The dense purple-colored 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape, 80% foudre-aged Grenache and 20% Syrah and Mourvedre aged in small barrels, offers a beautiful bouquet of blackberries, roasted meats, sweet herbs, and new saddle leather. Full-bodied and super-concentrated with no hard edges, it should drink beautifully for 12-15 years. Young Christophe Sabon, with his sister by his side and his father in the background, is doing as great a job turning out terrific wines as any vigneron in the world. With nearly 200 acres of vineyards, 45 of them old vines situated in Chateauneuf du Pape, there is enormous potential, all of it being exploited. The 1998s, 1999s, 2000s, and 2001s were all fabulous at this estate, the 2003s were slightly irregular as well as tannic, the 2005s were great, the 2006s are fabulous, and the 2007s may be the sine qua non of all his vintages. The white wines are not to be missed as they are some of the freshest, most perfumed, lively whites of Southern France. The value picks represent remarkable bargains. The bottled 2006 low end wines are all in the marketplace. While they are not quite at the level of the 2007s, there are some gorgeous choices for consumers. Janasse’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Papes are outrageous, all of which performed brilliantly despite having just completed their malolactics after 11 months of fermentation. With all of the excitement over the 2007s, readers should not forget just how great Janasse’s 2006s have turned out. They are performing as well as they did last year, perhaps even better.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition is 80% Grenache and then equal parts Syrah and Mourvedre, with Christophe Sabon saying the Mourvedre was the best he had seen in over a decade form his estate vineyards. The Grenache is aged in foudre, but small barrels are used for the Syrah and Mourvedre. Dense ruby/purple, structured for a 2006, with sweet, concentrated fruit, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this is a seriously endowed, concentrated Chateauneuf du Pape that begs for 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 15 or more years. Tasting at Janasse is fun. It is a large estate of 195 acres with 45 of them situated in Chateauneuf du Pape. Even if you weren’t obsessed with their fabulous Chateauneuf du Papes, they have a portfolio of brilliant wines from Cotes du Rhone as well as a vin de pays. Young proprietor Christophe Sabon, working with his wife and father, continues to fine-tune his winemaking skills. He is already brilliant at reds and shows increasing confidence in the quality of his white wine cuvees. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565