Paul Jaboulet Aîné is always mentioned among the top producers of the Rhône Valley, but serious wine lovers and collectors in the U.S. may have noticed its absence from wine shops and top-tier restaurants in recent years.
Usually referred to simply as Jaboulet, the storied producer is back on our shores in a big way, and the wines are better than ever. Jaboulet has not been carried by a national importer with full distributor coverage of America in a decade; the brand left its prior importer in 2014 and wines were available via a hodgepodge of small distributors and brokers. While a quick search shows that the most recent vintage available online or in-store is 2016, the 2021 vintage of Paul Jaboulet Aîné and its breakout brand Domaine de La Chapelle are just arriving stateside.
We got a sneak peek into the new vintage. Founded on the Hermitage hill in 1834 by Antoine Jaboulet, the winery grew under his descendants and was acquired by the Frey family in 2006. Winemaker Caroline Frey began the transition to organic and biodynamic farming and achieved organic certification in 2016.
This type of viticulture creates wines that “are more precise, balanced, and deeply rooted,” Frey tells Robb Report. “Organic and biodynamic viticulture enable better functioning of the soil and the vine, which supports optimal ripeness and the true expression of the terroirs.” And she adds that it also helps retain water, which helps ward off some of the effects of climate change.
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