Behind the label: Grange La Chapelle
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker, shares the story behind this unexpected union.
Grange La Chapelle unites two hemispheres through one harmonious expression. French Syrah meets Australian Shiraz.
In a seamless 50:50 union, revered Shiraz from highly regarded South Australian vineyards (Grange) combines with Syrah from Hermitage, a legendary appellation of the Northern Rhône (La Chapelle). The finished wine reinterprets Grange and La Chapelle, reassembling them into one profound and celebrated wine.
With Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago, we explore the genesis of this bold partnership, uncover how Grange La Chapelle is made, and look to its future.
Peter, can you take us back to your first encounter with La Chapelle and the impression it left upon you?
I’ve been lucky enough to have personally collected and tasted La Chapelle vintages back into the sixties. Sadly the legendary ’61 vintage has eluded me to this day (hint, hint!)… but not the ’78, ’90 and great recent releases. My impression remains constant – purity, definition, Syrah character, and charm that can only come from the Hill of Hermitage.
How did the idea for the collaboration first emerge and evolve into Grange La Chapelle?
Blending across vineyards and reimagining something different to that of single-component expressions has always fascinated generations of Penfolds winemaking teams. These vineyards can be local or distant – different soils, aspects, microclimates. In recent times even the equator has not stifled this ambition! This project strived to create the most optimal Syrah/Shiraz blend possible. Ultimately, and naturally after much trialling, the blending of two flagships created a far superior outcome. An idea progressed to a reality. It would be difficult to rationalise purposely creating a lesser blend, albeit lesser risk!
Given Australian Shiraz cuttings’ lineage to the Rhône, how does it feel to reunite Australian Shiraz with its ancestral roots?
Many generations later, long-separated Syrah and Shiraz siblings have been reunited. In the interim, South Australia has evaded the phylloxera scourge. Climatic, geographic, language and cultural differences but a minor hurdle. Name changes not required. After a separation of a couple of centuries the family is reunited. A fated outcome.
Was the 50:50 balance something you envisioned from the beginning, or did that ideal ratio reveal itself through trials?
The initial optimal trial blend was so close to 50:50 that it quickly became apparent that this ratio was meant be. Once decided (and ‘working backwards’ from an initial blending decision) it just made long-term perfect sense to both partners. The initial 50:50 proposition has now morphed into an annual ambition, guaranteeing that both hemispheres play an equal role.
Where does the blend take place and is the process logistically difficult?
Legally the physical blending could not take place in France – it had to be Australia. A finished La Chapelle blend is combined with a finished Grange blend – to then mature as a final combined blend in oak in Australia. Fortunately, confidence and techniques gleaned from transporting the Australian components of Bin 149 and Quantum across the Pacific Ocean to California minimised process/logistical fears.
With a precise understanding of each Grange vintage, what is it like to oversee its new expression within the blend?
Like with g3, g4 and g5 , the dexterity and generosity afforded by ‘sharing a little Grange’ permits an extension of its role, status and purpose. Separately, ‘Vintage Grange’ is still released annually, ‘untouched’. Not to forget, this project seeks to elevate a heightened global awareness of Shiraz/Syrah… and Grange, and La Chapelle.
You recently unveiled Grange La Chapelle 2022 at Wine Paris. How did the market and trade respond?
We’re elated at the response. So positive, so encouraging. The 2021 release last year set the scene and catalysed global interest in the concept and its genesis. With the 2022 vintage, attention has focused primarily on the wine itself, and how two great 2022 harvests in the Rhône Valley and South Australia have induced such a convincing outcome.
What can you hint about the character of the yet-to-be-released 2023 vintage ?
The 2023 release in 2027? It’s always difficult being too prescriptive about upcoming releases. Too much personal bias! Best to await how credible global wine scribes feel from a third-party perspective. The 50:50 combination of the two component wines in any given vintage will dictate the character of the blend. Neither 2023 Grange or 2023 La Chapelle have yet been released (or 2022 Grange for that matter). Too early to call. The magic happens in the blend, and then in the bottle. Tasting-note preparation for the 2023 Grange La Chapelle is a year away.
Finally, could we hope for future collaborations between Penfolds and Jaboulet?
The partnership will evolve. So far we’ve had a ‘dream run’ with this project – its energy and positivity is infectious. Both partners realise that stellar Syrah and Shiraz plantings across our combined vineyard resources offer enormous opportunity to continue innovating, trialing & surprising. Portuguese Vintage Port and Vintage Champagne are ‘declared’ only in the best of vintages. I’d envisage that this will also happen with this collaboration. We simply can’t release an ‘acceptable’ vintage. We totally understand that over time there will be intermittent ‘lesser’ Syrah/Shiraz harvests in South Australia and the Rhône Valley. Our quest is to create exceptional blends and mother nature will no doubt dictate in what years.
Grange La Chapelle 2022 has been awarded a perfect 100-points by Andrew Caillard MW, 20/20+ points from Matthew Jukes (UK), and 99 Points by Tyson Stelzer. Grange La Chapelle 2023 is due for release in 2027.
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