1980 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

Community Tasting Notes (24) Avg Score: 91.3 points

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  9/12/2022 - Elliot Vale Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Cork had some moisture to the top and there was a small seepage below the intact capsule. It was in good condition and came out easily with a Durand, and was mostly wet apart from a few dry patches near the top. Small tartrate crystals formed quickly on the extracted cork.
  The bottle was a pretty bright translucent green. Limited sediment and decanted immediately before serving. In hindsight, it could happily have been decanted 1 hour beforehand although it was interesting to enjoy the evolution.
  The colour was a good pale garnet with clearing at the rim. The wine had hints of purple and green.
  The nose was med+ with aromas of kalamata olives, cassis, boysenberry, blltong (vinegar cured meat), bacon dust. Then later beef extract (marmite), freshly shucked peas, and pond weed.
  The mouth had mushroom, blood orange and rosemary. Hinted at lavender but could never quite get there.
  Wine was well balanced with a long finish. Acid was high, but not too high (just).
  It was delicious but it demanded to be drunk slowly, in the same way that one doesn’t rush an elderly relative telling a story.

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  2/9/2022 - Amberissey Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Two hour double decant. So floral on the nose, alongside woodsmoke, barbecued meat, and liquorice. Also a bit of a damp stony characteristic, like a damp stone cellar or being in a castle. Dried red berries on the attack, developing into a violently charred meat mid palate and especially finish. Also some sweet flower petals on the mid palate. The charred nature mellowed out after a couple of hours, and the suggestion of black fruit skin but not flesh showed up. Great experience, but now’s the time to drink, improvement is in the past 88

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  2/8/2022 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Two hour double decant having been stood up for six days. 5cm ullage, signs of seepage, and a saturated cork that broke upon opening. A medium garnet core fading to a deep tawny outer edge and clearly showing some age. Expressive and layered aromas of dried red berries, campfire smoke, cured meat, purple florals, black liquorice, cracked vintage leather, decayed autumnal forest floor, and bizarrely what can only be described as the scent of a muddy puddle of water - the type of which you’d find down by the river side following some heavy rain as the rainwater washes the soil down the slopes. The palate offers up heavily charred red meat, rusty nails, burnt embers, and relics of black berries and their dried skins and while the concentration of yesteryear has faded this was still a pleasure to drink.

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  9/26/2020 - Labeerfan Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Smoked meats, high acid, subtle fruit. The wine is past it’s prime, but still has a wonderfully complex flavor. Unfortunately most of the fruit has fallen off, but also this is my oldest Hermitage ever consumed to date, so I have no reference.

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  6/16/2016 - john_s Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Fine condition. Followed comfortably a very beautiful 1985 burgundy. Clean no bret tiny trace menthol some leather. In mouth very balanced trace fine tannin quite lovely. Excellent mouth feel. This was well stored underground since purchased in the 1980s and had actually never moved an inch since then. Last bottle!

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