La Chapelle is named after the small chapel at the summit of the hill of Hermitage, which the Jaboulet family has owned since 1919. The wine is pure Syrah from granite slopes above Tain, and in its great years — 1961, 1978, 1990 — it stands among the most admired red wines made anywhere in France.
1982 was not one of those years. The northern Rhône had a punishingly hot harvest; fermentations ran away from more than one cellar in the valley and the wines came in soft, forward and quick to mature rather than built for the long haul. Bottles have been drinking for decades, and any surviving example should be met as a gentle, evolved Hermitage — smoked meat, dried violet, old leather — rather than the powerhouse the name suggests.
Bought for the year on the label rather than the vintage chart, it is still Hermitage from the hill's most famous address, in a bottle that has held its shape for forty-four years.
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Producer: Paul Jaboulet Aîné
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Wine: La Chapelle
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Vintage: 1982
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Appellation: Hermitage AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Rhône, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. This was an early-maturing vintage even when new, so the wine will be soft and delicate now, and like all pre-1990 stock it is sold as a collectible item rather than with any promise of drinkability.
Who it suits. A good fit for a forty-fourth birthday in 2026 where the recipient knows the Rhône, or simply wants something other than Bordeaux to mark 1982.
Condition. This listing arrived without condition detail, so we inspect the label, capsule and fill ourselves and confirm the report before the bottle is sent.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
