SF | Near translucent, then expensive nose, with hint of fig and vanillin buttressing the dark fruit; plenty of tannic support and a persuasive subtext of integrated acidity. Quite weight for La Chapelle; plenty of reasons to visit, historical and otherwise. quiet contemplation essential; modest deference in the face of a job very well done, the wine already attractive and close to a display of its pomp. 93
AJ | Darl black-red. Complex and intricate. This aromatic profile seems understated and a little reserved at this stage, but spend a little time with it and you will quickly see that it has the HB grandeur and sobriety inscribed within it. You just have to realise that NOTHING EVER SHOUTS here. Once you're re-tuned your antennae, you'll find much to enjoy, from cigar leaf and flowers to meat jus, sandalwood and stone -- just give the wine time to unfold in the glass. Lovely stuff. Dense and sober, close-grained and detailed, and very much a chip off the old block -- indeed barely a chip: this is a very substantial wine in its own right. It is telling its story already, and there is nothing forbidding here at all. A midweight as always, yet with that extra level of articulacy. We step back from the overt freshness of the properties further south here; this vintage (which sometimes pushes the limits of freshness) suits this slightly warmer wine so well. (The notes are those detailed in the aromatic description, and you might find more ...)Drink Dates: 2026 - 2042.