Jaboulet 2015 Crozes Hermitage "Les Jalets" 750ml

The 2014 Crozes Hermitage les Jalets comes partially from purchased grapes and partially from estate vineyards. Aged all in older casks, it exhibits fresh, lively notes of black cherries, pepper and spring flowers to go with a medium-bodied, supple, yet lightly textured and quaffable feel on the palate. It's well made and charming, and is a good effort, especially in this less than straightforward vintage.

Caroline Frey and winemaker Jacques Desvernois continue to make a bevy of high quality wines from throughout the Rhône Valley. Both their 2014s and 2013s show the vintage character nicely, and the wines show fresher, more elegant profiles without sacrificing too much density and depth. I’d like a touch more flesh and texture in a few of these latest releases, but there’s no denying the high quality coming from this estate today. One noteworthy change here is that after decades of working with Frederick Wildman & Sons, Paul Aîné Jaboulet will now be represented in the US by New York based Skurnik Wines. Hopefully this will lead to broader distribution and more access to these wines as there’s tons of value and quality in the lineup.

-- Jeb Dunnuck, RobertParker.com, Dec 2015