A gorgeous intensity of plum, spice and grilled meat on the nose. Cloves and hints of dried spices. This is a big, structured La Chappelle. Full and powerful with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. A bit austere and muscular but gorgeous. Tar, spice, dried meat and asphalt. Needs to be aged for at least another five or six years. This is another 1991 in the making.

The 2011 Hermitage la Chapelle continues to shine (I wrote "love it" in the notes) and shows the sunnier, perfumed style of the vintage. Black raspberry, crushed rocks, olive and licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, open, sweetly fruited Hermitage. It has plenty of sweet tannin and will last for 20+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

I've always loved this vintage in the Northern Rhône, which has a sunny, charming, sexy style while always staying light on its feet. The 2011 Hermitage La Chapelle displays a youthful ruby hue to go with plenty of sun-kissed notes of ripe red and black fruits, peppery herbs, sandalwood, fennel, and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it’s shed most of its baby fat and has an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, reasonable mid-palate density, and still present, ripe tannins that show on the finish. It's a beautiful, complex, satisfying Hermitage that's reminiscent of the 1991 with its balance and weight. It will continue evolving for another two decades.

Now this is Hermitage. From old vines planted in some of Hermitage’s most exalted parcels (Les Bessards, Les Greffieux, Le Méal and Les Rocoules), it’s chewy and ferrous, the gritty tannins holding an animal grip and the bacon-fat scent to go with them. It’s as if fruit is beside the point, a mere vehicle for more important things, like talking about where this comes from. Monumental and real.

Remarkably mature already, this has an earthy side to its dense black fruits, with a touch of sweet leaf mulch. It's very full-bodied, lush and thick, with piercing acidity and noticeable alcohol. It leans towards overextraction in 2011 and certainly makes an impression.