Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets | Paul Jaboulet Aîné

Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné

The history of Paul Jaboulet Aîné dates back to 1834, when Antoine Jaboulet began working among the hills of Hermitage, in what was then still a quiet rural area of the Rhône Valley. Through his work he gradually helped transform this territory into one of the most prestigious wine districts in the world, long before the Hermitage Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée was officially established. Over the decades the maison became one of the main reference points of the northern Rhône Valley, contributing to building the international reputation of its wines. Among its most famous labels stands Hermitage “La Chapelle”, considered a true legend of oenology and often ranked among the greatest wines ever produced. The name comes from the small chapel overlooking the famous Hermitage vineyard, acquired by the Jaboulet family in 1919, at the end of the First World War, and which has since become an iconic symbol of the area.

A new chapter in the winery’s history began in 2006, when the Frey family, already owners of Château La Lagune in Bordeaux and with long experience in the Champagne world, acquired Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Under the guidance of winemaker Caroline Frey, trained in the Bordeaux tradition, the estate launched an important renewal process based on the combination of modern winemaking techniques and meticulous attention to vineyard work and the enhancement of terroirs. In the following years the estate expanded with the acquisition of new vineyards in the Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, and Crozes-Hermitage appellations, while the entire vineyard estate was converted to organic certification, with agricultural practices inspired by the principles of biodynamics.

Northern Rhône Valley

The Northern Rhône Valley is one of the most prestigious areas of French viticulture and, together with the Southern Rhône Valley, forms the great wine region that stretches along the course of the Rhône River. The two zones are separated by about 50 kilometers with almost no vineyards, with the city of Montélimar at the center—a stretch that also marks a clear stylistic distinction between the wines of the north and those of the south.

The Northern Rhône is especially famous for red wines based on Syrah, a grape variety that finds one of its most noble and refined expressions here. Unlike the southern part, where blends are common, wines in the northern zone are generally monovarietal, meaning they are produced from a single grape variety—a characteristic that allows the specific qualities of the terroir to be expressed with great precision. Alongside Syrah, the main white grapes are Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier, which give rise to some of the most elegant and aromatic white wines in France.

Among the most important appellations are Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Condrieu, and Château-Grillet. Wines from Côte-Rôtie, produced from steep south-facing vineyards, are famous for their aromatic intensity and the typical black pepper notes of Syrah; in some cases they may be complemented by a small percentage of Viognier, which adds finesse and floral aromas. Hermitage, another iconic appellation of the region, produces red wines of great structure and longevity based on Syrah, as well as refined white wines made from Marsanne and Roussanne.

Further south lies Crozes-Hermitage, a larger and generally less sunny area whose wines maintain the same varietal profile but often in a more approachable style. The appellations of Saint-Joseph and Cornas offer very different interpretations of Syrah: the former with a wide stylistic range, from lighter expressions to more structured wines, while Cornas produces exclusively intense, powerful, and particularly long-lived reds.

In the northernmost part lies Condrieu, the undisputed homeland of Viognier, an aromatic grape that here expresses intense aromas of exotic fruit, flowers, and ripe fruit. Within this appellation is also the tiny Château-Grillet, one of the smallest AOCs in France, with only a few hectares of vineyards dedicated exclusively to producing great white wines of extraordinary elegance.