A youthful scion of the Frey wine family is making her mark in the Rhône and in Bordeaux, writes JOHN WILSON.
THE MEMBERS OF the Preamble Wine Club were a very lucky lot. Back in the 1980s, Gérard Jaboulet would make an annual hunting trip to Ireland. Each year, I understand that he would drop into the monthly tasting of Preamble (one of the first wine clubs in Ireland) with a couple of old bottles of La Chapelle tucked under his arm. Hermitage La Chapelle is one of the world’s great wines. In those days, it had not yet become an object of speculation, and so could be purchased at a reasonable price. Monsieur Jaboulet was responsible for making La Chapelle. All the Jaboulet wines are very popular in this country. From the Parrallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône to Hermitage La Chapelle, they can be found on the shelves of most wine shops, off-licences and supermarkets. Few wine lovers will not have tried them at some stage.
Gérard passed away in 1997, leaving some seven members of the Jaboulet clan to continue the family business. Founded in the early 19th century, the company slowly expanded to a formidable size. In addition to La Chapelle, Jaboulet now own significant holdings in the various appellations of the northern Rhône, including Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas and Côte Rôtie. They are also major negociants, buying large quantities of grapes throughout the entire region, north and south. Jaboulet are important: alongside Guigal and Chapoutier, they are the best-known brands, and one of the driving forces, in the Rhône.
However, all was not well chez Jaboulet. There were rumours of differences within the family, and at times the quality of the wine was erratic. It was not altogether surpising that the firm was sold in 2006 to the Swiss financier Jacques Frey. In the area, those from outside the region are viewed with some suspicion; those from a different country even more so. The Freys are not new to wine; they own vineyards in Champagne, and their daughter Caroline studied viticulture at Bordeaux University. She was largely responsible for an impressive turnaround in quality at Château La Lagune, a grand cru classé in the Médoc, also owned by the Frey family. There is still a Jaboulet involvement in the company, with Fredéric Jaboulet in the role of sales director.
Earlier this year, John Livingstone- Learmonth, the leading English commentator and author of the authoritative book on the northern Rhône, wrote a fairly stinging article on the new owners of Jaboulet and the style of wines now emanating from the cellars. His case, argued with as much passion as logic, was that the Frey family had no experience in the area, and were making a toned-down, more international style. He also pointed out that there had been massive price hikes.
Caroline Frey was in Dublin recently for a trade tasting, so I took the opportunity to hear her side of the story. She is young and obviously confident in her abilities, but without any arrogance. She now divides her time between Bordeaux and the Rhône. She is content with progress in La Lagune. “It is now 10 years since we bought it, and we have done a lot of work in the vineyards. Because of that, the quality of the wines has started to improve. We still have a lot of work to do, but I am very happy with the results so far. In the 1990s quality had declined, mainly because the vineyard work was not being done well. To produce a good wine you must have good grapes. We replanted, we changed the density of the vines, and we increased the trellising to improve the canopy. All of this was to improve the quality of the grapes, to get better aromas, tannins and fruit.”
She intends working in a similar way in the Rhône. “Our first real vintage is 2006, but we still need time to gain a full understanding of all the different appellations. From Hermitage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape; they are all completely different wines. We are still learning. We want to reflect the terroir and the taste of the terroir. It is vital to get great grapes, and believe me, the work the team do in each appellation will make the wines special.”
The situation they inherited was not ideal. “Standards were not always good enough, and I guess the quality of the wine could have been better. So we decided to focus first on the vineyards, and the ageing in barrels, too. They have discarded the old barrels and vats, replacing them with the more modern stainless steel and oak barriques,”she says.
When I broached the subject of John Livingstone-Learmonth she did not seem too upset. “I was surprised by his comments, and I don’t understand them. I guess that in the Rhône there is a tradition for some of the wine to have very animal flavours, which some people say is part of the bouquet. I do not agree; for me the bouquet comes from the grapes and the terroir and not the yeasts. All of the work we are doing now in Jaboulet is to preserve the taste of each terroir, so I am really surprised and do not agree at all with these comments. It is not very fair, actually. I don’t know why he criticised us. Possibly because we came from Bordeaux, possibly because we are new. Jaboulet had been in the family for many years; we are a new family from Bordeaux and Champagne. I guess for these reasons people can be worried about what we are going to do. But anyone who visits us to see what we are doing cannot be concerned.”
She sees a bright future for Jaboulet. They have bought more vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south, but Frey’s heart (and taste) is in the north. Regarding La Chapelle she is quite clear. “A taste of La Chapelle must be memorable; it is not just a good or very good wine; it is one of the best in the world. Even if you only ever drink one glass, you must hold that memory for the rest of your life.”
It is probably too early to make a judgment on the Jaboulet wines under the Frey managership. The style of the wine has changed, although not necessarily for the worse. There are plenty of young winemakers in the northern Rhône who use very modern methods without losing the unique flavours of the Syrah grape. Prices for the top wines have certainly increased, but the current economic climate may see these soften. In Ireland, we have a range of Rhône wines from high-quality small producers, so competition is there. At the business end, I have always rated the basic Jaboulet wines highly and, for the most part, I still do. The Parrèllele 45 range offers very good value for money, particularly in good vintages such as 2006.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parrallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2006, 13.5%, €12.49.Soft warming ripe fruits, well-made, with just enough power and oomph, and a pleasant spicy touch. A pretty good all-rounder, which would go nicely with most grilled or roast red meats. Stockists: Supervalu; Morton's, Ranelagh; O'Briens; Centra.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets 2006, 13.5%, €17.99. Classic, cool damson fruits with a nice savoury edge, and some spice and lightly drying tannins on the finish. This would go very nicely with grilled or roast pork dishes. Stockists: O'Briens; SuperValu; Ardkeen Superstores, Waterford; Morton's, Ranelagh.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes Domaine de Thalabert 2006, 13.5%, €30.99. A big step up from the other Crozes, this is big, powerful wine with meaty dark fruits, and very nicely integrated tannins. There is a slight hint of vanilla that doesn't sit quite right, but this is a very impressive wine. It can be approached now, but will continue to develop for years to come. Try it with a rib-eye steak. Stockist:O'Briens
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Cornas Les Grands Terraces 2006, 13.5%, €45. Very attractive wine with ample cool damson and liquorice fruits, and impressive length. On the palate it is sleek and silky, with notes of new oak spice, and plenty of depth. Not the most traditional Cornas, but a very attractive wine. Stockist:The Wine Centre, Kilkenny.
TWO UNDER TWELVE
Le Petit Jaboulet Syrah Vin de Pays 2006, 13%, €11.49. A very modern, easy, fruit-driven style with ripe, easy cherries and damsons. This is not quite as good as some of the Vin de Pays Syrah from the northern Rhône that I have tasted; but then it is very well priced. Good with a plate of charcuterie. Stockist:Cellars, Naas Road.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parrallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2007, 13.5%, €11.49. This has some very attractive floral notes, decent weight on the palate, and a nice crisp finish. The relatively rich fruit makes it more of a food wine; try it with fish or chicken in creamy white sauces. Stockists:Centra; SuperValu; Londis; O'Briens; Cellars, Naas Road.
ON THE GRAPEVINE
Dalkey wine shop On the Grapevine opened its doors on St Patrick’s Day, 1999. To celebrate, this March 17th they will be offering free glasses of wine to all customers. In addition, there will be a 20 per cent discount on every wine for that day only. So get €2 off a bottle at €10 or €40 off
a bottle of Cristal – the choice is yours.