The least expensive wine from Fontavin is their 2009 Cotes du Rhone, a blend of 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. It is a fruity, straightforward wine with hints of ripe cherries, strawberries, loamy soil and a touch of pepper. Drink it over the next year. This is another estate that did not want to present their 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape (which I didn’t particularly care for last year), but both 2009s showed very well. Again, I question whether there needs to be a special cuvee, given the minor differences in quality, but perhaps the decision by so many producers to make prestige cuvees in 2009 will be justified with another 6-12 months of upbringing in tank, barrel, or foudres. Importer: Milton Road Trading, LLC, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 948-MRTC, and Vins du Midi Wine Importing, Eugene, OR; tel. (541) 485-0151