1978 Hermitage La Chapelle
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Tasting notes
From Kate Dugdale's cellar. The Wine Society bottling did not show well (volatile and dry). Evolved and meaty nose. Rich and meaty on the palate, too. Smooth but still chewy, really good depth of fruit. Full in the mouth, smoky meat. Alive and generous and still well balanced. Savoury finish tapers off a little at the end. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Served blind alongside the much more hedonistic 1978 Ch Palmer, it initially seemed more withdrawn, drier and more structured but it did open out in the glass and will presumably have a longer life. This is my eighth tasting note on this wine and the first since 2010, when I suggested the drinking window of that bottle was 2005 to 2022! This particular bottle came straight from the personal Yorkshire cellar of the late David Dugdale , owner of OW Loeb, UK importers of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, so obviously straight from the source. (JR)
The 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle remains one of the benchmark wines of the world and is always an incredible treat to taste. It’s been fully mature for the past decade or more and offers an incredible array of sweet red and black fruits, barbecue smoke, cured meats, licorice, Asian spices, and coffee. Deep, powerful, and layered, it’s tastes like a hypothetical mix of the 1990 and 1961, showing the purity and freshness of the 1990 and the smoke, meaty, powerful character of the 1961. Incredibly full-bodied, beautifully pure, magically textured, and as profound as wine gets, I wish I could pour sound bottles of this for every reader. It’s not going to get any better, and my advice is to drink up, but it’s going to hold nicely for some time.
A collection of stunning older northern Rhônes puts a strong exclamation point on this night of fabulous food, wine and conversation. The 1978 La Chapelle from Jaboulet is full of deep, woodsy aromas and flavors. Still, deep, rich and positively explosive in the glass, the 1978 is a real treat to taste and drink. The 1978 remains remarkably youthful, even if it has (understandably) faded just a touch since I tasted it a few years ago.