Another brilliant wine that could pass for a Condrieu but at a much lower price point is the 2006 Viognier Vin de Pays. Put though 100% malolactic, which surprises me given its good acidity, this is a real sleeper selection. Beautiful lychee, apricot, and honeysuckle notes intermixed with some mineral, and crushed rock are present in this superb, medium-bodied wine made from very low yields of 25-30 hectoliters per hectare. It is a terrific vin de pays and underpriced. 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. 2006 produced a boatload of charming wines from Janasse, especially at the Cotes du Rhone level. The 2005s are stunning wines as well, but more structured and, in the case of the Chateauneuf du Papes, much more backward and masculine. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565