Domaine de La Chapelle - Hermitage La Chapelle - Magnum 2012
Overlooking Tain-l’Hermitage from the steep slopes of the famous hill, La Chapelle belongs to the historic cuvées that have contributed to the worldwide reputation of northern Rhône syrah. Its identity is based on the blend of several major lieux-dits of Hermitage, including Les Bessards, Le Méal, Les Greffieux, and Les Rocoules. The diversity of these areas combines granite soils, scree, pebbles, and more clayey formations, offering the syrah complementary expressions of power, finesse, and freshness. Since the domain was taken over by the Frey family in 2006, thorough work has been carried out in the vineyards and the cellar to enhance the precision and reading of the different terroirs. The old vines play an essential role in the natural depth of the wine and its remarkable ability to age through decades. The 2012 vintage stands out with a balanced and relatively classic profile, with controlled maturity and beautiful aromatic definition. Presented in magnum, it also benefits from generally slower evolution, favorable to maintaining freshness and the gradual integration of its structure.
Hermitage La Chapelle 2012 is made exclusively from syrah coming from the domain’s different historic terroirs. The parcel work allows harvesting each sector according to its own rhythm before composing the final blend seeking depth, tension, and harmony. The vintage offers concentrated matter without reaching the particularly massive character of some warmer years, leaving more room for finesse and precision. The tannins are structured but ripe, supporting deep black fruit and a spicy register characteristic of northern syrah. The aging accompanies this architecture by seeking a gradual integration of the wood and a clear preservation of the terroir’s identity. After more than a decade in bottle, the wine begins to develop an attractive tertiary complexity while retaining a real reserve of fruit. The magnum format slows this evolution and allows considering a particularly harmonious maturation over a still long period.
The color retains a deep garnet hue, with ruby reflections that only just begin to show its evolution. The nose combines blackcurrant, blackberry, and black plum with notes of violet, black pepper, and licorice. Aeration gradually reveals nuances of black olive, graphite, smoked meat, and tobacco, accompanied by a slightly wild register typical of syrahs reaching maturity. The palate has beautiful density but remains balanced by a mineral freshness that gives movement to the whole. The tannins today gain in smoothness and extend a still deep matter, marked by black fruits, spices, and a fine smoky touch. The finish remains persistent, peppery, and stony, with a depth that should still gain complexity over the years. This 2012 magnum will accompany a matured rib of beef, a roasted rack of lamb, pigeon, royal hare, or game accompanied by wild mushrooms.
Grape variety: 100% Syrah
