovated, and new prime parcels in Côte Rôtie, Condrieu and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have been purchased and added to the already impressive portfolio of land holdings, which now totals 120 ha. (in the Rhône). The grapes from all these fields are supplemented to a limited extent with grapes that are purchased on a negociant basis from winegrowers with whom we have fixed agreements. As part of the continued development of the company, in 2013 Caroline Frey initiated a major planned transition to organic cultivation of all the company’s own fields. Starting with vintage 2016 (minimum) all domaine wines from Paul Jaboulet Aîné are therefore certified organic.
