Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets Rouge 2023 is a vibrant Northern Rhône Syrah offering ripe dark berries, pepper, spice and savoury tapenade notes. Round and supple on the palate, it combines juicy fruit with delicate tannins, fresh acidity and a fragrant finish. A polished and approachable expression of Crozes-Hermitage with excellent regional character.

The Wine Advocate | RP 91
Published: May 21, 2026
Drink: 2026-2033

Mainly crafted from estate-grown fruit, complemented by purchased grapes, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets reveals aromas of dark berries, spices, tapenade and flowers mingled with notes of fresh licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, round and supple, it’s elegantly juicy, framed by delicate tannins and concluding with a fresh, perfumed finish.

The Frey family acquired Paul Jaboulet Aîné in 2006, securing ownership of the second-largest estate of Hermitage vines, including the emblematic La Chapelle. Since their arrival, and under Caroline Frey’s leadership, the vineyards have undergone extensive restructuring alongside a full conversion to organic viticulture. This moment now marks a new phase, with Caroline stepping back and Delphine Frey taking over the entire domaine. The transition comes at a time when the broader reconstruction of the house, long underway after decades of drift, is beginning to take clearer contours.

The estate today spans the Northern Rhône’s principal appellations, anchored by 45 hectares at Thalabert and 22.5 hectares on Hermitage, alongside holdings in Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Over the past two decades, the Frey family has narrowed its focus, concentrating its investment in estate vineyards while easing back on merchant activity. All key parcels are now farmed organically and certified as such, with conversions completed between 2009 and 2016. In the cellar, the wines still carry a certain Bordeaux inflection, but this has been moderated in recent vintages: extraction is more measured, élevage more carefully calibrated and site expression more apparent. Reds are largely destemmed, with gentle extraction and élevage in barrels followed by racking to tank, while whites see long pressing and élevage across stainless steel, concrete eggs and oak.

2023 is a broadly classical vintage; the fragility of this progress was nonetheless exposed when hail devastated Domaine de Thalabert in Crozes-Hermitage.

Jancis Robinson | JR 16.5
Published: Apr 11, 2026
Drink: 2026-2030

Simple, ripe red fruit on the nose, but the palate is more distinctive with blackberry, peppercorn and meatiness. Very supple tannins, medium body. For its level, the persistence is above par. A good example of well-made, typical Crozes. Richard Hemming MW

Jaboulet.com

A deliciously fruity, vibrant northern Rhone syrah from one of the region's great names, Jaboulet. Much of the fruit comes from their vines at the renowned Domaine de Thalabert, and in this very ripe year the generous black-fruit flavour and soft tannins are already delivering real pleasure.