Hermitage 'La Chapelle'		1989	P. Jaboulet

12/97. Acquired Aug-97 for $85 (imported for $95 net).
Tonight at home with mushroom ragu for starters and an extremely tasty 'Cordon Bleu' for main dish.
COLOR: Very dark color. No clearing around the rim. Very young and healthy appearance.
NOSE: Rich, multi-layered aromas. Black and red forest fruits, spices (pepper?), even coffee tones. Not yet bursting out of the glass but splendid even now.
TASTE: A bit disappointing after the nose. On the palate the wine is completely closed. Tons of tannins block the fruit. Concentration is there, but winyness is masked by hard tannins and a high measure of perceived acidity. Will no doubt emerge a winner once it opens up, but right now it takes something rich in proteins to accompany this stubborn youngster.
LENGTH: The harsh tannins leave their mark even on the long aftertaste which is quite bitterish.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Sturdy and full bodied. Tannins dominate at the moment, with noticeable acidity. Very good structure. The amount of fruit on the nose gives hope for a better balanced wine in the future.
OVERALL: Superb, but needs a few more years. Right now this wine is much less enjoyable than it southern counterpart the 1989 Beaucastel.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.