How she resurrected a 180-year-old Rhone Valley wine producer from near ruin to make it among the world’s best
Founded in 1843, iconic wine producer Paul Jaboulet Aine was on a downward trajectory in the 1990s – until owner and winemaker Caroline Frey stepped in to turn it around.
Winemaker Caroline Frey (left) has been at the helm of Paul Jaboulet Aine for almost two decades. (Photo: Paul Jaboulet Aine)
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“There is no other wine like La Chapelle in Northern Rhone,” Caroline Frey declared as she sat across me in a restaurant in Montreaux, Switzerland. Dressed in a blue jumper and a long blue and white skirt, she exuded the calm of the lake beside us.
Frey should know. She’s been at the helm of Paul Jaboulet Aine for almost two decades, crafting its flagship wine, La Chapelle.
La Chapelle is one of the finest expressions of syrah and boasts of legendary pedigree. The grapes are sourced from the hills of Hermitage, otherwise known as the birthplace of the syrah grape. I climbed the hill a few days before our meeting to see the small chapel which lends its name to the wine. It was akin to a pilgrimage. Wine acolytes revere the 1961 vintage, considered one of the greatest wines in the world, followed by 1978 and 1990.
This year, La Chapelle, along with its white Hermitage counterpart, Chevalier de Sterimberg, became the first North Rhone wines to enter the vaunted halls of La place de Bordeaux, a wine marketplace that sells only 100 choice wines – the equivalent of wine world’s greatest hit list.
“It is a great pride for La Chapelle to join the La Place de Bordeaux alongside the world’s greatest wines,” Frey had earlier announced in the press release.
More so because just two decades ago, La Chapelle and the entire portfolio of Paul Jaboulet Aine faced a very different future.
THE NEARLY 200-YEAR-OLD LEGACY
Paul Jaboulet Aine was founded by the Jaboulet family in 1843 and named after Paul Jaboulet, the eldest son (“aine” means elder) of the founder, Antoine Jaboulet.
Over two centuries, the estate built its reputation on the famous Hermitage wines, La Chapelle and then others from neighbouring appellations like Domaine de Thalabert and Les Jalets from Crozes-Hermitage, as well as the ever-popular Cote du Rhone Parallele 45 from Southern Rhone.
The Jaboulet’s fortunes shifted for the worse when the last scion of the family, Gerard Jaboulet, passed away in the 1990s. The family was left in disarray, and as a result, the business and quality of the wines declined noticeably.
In 2005, Caroline’s father, Jean-Jacques Frey – a real estate investor with holdings in Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy – bought the domain and invested heavily in modernising the winery, increasing staff, and updating equipment like new barrels. Then, in 2007, Caroline took on winemaking and viticultural responsibilities. In time, the quality climbed, and Jaboulet was back in Rhone’s best-of-the-best books.
Frey reflected on taking on a nearly 200-year-old legacy: “It was mixed feelings of intimidation and excitement, of course, because Hermitage is one of the greatest terroirs in the world.” Joining an established team posed further challenges, even more so when you are a young woman. She was only 27 years old then. “It took time to win the teams' trust to fully integrate them into the project of making great wines.” Soon, the team came around.
Probably because Caroline, a qualified enologist, possessed talent in spades and, in time, proved her mettle. Today, she manages the winemaking and viticulture of not one but four properties in France’s best terroirs: Chateau La Lagune at Bordeaux, Paul Jaboulet Aine in Rhone, and Chateau Corton C in Burgundy. And if that wasn’t enough to keep her hands full, she runs mountain treks and farms a small, terraced vineyard in picturesque Valais in Switzerland.
CHAMPIONING BIODIVERSITY
With renewed investment, Frey introduced gentler treatments across the board. In the cellar, she reduced the use of oak to 20 per cent and added a few concrete eggs to the maturation regime. In the vineyard, she implemented organic and biodynamic viticulture practices.
But that’s not where it ends. Across properties, Frey has instituted the creation of biodiversity-rich reserves around the vineyards, which foster birds, reptiles, bats, mammals, bees, and butterflies, among many other species.
“Biodiversity sustains life,” she explained. “In organic farming and biodynamic areas, it is a question of considering the vine as a whole, as a living organism. Our role is, therefore, to strengthen and preserve the biodiversity around our vines.”
The rich biodiversity may show in the form of worms, which loosen the soils naturally, allowing more rain to penetrate the roots, or predatory birds, who act as natural pest control. The birds, butterflies, beetles, and bees are all considered visible signs of the whole system working in balance.
When the soils are in good health and rich in organic matter, known as humus, they resist climatic disruptions better and produce better grapes. Viticulturists across the world are leaning on biodiversity as the answer for combating climate change and improving terroir.
Frey averred: “The results we have had in our vineyards and our wines in recent years only reinforce my concept that all these interactions of the living around the vine are essential for the development of great wines, to preserve our terroirs but also to cope with climatic conditions that have become quite extreme.”
Her commitment to nature has earned her a Chevalier de l’Ordre from the French government and the Amorim Biodiversity Prize at The Drinks Business Green Awards 2021, both for her work in viticulture, environmental protection, and sustainable development. As for the wines, they have consistently scored better reviews from wine critics.
Conscious of the environmental impact of wine production, Frey has also implemented other measures like recyclable wine cartons, vegetable inks for printing and lightweight bottles.
REINFORCING THE NORTH
Two decades at the helm has afforded Frey the strength of conviction to restructure the storied house and propel it towards the next millennia. Recently, she instituted two massive changes. First, the consistently lauded wines of La Chapelle and Le Chevalier de Sterimberg were grouped under a new label called Domaine de La Chapelle, which will be managed independently from the portfolio of Paul Jaboulet Aine.
And then, Frey is reducing the number of wines they produce from Southern Rhone. “The heart of Jaboulet is in the north. We are going to focus a little bit more on our roots,” she added with certitude.
