Paul Jaboulet Aîné

Antoine Jaboulet (1807-1864) founded Paul Jaboulet Aîné in 1834 on the hill of l'Hermitage in Tain l'Hermitage, and the house grew under his sons, Paul and Henry, and their descendants. In 1919 it acquired the Saint Christophe chapel at the top of the Hermitage hillside. Louis Jaboulet (1912-2012) took over the family business in 1940 and made 42 harvests, including several legendary vintages. The house counts the 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle as 'one of the iconic wines of the 20th century.' Gérard Jaboulet (d. 1997) took over in 1977 and developed Paul Jaboulet Aîné worldwide. On January 1, 2006, the Jaboulet family sold the company to Jean-Jacques Frey, owner of Château La Lagune in Bordeaux's Haut-Médoc appellation and part-owner of Champagne house Billecart-Salmon; his daughter, Caroline Frey, took over management and began the estate's transition to organic and biodynamic farming.

• 1834: founded by Antoine Jaboulet (1807-1864) in Tain l'Hermitage; passed to sons Paul and Henry and their descendants
• 1919: acquisition of the Saint Christophe chapel atop the Hermitage hillside
• 1940: Louis Jaboulet (1912-2012) took over the family business and went on to make 42 harvests, including several legendary vintages
• 1977-1997: Gérard Jaboulet (d. 1997) developed the house worldwide
• January 1, 2006: the Jaboulet family sold the house to Jean-Jacques Frey; daughter Caroline Frey took over management

On January 1, 2006, the Jaboulet family sold Paul Jaboulet Aîné to Jean-Jacques Frey, owner of Château La Lagune in Bordeaux and part-owner of Champagne house Billecart-Salmon; he is the founder of the family group. Caroline Frey took over management in 2006 and over the following two decades led the move to organic and biodynamic viticulture. She was named Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in 2017 for her commitment to organic viticulture and environmental protection and Officier du Mérite Agricole in 2023, the year she created Domaine de la Chapelle; the house won the Amorim Biodiversity Award at the Drinks Business Green Awards in 2021. In July 2025 she stepped back, with immediate effect, from her roles as director and head winemaker of Domaine de la Chapelle, Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Château La Lagune and Château Corton C. to refocus on her Swiss vineyard holdings. Her sister, Delphine Frey, involved for some time in the estates' strategic direction and image, took on greater management responsibilities; their father, Jean-Jacques Frey, founder of the family group, remains involved. A new head winemaker was due to be named by Delphine Frey in the weeks after the announcement.

• Sold effective January 1, 2006 to Jean-Jacques Frey, owner of Château La Lagune in Bordeaux and part-owner of Champagne house Billecart-Salmon
• Caroline Frey managed the house from 2006, leading its organic and biodynamic conversion; named Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (2017) and Officier du Mérite Agricole (2023); the house won the Amorim Biodiversity Award (2021)
• July 2025: Caroline Frey stepped back from her director and head-winemaker roles across the family's estates, effective immediately
• Sister Delphine Frey, already involved in the estates' strategic direction and image, took on greater management responsibilities; father Jean-Jacques Frey, founder of the family group, remains involved

Paul Jaboulet Aîné farms over a hundred hectares across the major appellations of the northern Rhône Valley. Harvest is entirely by hand, with grapes sorted parcel by parcel in small 12-kilogram crates and sorted again by hand and optically in the cellar. The house has compared climatic conditions, grape quality and growing-season data for its vintage reports since 1972. Domaine de Thalabert is the oldest vineyard in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, owned by Paul Jaboulet Aîné since 1834, with vines planted between 1934 and 1975 on low, stony terraces of glacial origin formed of small rounded pebbles. In Hermitage, Le Taurobole comes from the hill's easternmost terroirs, where deeper soils linked to the Rhône's fluvial terraces lie as limestone over colluvial deposits. La Maison Bleue, also Hermitage, comes from vines planted between 1955 and 1994 in the eastern Hermitage vineyard, around a stone house with blue shutters still used to dry plants for biodynamic preparations and for the drying of the house's Hermitage straw wine. Les Pierrelles, in Côte-Rôtie, comes from Côte Blonde vines planted between 1974 and 1992 on decomposing micaschist; Caroline Frey created the cuvée in 2006, and its first vintage was 2009.

• Over a hundred hectares across the major northern Rhône appellations; entirely hand-harvested and sorted parcel by parcel in 12-kilogram crates; vintage data compared since 1972
• Domaine de Thalabert (Crozes-Hermitage): the appellation's oldest vineyard, Jaboulet-owned since 1834; vines planted 1934-1975 on low, stony terraces of glacial origin
• Le Taurobole (Hermitage): the hill's easternmost terroirs, limestone over colluvial deposits linked to the Rhône's fluvial terraces; La Maison Bleue (Hermitage): eastern Hermitage vineyard, vines planted 1955-1994
• Les Pierrelles (Côte-Rôtie, Côte Blonde): vines planted 1974-1992 on decomposing micaschist; cuvée created by Caroline Frey in 2006, first vintage 2009

The range falls into three tiers. The Essentials, or 'Vins de Vignerons,' come from selected growers across the Rhône Valley whose fruit is blended with the estate's own at harvest or during vinification, with the house's teams overseeing the viticulture: Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets (red and white), Saint-Joseph Le Grand Pompée (red and white), and Vin de France Syrah and Viognier. The Classics, the historical heart of the estate, include Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert (red) and Thalabert Mule Blanche (white), Côte-Rôtie Les Jumelles, Cornas Les Grandes Terrasses, Condrieu Les Cassines, Saint-Péray Les Sauvagères, and Hermitage Le Taurobole. The Collections draw on the house's most distinctive micro-terroirs: Cornas Saint-Pierre and Reynard, Côte-Rôtie Les Pierrelles, Crozes-Hermitage Roure (red and white), Hermitage La Maison Bleue, and Condrieu Les Grands Amandiers; some come from parcels Caroline Frey identified and isolated, including Reynard in 2015 and Les Pierrelles in 2009. Separately, Parallèle 45, a Côtes du Rhône created in 1950 from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Marselan and Carignan off 40-year-old vines, has been certified organic for several years, as has Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets. Red cuvées are typically hand-picked, sorted by plot in small crates, traditionally vinified with full destemming and about three weeks of maceration with daily pump-overs, then aged 12 to 18 months in French oak barrels, demi-muids, truncated cone vats and concrete eggs, with the share of new wood varying by vintage; Hermitage cuvées age around 12 months in wood, Thalabert closer to 9 months.

• Essentials (Vins de Vignerons): Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets (red/white), Saint-Joseph Le Grand Pompée (red/white), Vin de France Syrah and Viognier
• Classics: Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert (red) and Thalabert Mule Blanche (white), Côte-Rôtie Les Jumelles, Cornas Les Grandes Terrasses, Condrieu Les Cassines, Saint-Péray Les Sauvagères, Hermitage Le Taurobole
• Collections: Cornas Saint-Pierre and Reynard, Côte-Rôtie Les Pierrelles, Crozes-Hermitage Roure (red/white), Hermitage La Maison Bleue, Condrieu Les Grands Amandiers; some parcels identified by Caroline Frey (Reynard 2015, Les Pierrelles 2009)
• Parallèle 45 (Côtes du Rhône): created in 1950, a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Marselan and Carignan blend from 40-year-old vines, certified organic for several years
• Typical red winemaking: hand-picked, sorted by plot in 12kg crates, full destemming, about 3 weeks maceration with daily pump-overs, aged 12-18 months in a mix of oak barrels, demi-muids, truncated cone vats and concrete eggs

In 2023 Caroline Frey uncoupled the house's two legendary Hermitage cuvées, La Chapelle (red) and its white counterpart Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, from the Paul Jaboulet Aîné brand and created a separate entity, Domaine de la Chapelle, to hold them. A winery dedicated to the La Chapelle wines is being built close to the hill of Hermitage, just outside the appellation boundary and visible from the Chapelle Saint-Christophe at the top of the hill. Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, whose projects include Noma 2.0 in Copenhagen, is designing it; Frey described the cellar as 'very integrated, not a very imposing architectural cellar,' keeping attention on the hill of Hermitage itself. The only planned difference in winemaking at the new site is cement vats in place of stainless steel tanks for vinification, and there are no plans to part with either the red or the white cuvée. Domaine de la Chapelle is sold through the Place de Bordeaux, the traditional Bordeaux distribution network, rather than alongside the rest of the Paul Jaboulet Aîné range.

• 2023: Caroline Frey created Domaine de la Chapelle as a separate entity for La Chapelle (red) and Le Chevalier de Sterimberg (white), uncoupling both from the Paul Jaboulet Aîné brand
• A dedicated new winery near the hill of Hermitage, designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, was under construction, sited just outside the Hermitage appellation boundary
• The only planned winemaking change is cement vats in place of stainless steel tanks; there are no plans to part with either cuvée
• Domaine de la Chapelle wines are sold through the Place de Bordeaux distribution network rather than with the rest of the Paul Jaboulet Aîné range

Sustainable and organic farming began in 2006, the year of the Frey acquisition. The estate achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification in 2012, its first certified organic vintage and the start of biodynamic conversion in 2016, and biodynamic cultivation of the entire vineyard by 2021. Around its vineyards the house has planted 500 trees and shrubs of 21 species, plus 170 meters of shrubs and small trees, and has set aside biodiversity refuges: Clos Gounon, a 7-hectare enclosed sanctuary at the heart of the Thalabert estate in Crozes-Hermitage and the first LPO biodiversity refuge in the Drôme, and a 1.4-hectare ecological corridor at Domaine de Roure. The naturalist inventory published for each site records 49 bird species, 16 butterfly species, 9 bat species, 8 dragonfly species, 3 reptile species and 4 mammal species, along with several amphibians. Corks come from the Trescases house, which has made them since 1876 with Paul Jaboulet Aîné as its first client; bottles are made from 100% recycled glass and are 100% recyclable. The house has cut water consumption by 40% over 10 years, generates part of its energy from 2,000 square meters of photovoltaic panels, works with suppliers located on average within 100 kilometers of its headquarters, and has dropped air transport for commercial deliveries in favor of sea and land transport. To cope with high temperatures and water scarcity, the house under Caroline Frey's direction has trialed a 'bridge-braiding' technique that lets vine shoots grow and arch naturally instead of having their apex cut, which limits water-consuming regrowth and gives the grapes more shade. The 2022 harvest, after more than 50 days above 32°C, began on August 11, 'unprecedented in the memory of a winemaker' in the house's words.

• 2006: shift to sustainable/organic farming begins; 2012: ISO 9001 and 14001 certification; 2016: first certified organic vintage and start of biodynamic transition; 2021: entire vineyard farmed biodynamically
• Biodiversity refuges: Clos Gounon (7 hectares, Thalabert estate, first LPO refuge in the Drôme) and Domaine de Roure (1.4 hectares); the naturalist inventory for each lists 49 bird, 16 butterfly, 9 bat, 8 dragonfly, 3 reptile and 4 mammal species plus amphibians
• Eco-design: corks from Trescases (supplier since 1876, Jaboulet its first client), 100% recycled/recyclable glass bottles, 2,000 m² of photovoltaic panels, roughly 40% water savings over 10 years, suppliers averaging within 100km, no air transport for commercial deliveries
• 'Bridge-braiding' technique under Caroline Frey lets vine shoots grow and arch naturally instead of apex-trimming, to reduce water stress and shade fruit; 2022 harvest began August 11 amid over 50 days above 32°C

Primary sources (the estate's own site, jaboulet.com): home, our history, winery, sustainable viticulture, biodiversity, eco-responsibility, the bridge-braiding climate-adaptation page, the three cuvée-range pages (Essentials, Classics, Collections), harvest and vintage reports, visit us / the Vineum, and product pages for Domaine de Thalabert, Le Taurobole, Les Pierrelles, Les Jalets, Le Grand Pompée, La Maison Bleue and Parallèle 45. Secondary sources: Decanter ('Walls: The next step for Jaboulet's Hermitage La Chapelle,' January 2024, and 'Caroline Frey steps back from French estates to focus on Swiss vineyards'), Wine Spectator ('Jaboulet's New History Starts Now,' November 2006), The Drinks Business ('Caroline Frey to step back from the direction of Domaines Paul Jaboulet Ainé,' July 2025), and Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News ('Jaboulet family to stay on at PJA'). Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the estate's own site and a secondary source disagree, the estate's own site governs.