Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche

Calf sweetbread terrine with chantilly aux herbes, Autumn salad with hazelnut oil. Blanquette of monkfish with grapes.

In 1834, when Antoine Jaboulet set up his business in Tain l’Hermitage with the aim of producing great wines, he saw his future profession as cultivating the vineyards and maintaining the quality of the land. It was with this mindset that he quickly acquired his first vineyards on the Hermitage slopes and the Crozes Hermitage plains. In 2006, the Freys (owners of Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux) took over Paul Jaboulet Aine, where winemaker Caroline now works with her teams in a single-minded quest for perfection; combining cutting-edge winemaking with the scrupulous care given to vines grown in exceptional terroirs. They have since also acquired vineyards in the appellations of Cote Rotie, Condrieu and Crozes Hermitage. All estates are now certified organic and the team broadly follow bio-dynamic principles. Jaboulet’s most celebrated wine is its famed Hermitage La Chapelle, named after the chapel that overlooks this most celebrated of vineyards. Jaboulet have owned the chapel since the end of the First World War – it’s an icon of this part of the Rhone Valley and marks where the best vines are grown.

This estate of around 7ha is located on pebbly terraces that are glacial in origin. These small, round pebbles store heat during the day and release it at night, providing optimum and regular maturity.

The traditional ageing process in 80% French oak barrels and 20% concrete egg shaped tanks) for 8 months, brings freshness with a palette of complex aromas (candied lemons, marmalade)

The hand-picked grapes are directly put into small crates, the whole bunch grapes are pressed slightly, the must settles for 2 days before being racked, then the fermentation starts.