Paul Jaboulet Aîné La Chapelle 2011

I've always loved this vintage in the Northern Rhône, which has a sunny, charming, sexy style while always staying light on its feet. The 2011 Hermitage La Chapelle displays a youthful ruby hue to go with plenty of sun-kissed notes of ripe red and black fruits, peppery herbs, sandalwood, fennel, and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it’s shed most of its baby fat and has an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, reasonable mid-palate density, and still present, ripe tannins that show on the finish. It's a beautiful, complex, satisfying Hermitage that's reminiscent of the 1991 with its balance and weight. It will continue evolving for another two decades.

Glass-staining purple. A room-filling bouquet evokes black and blue fruits, Asian spices, minerals and potpourri. Silky, palate-staining black raspberry and boysenberry flavors show unlikely vivacity and pick up spiciness and smokiness with air. Shows excellent focus and power on the finish, which features mounting tannins and lingering allspice and floral pastille notes.

The 2011 Hermitage la Chapelle continues to shine (I wrote "love it" in the notes) and shows the sunnier, perfumed style of the vintage. Black raspberry, crushed rocks, olive and licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, open, sweetly fruited Hermitage. It has plenty of sweet tannin and will last for 20+ years.