December 21, 2023 - Beautifully integrated nose, with some wet soil starting to emerge. A dark, gentle core of fruit. Mid-palate is dense, almost pleasantly chewy. Slightly bracing, but refreshing, finish – the acid and tannin is in a nice spot right now. A really delicious, fun wine.
A side note: tasted the 2013 Paul Jaboulet Domaine des Pierrelles alongside this. The two wines, at this stage of development at least, were *very* similar.
October 22, 2023 - nice blend of earthy tones, tobacco leaf with black plum and blackberry - this is a medium weight wine that relies on interplay and nuance than power. Lovely
October 5, 2023 - Stunning wine. So rich and with incredible depth but yet everything in balance. Nothing to suggest this wine will likely outlive me.
May 19, 2023 - Concentrated and powerful dark fruit with good balance and long finish. Just needs patience to achieve its peak.
November 24, 2022 - Dark, dense and powerful red fruit. Tannins are soft with a long finish. At this point it is a bit opulent and lacks the elegance compared to a 2012-Chave Hermitage tasted alongside. It is accessible now but should improve with age.
November 5, 2022 - Eight Decades of Decadence: Uber young and not ready for consumption. Nevertheless, we needed a wine to represent the 2010s decade. It is a massive wine with the stuffing to last 2-3 more decades. Despite its youth, it is easy to discern this will become a legend. Exceptional wine, just young.
July 7, 2022 - Top Lash. Has come in leaps and bounds since I last tasted it. Caroline Frey is unquestionably a winemaker of vision, integrity and great passion. Even with this legendary terroir, she does things with the grapes that are staggering. There is such beauty and depth here. Truly profound - all the deep berry aromas, the spices, the pepper. But it's the structure, balance, evolution in the glass and open bottle, the contained longevity, the typicity and the authenticity that I find astonishing in La Chapelle. All of it. It's the greatest expression of Syrah on the planet (apologies to Grange) and the 2010 is no exception. Memorable and timeless. In 20-30 years, this will be as good as the 1990 is today. No doubt.
February 27, 2022 - Magnum format. Dark robe. Bold fruits and spice with very high complexity into the finish. Very much in balance and drinking beautifully. Unusual pairing with halibut and it actually paired beautifully.
November 11, 2021 - Dark fruit, cherries, and a hint of smoke on the nose. The palate is quite tannic and primary with medium acidity and dark fruit notes. Nice finish. This needs a lot of time, I’d give it 5 or better 10+ years. 93++
October 24, 2021 - Reverse experience of Jordan….for the first 90 minutes this was opulent and quite rich for a young La Chapelle, but lacking detail. I purchased this on release and it’s the first bottle I’ve tried… I was frankly surprised at its drinkability, and the heady personality has me questioning its aging potential. Very atypical imo, and perhaps the style under newer management? Later some black pepper and cigar detail emerged, which helped