WINE OF THE WEEK: 2020 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné “La Maison Bleue” Hermitage

Premium Northern Rhone Syrah from Hermitage AOC by iconic french producer Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine

This week, we’re reviewing an iconic French wine by an iconic French producer! This is a definite “can’t miss” for the serious wine lovers in the crowd. There is no question that the ideas of Domaine Jaboulet and Hermitage go hand in hand.

Read on to learn all that you need to know about the 2020 Domaine Jaboulet Aíné “La Maison Bleu”.

2020 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné “La Maison Bleue” Hermitage

This week, with our selection, we are headed to the northern Rhône Valley in southern France. More specifically, we are in Hermitage AOC, which is undoubtedly amongst the most prestigious appellations in France (and certainly a venerable appellation of the Rhône Valley!).

What does this wine cost?

$100 Cdn. This is not inexpensive by any stretch. However, it is a solid value for this well regarded french wine in our view.

What grape variety(ies) are in this wine?

This is a 100% varietal Syrah wine.

Where does this wine come from?

As noted above, this wine hails from the Hermitage AOC in the northern Rhône Valley.

For many people who are “in the know”, Hermitage is truly the spiritual home and benchmark region for moderate climate Syrah today. It enjoys the adulation of wine critics and fans the world over and some would go so far as to say there is nothing better than high quality northern Rhone Syrah (from Hermitage). It is certainly a source of premium Rhone valley wines.

This wine gives you a glimpse into why wine lovers feel this way and why so many producers all over the world aim to produce Syrah in a northern Rhône style!

To learn more about the Hermitage AOC, Hermitage wines and/or distinctions between Syrah based wines from the northern Rhone that every wine lover should understand, be sure to read this article —> [Learn about Hermitage]

Why is this wine unique?

This wine is produced by a benchmark producer and is one of their signature bottlings. It is very highly praised by many international wine critics and is made using the highest standards of care (see below for more information).

While the wines is made from fruit sourced from multiple parcels of land, the fruit itself is of the highest quality, coming from the eastern section of the Hermitage hill. Furthermore, the domaine (see below for more) follows organic, biodynamic and sustainable philosophies in the vineyard and in the production and distribution of their wines.

Who makes this wine?

This wine is produced by one of the most renowned producers of the Rhône Valley, with a history in the region that extends back hundreds of years.

The domaine was founded in 1834 by Paul Jaboulet Aîné and is now owned and operated by the Frey family, with award-winning winemaker Caroline Frey at the helm of what goes into each bottle of wine that the domaine produces.

This producer is known for making some of the best wines from the Hermitage AOC and even more widely across the Northern Rhone valley.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Grape Variety - 100% Syrah

Yields - 25 -35 hL/ha

Grapes - handpicked and sorted by plot in 12 kg crates before being manually sorted at the winery and destemmed

Soils - fruit is sourced from a variety of terroirs

Fermentation - Temperature controlled, approx. 3 weeks of maceration

Maceration - Daily pump-overs

Maturation - aged for 12+ months in a mixture of oak barrels and concrete vats

ABV - 13.5%

Residual Sugar - 2 g/L

Wineitupanotch wine tasting notes:

Pouring a deep ruby in the glass, this wine sings its potential from the moment that you take the first inhale through your nose. Laced with notes of morello cherries, blueberries, blackcurrant, violets, cedar, olives and black tea, the tannins are firm but also silky soft, rendering a wine that beguiles the drinker and belies its ageability.

The palate as a whole is concentrated, full bodied and plush and the acidity keeps everything in balance, while the finish on the wine seems to go on and on.

While this wine is showing reasonably well now, it will most definitely stand the test of time and improve markedly over the next eight to ten years in our opinion, as it is designed to do. With time, the wine will move into a more tertiary profile, whilst the tannins will also soften further, thereby increasing the complexity and drinkability of the wine even further.

Aging potential:

This wine has the potential to continue to improve over the next 8-10+ years.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

As a food and wine pairing suggestion for the 2020 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné “La Maison Bleue” Hermitage, consider pairing this wine with a high quality steak in a black pepper sauce. If you prefer a vegetarian option, try pairing this wine with stuffed portobello mushrooms. We would even recommend enjoying some on its own, to experience the awe-inspiring magic that is high quality northern Rhone syrah wines.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 92 points

This wine is a special treat for many wine lovers, a premium Syrah selection…. but its worth it! It is also a great buy for someone who is looking to build a cellar of well-rated, ageable wines and/or makes the perfect gift for the discerning wine lover in your life.

FINAL VERDICT:

To sum it up in a world - lovely!

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, we’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop us a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine!……

Cheers…..XOXO