Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Maison Bleue 2018 750ml

The two top wines are the La Maison Bleue, from vines in the eastern side of the appellation, and the La Chapelle, which comes from vines on the western side of the appellation. The soils between these two regions are drastically different, with the Maison Bleue coming from more loess and limestone and the La Chapelle from more granite soils. There are around 2,000 cases produced of each in a vintage. The 2018 Hermitage La Maison Bleue sports a dense purple color to go with gorgeous blackberry and cassis fruits interwoven with notes of spice, dried meats, chocolate, and loamy earth. Rich, full-bodied, and expansive on the palate, it doesn’t have the minerality or chiseled style of the La Chapelle, but it brings incredible fruit, texture, and opulence. It’s a gorgeous wine I’d be thrilled to drink and is better than many vintages of the La Chapelle in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Hermitage
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Syrah

Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet’s most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn’t easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.