Antoine Jaboulet set up his winemaking business Tain-l’Hermitage in 1834. He was succeeded by his sons, Paul and Henri, who in turn passed the baton to Paul’s son Louis. Next came Louis’s son Gérard and then, in 1997, Gérard’s cousin, Michel Jaboulet. He ran the domain until 2006 when it was bought by the Frey Group, which also owns vineyards in Champagne and Bordeaux (Château la Lagune). The heritage is nothing short of exceptional: 125 hectares of vines, including 25 gracing the slopes of the famous Hermitage Hill, the second-largest vineyard on this prestigious terrain. Several other remarkable appellations complete the selection: Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu. Today, with oenologist Caroline Frey at the helm, this already well-established estate, is confidently regaining its outstanding status.
In 2013, Maison Jaboulet officially converted its vineyards to organic practices. By 2015, the domain received “High Environmental Value” certification. Accreditations aside, the domain’s ambition to elevate the unique characteristics of the diverse Rhône terroirs remains unchanged. It achieves this goal by preserving the quality of the fruit, through meticulous vinification, and attentive ageing.

This cuvée comes from the vineyard which is the furthest south of the appellation, 8 km from Tournon. Every year 5,000 bottles are produced. In the vineyards (which are planted in clay, chalk-rich and granite soils), Dominique and Laurent apply green harvesting to reduce the bunches which are considered surplus and to favour better maturity and concentration of the remaining berries. The subsequent harvests are done by hand and the crop is stored in small crates to prevent the bunches from being crushed. They are completely destemmed before vinification in closed, thermo-regulated, stainless-steel vats. Winemaking temperatures range between 30 and 32°C. Extraction is optimal and maceration can last up to 15 days. Ageing lasts 14 months and occurs in vats and barriques. On the palate, this Saint-Joseph is powerful and spicy.