100 Robert Parker
Opaque plum/garnet-colored, with a fabulously sweet, youthful bouquet of licorice, incense, smoked meats, pepper, and blackberry/cassis fruit, the full-bodied 1978 La Chapelle is extremely young with astonishing vigor, velvety tannin, and a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered personality. The finish lasts for over 60 seconds. Remarkably fresh and not yet fully mature, the super-concentrated 1978 should continue to age well for another three decades. Anticipated maturity: now-2030
100 Robert Parker
Opaque plum/garnet-colored, with a fabulously sweet, youthful bouquet of licorice, incense, smoked meats, pepper, and blackberry/cassis fruit, the full-bodied 1978 La Chapelle is extremely young with astonishing vigor, velvety tannin, and a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered personality. The finish lasts for over 60 seconds. Remarkably fresh and not yet fully mature, the super-concentrated 1978 should continue to age well for another three decades. Anticipated maturity: now-2030
100 James Suckling
Last year I visited Paul Jaoulet Aîne, and I came away very impressed with the way the estate is headed. After a period of decline in quality, under new ownership the wines are becoming more and more suggestive of older, outstanding vintages. You can view the full report I wrote here, but I thought I’d share a further perfect wine – the 1978 La Chapelle. Today the wine shows an almost smokey character on the nose with so many dried plums, pepper and meat. The palate, meanwhile, is incredibly supple with round and velvety tannins and wondrous, sexy fruit. Unquestionably a perfect wine.
99 Wine Spectator
Fantastic quality makes your palate spin with joy. Warm July and August with timely rains were a recipe for greatness, and this is a vin de garde. Seamless and silky, but also with a firm backbone of mineral, wet earth, plum, blackberry and leather notes. An old-fashioned red with a long finish.--La Chapelle vertical. Drink now through 2020. ?PM
99 Wine Spectator
Fantastic quality makes your palate spin with joy. Warm July and August with timely rains were a recipe for greatness, and this is a vin de garde. Seamless and silky, but also with a firm backbone of mineral, wet earth, plum, blackberry and leather notes. An old-fashioned red with a long finish.--La Chapelle vertical. Drink now through 2020. ?PM