Jancis Robinson writes on Chapoutier, Jaboulet, Chave and asks "Why is Hermitage not as celebrated today as it should be?"

Today in her article in the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson asks: “Why is Hermitage not as celebrated today as it should be?” Then she continues: “It may be partly due to the high prices and small quantities of Chapoutier’s top bottlings, the natural reticence of Jean-Louis Chave, and uncertainty over the wines of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, whose Hermitage La Chapelle was once seen as the lodestar of the appellation.“

Rhone Valley has come a long way…If Hermitage is not as celebrated today as it should be, it may also be due to the inertia of the market, that has been slow to recognize the exceptional quality of the wines of this region. Famous châteaux in Bordeaux and Burgundy grands crus have been admired for many years, leaving behind other names including those of the Rhone Valley. Excluding Châteauneuf du Pape that has a worldwide recognition, in part due to Robert Parker’s admiration for the wines, the other big names had a poor image. I wrote “had” because things change. Recently in Asia, my conversations often focused on this region and in particular on the prestigious wines of the Northern Rhone Valley from Condrieu, Cote Rotie, Cornas or Saint Joseph appellations. Red or white, these wines can magnificiently pair with the food from Japan, China, Korea, Thailand… Jancis Robinson is right to write that these wines are not as celebrated today as they should be. But a beautiful series of vintages since 2000 (except 2002 and 2008) has provided, each year, great wines with excellent aging potential to wine lovers. The outstanding work of the vignerons and the generous nature of this beautiful Rhone Valley will, in the coming years, help Hermitage regain the notoriety it deserves.

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