Through the Eyes of an Icon: The Rhone Valley with Paul Jaboulet Aine

Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible [arguably one of the most influential books for the uninitiated vinous quidnunc and seasoned Sommelier alike,] reveres The Rhone Valley as one of France’s top 3 regions. As a Francophile and Old World wine lover myself, this suggestion places this 150 mile stretch, roughly the size of the Florida Keys, as one of the most influential and important places for winemaking in the world.

This small but mighty region, situated beneath Burgundy on the South Eastern face of the country, can be most easily understood from the standpoint of its two sub-regions: Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. While similar in their “uninhibited, fearless, almost savage flavors, ” oft described as “untamed" and “rustic,” the wines of the Northern and Southern Rhone are decidedly distinct from one another. The North is home to the region’s most rare and expensive wines and allows only Syrah as the sole grape planted (along with the white grapes Marsanne, Roussanne, and the most important, Viognier). At least an hour’s drive south of the last Northern Rhone vineyard, markedly different in vineyard orientation and climate, the Southern Rhone hosts a myriad of red grape varietals primarily blended together, but none more significant than Grenache [Noir.]

Before delving too deeply down the rabbit hole of character and flavor , the historical significance of this region must be explored: for wine’s mystical appeal lies as much in its geography and anthropology as it does in its hedonism.

The last vestige of a glacier that sculpted the Rhone Valley millennia ago, the Rhone River has been an important trade vein for over 2,000 years, beginning in Switzerland, connecting Lyon, Vienne, Valence and Avignon with the Mediterranean sea. The Romans settled along this river at the height of the Roman Empire and made wines of such quality and excellence that Author and Naturalist Pliny the Elder waxed poetic about them in his writings; not only is this region one of the oldest to exist for winemaking, but also it is historically qualitatively superior. In the 14th Century the Papacy moved from Rome to Avignon, built a summer residence in the South known as “The Castle of Popes,” and as legend would have it, a knight from the Crusades was to build a small chapel on a hill overlooking the River. Fast forward to 1864.

Enter: Paul Jaboulet Aine.

An iconic producer with a vibrant and raucously successful beginning, Paul Jaboulet Aine is responsible for one of the undisputed “Bucket List Wines” for pretty much every wine professional alive: 1961 La Chapelle, produced from a tiny granitic vineyard on the hill of Hermitage (100% Syrah, 100 points Robert Parker) a mere stones-throw away from the Knight’s Chapel. A Northern Rhone, Syrah-dominant house primarily, Jaboulet has some holdings in Southern Rhone Appellations from which they make Negociant wines.

Undoubtedly quintessential, however, Jaboulet’s more recent history has been quite a bit more turbulent, after the passing of some core family members, leaving the business in disrepair. In 2006, “outsider” Caroline Frey [Valedictorian of her class in Bordeaux but still a young woman with some “unorthodox” ideas] picked up the slack and began to reinstate Jaboulet’s wines to their former glory.

Today I tasted through a sampling of some of these wines, all produced by Caroline’s hand, all converted to organic practices at her insistence; some are Domaine and some Negociant to get a feel for both Northern and Southern appellations from this producer.

PAUL JABOULET AINE COTES DU RHONE ROUGE PARALLELE 45 [2018]:

60% Grenache, 40% Syrah

This Cotes-du-Rhone is named for the 45th Parallel (latitude) 2km from their cellar. A longstanding wine in their portfolio, this CDR is more in the style of a Northern Rhone house (Syrah is a dominant flavor). Sourced from 2 family farms along the river using sustainable practices.

Tasting notes: extremely dark fruited on the nose, with blackberry jam and bramble notes. Black cherry and macerated strawberries combine with a scent of black licorice and waxy red candy. Hints of pepper ripple through the palate. A juicy and fruit driven, pleasing yet still layered wine, drinking far above its weight class as a sub $15 wine. Clocks in at 14.5% ABV, which is standard.

PAIRING: Cured meats, charcuterie board, funky cheese, mushroom dishes

[hearty, rich, jammy, boistrous, savory]

PAUL JABOULET AINE “Pierre Aiguille” Gigondas [2017]

80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre

Typically considered Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s “little brother,” the appellation of Gigondas is typically an excellent value, especially from some of the better-known houses. Named from the Latin “Jocunditas” meaning “exuberant pleasure;” though the name is most likely referring to how the Roman soldiers spent their time [read: Golden Age Frat House], this wine lives up to its etymology. Sourced fruit, single vineyard. Ageable.

Tasting notes: Tarter fruit quality on the nose, bursting with wild raspberry and red currant and exotic pomegranate. Keep smelling —> Hawaiian punch, luxardo cherries, stewed orange peels. Silky palate quite luxe and feminine. Layered, rich, dancing, ephemeral. Delish. 14.5% ABV.

PAIRING: Porchetta, pig trotters, anything with bacon, anything exotic-spiced like chicken thigh tagine

[smokey, delicate, explosive, restrained, sanguine, foral]

PAUL JABOULET AINE Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert [2017]

100% Syrah

Produced on the flatlands at the bottom of the Hermitage Hill, Crozes-Hermitage TEND TO BE less layered and complex than their more presigiously-zipcoded neighbors. However, this is simply not the case here. Super hot vintage, tiny yields, great producers worked some magic here.This wine provided a crazy experience that unfolded in my mouth. 94-96 pts from everyone.

Tasting notes: Menthol, iodine, olive brine off-the-bat. An ooh-aah type of bouquet. Pencil shavings as well (from the granite), orange zest, sweet cinnamon stewed fruit. Cool dichotomy of dried herb savoriness and sweet fruit on the palate - a definite porkiness comes up. Coming back to it a bit later and caramel corn and graham cracker crumbs float to the top. The BEST part: the richness of the palate + the brininess and savoriness created the sensation of egg yolk in the mouth [like eating an Uni spoon - sea urchin, caviar, quail yolk] bizarre and wonderful. 13.5% ABV.

PAIRINGS: Pheasant and foie, smoked duck breast with cassoulet, fish in beurre blanc, pot au feu

[Rich, funky, silky, savory, gamey, textured, primal]

PAUL JABOULET AINE Cornas "Les Grandes Terasses” [2015]

100% Syrah

Domaine fruit alert! Typically given a bit longer to age. Only Syrah allowed in this appellation (vs. some white grapes allowed for blending in other Northerly appellations).

Tasting notes: Powdery, sweet-tart on the nose which deepens to a plum, cassis character. Fresh fig, which I loved when i discovered. A bit shy, give her some time. Cherries and cinnamon peep through. And then the layers, graphite and herbs de provence. Palate was “lovely” but, as Cornas is one of my favorite appellations (dont @ me), I expected a bit more from her. Not quite as complex as desired. Yummy nonetheless. 13.5% ABV.

PAIRINGS: Slow-braised lamb shoulder, a sharp white cheddar with chutney

[sultry, fruit-whispers, spice, thyme, time]

PAUL JABOULET AINE Chateauneuf-du-pape “Les Cedres” [2016]

70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre

One of 2 CDPs that Jaboulet produces. 50 year old vines on average. 12 months on new and used French oak. This shows.

Tasting notes: this CDP does not scream steakhouse like some do, it is more subdued and darker fruited than some. Lots of blue, black, purple and red fruits co-mingle with the cinnamon clove vanilla oak spice. The 15% ABV shows but only just, well hidden beneath the broad fruit profile. Some tar and a little bacon, but mostly fruit and spice. Not nearly as Grenache dominant as the cepage would have you believe. Pretty yummy but not as boistrous as we’ve come to understand Cheateauneuf.

PAIRINGS: Anything stewed or roasted, BBQ, sausages, high fat meats with lots of flavors, mushroom pasta

[loud, jammy, layered, big, full, hot]