Hermitage La Chapelle, Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine 2012

The grand vin is the 2012 Hermitage la Chapelle, and it lives up to the billing in 2012. Coming mostly from the Meal and aged in just 20% new French oak, it's a blockbuster that exhibits thrilling, mineral-drenched notes of spiced dark fruits, beef blood, black olive and toast. Full-bodied, deep, layered and incredibly concentrated, it has a stacked mid-palate and enough tannin to warrant another 4-5 years of bottle age. It will have 2-3 decades of overall prime drinking, and certainly evolve for longer.

The flagship 2012 Hermitage La Chapelle is a gorgeous effort that should be one of the top handful of wines in the vintage. Coming mostly from the domaine's 17 acres in the warmer Le Meal lieu-dit and aged 15-18 months in 20% new French oak, it exhibits a tight, structured feel, with ample graphite, blackberry, roasted meats, espresso and licorice aromas and flavors all flowing from the glass. Full-bodied, incredibly pure and with masses of fine tannin, it's blockbuster stuff that will require short-term cellaring to become approachable and have 2-3 decades of overall evolution.