Ensuring La Chapelle’s heritage for generations to come – via massal selection

Hermitage La Chapelle. Photo courtesy of Domaine de La Chapelle.

In 2015, a “Syrah conservatory” was established in a plot at the foot of the famed La Chapelle vineyard, on the northern Rhône's Hermitage hill. Here’s how the team's meticulous program of massal selection and micro-vinifications is helping to preserve the estate’s old Syrah vines, ensuring that the DNA of ‘Hermitage La Chapelle’ continues long into the future.

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“To preserve the plant heritage of this legendary place is to preserve the soul and complexity of La Chapelle,” says Caroline Frey, Head Winemaker of Domaine de La Chapelle, which forms part of Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné.

She is referring to the methodical and exacting program of massal selection that La Chapelle's team has been working on for the past decade, designed to understand and safeguard the historic Syrah vines that create Jaboulet’s now iconic ‘Hermitage La Chapelle’ wine.

La Chapelle is a highly cherished vineyard of the Hermitage appellation, acquired by the Jaboulet family in 1919. It sits beneath a thirteenth-century chapel built by a knight named Gaspard de Sterimberg, who cultivated the vines while living as a hermit – a way of life that gave the Hermitage appellation its name. It is not only one of the most historic sites in the Rhône Valley, but one of the most prestigious, too.

The Frey family took on the mantle of the Chapelle wines when it took over the management of Jaboulet in 2006 and, under Caroline Frey's guidance, the vineyards were converted to organic and biodynamic principles. Beginning with the 2021 vintage, the two existing cuvées of ‘La Chapelle’ and ‘Le Chevalier de Sterimberg’ were brought together as ‘La Chapelle Red’ and ‘La Chapelle White’ under a single identity: Domaine de La Chapelle.

The chapel of La Chapelle vineyard. Photo courtesy of Domaine de La Chapelle.

The wines of La Chapelle

‘La Chapelle Red’ is made from grapes grown on four famous Hermitage plots: Les Bessards, Le Méal and Les Rocoules. The Les Greffieux plot, located at the foot of the hill, forms the centre of this experimental project: it “allows us to observe the diversity of our selections in one place, under identical growing conditions,” says Clementine Marcon, Research and Development Manager at La Chapelle.

“La Chapelle benefits from an exceptionally rich plant heritage,” she continues. “A rare, almost mysterious alchemy born from century-old vines whose roots plunge deep into the ancient soils of Hermitage’s most prestigious terroirs. This intimate bond between the vine and its soil is built only over time. Only these old vines, in perfect symbiosis with their environment, are capable of expressing with precision and depth the true identity of their origin.”

A traditional, yet innovative approach

The process of massal selection is a long-trusted technique that sees the team select individual old Syrah vines (planted before the introduction of clonal selections), which are then used to replant new vineyards that, nonetheless, retain a veritable thread of DNA with the producer’s long history. While La Chapelle's team works to preserve its existing vineyards for as long as possible, replanting can become necessary, and massal selection means that, when that is the case, the new vines are direct descendants of the older ones. Having been so carefully chosen, these vines can furthermore exhibit the finest characteristics and prove hardier over time, thus protecting both the quality and longevity of the wines overall.

The initial selections are done by the team itself, which then works closely with their nurseries for the grafting and preparation of the selected vines. Domaine de La Chapelle boasts its own winery, for accurate and dedicated winemaking.

Winemaker Caroline Frey with her team (Sebastien, Vincent and Christophe), in La Chapelle vineyard. Photo courtesy of Domaine de La Chapelle.

According to the winemakers

How does massal selection work at Domaine de La Chapelle?

“The selected vines come from La Chapelle’s oldest Syrah parcels – 70 to 100 years old – located in the emblematic plots of Les Bessards, Le Méal, and Les Rocoules. Each vine is identified and monitored over a three-year period, following a rigorous observation protocol, before being validated as a selection.

“This work provides a valuable foundation for our complantation practices. Nowhere else could we find plant material with this same genetic heritage. We do everything possible to preserve our old vines for as long as we can. But we also look ahead, with both precision and humility.”

What have you learned through this process?

“We’ve noticed that the wines made from our old La Chapelle Syrah selections consistently outperform the reference wines made from clones. This highlights the importance of having high-quality, site-adapted plant material to fully express the potential of a terroir.

“Today, our conservatory includes 10 massal selections. We observe significant differences between them in terms of vine behaviour, ripening dates, sugar-acid balance, and the flavour profile of the musts.

“To further our understanding of this diversity, we’ve invested in a dedicated micro-vinification cellar, allowing us to vinify each selection separately.”

Old vines of La Chapelle used for collecting shoots for massal selection. Photo courtesy of Domaine de La Chapelle.

What are the defining characteristics of Syrah grown on these plots?

“Syrah from the slopes of Les Bessards brings density, length, and a unique tannin grain that gives energy to the blend. This tannin texture adds depth, flavor, and salinity on the finish.

“Syrah from the dramatic hillside of Le Méal is the heart of La Chapelle. It brings notes of ink and black fruit, along with power, flesh, and that signature mid-palate roundness that defines La Chapelle – even in its oldest vintages.

“Syrah from Les Rocoules contributes length and aromatic freshness, typical of later-ripening terroirs, with a distinctive granitic expression.

“La Chapelle has always been a blend of these different Syrah expressions – making it a perfect reflection of the diverse soils of Hermitage.”

How are the grapes from the conservatory vinified to bring out their full potential?

“Each selection is harvested at optimal ripeness and vinified separately under a strictly identical protocol. This allows us to highlight the differences that stem specifically from the origin of each vine.

“Tastings and analyses are then used to rank the selections, vintage by vintage, and better understand the individual qualities they bring.”