One of the stronger wines in the vintage and a mostly concrete-tank-aged blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, the 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape shows the fruit-forward nature of the estate nicely with its sweet core of dark fruits, garrigue, pepper and spice. Medium-bodied, rounded, sweetly fruited and nicely concentrated, it's ready to go now and should drink nicely through 2020. While there were no special cuvees produced in the vintage, this '08 is rock solid.

The 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape is a very strong effort. Dark ruby/purple, this blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre is aged in a combination of 70% cement tanks and 30% barrel. The wine has turned out well – dark ruby in color, with sweet black cherry fruit notes intermixed with loamy soil, underbrush, pepper and spice. It is soft, silky, and best drunk over the next 3-4 years. I don’t think anyone would disagree that young proprietors Dominique and Baptiste Grangeon are among the up-and-coming stars in Chateauneuf du Pape. This is another biodynamically farmed vineyard, and the Grangeons have been on fire qualitatively for the last five to six years. The 2007s were probably the strongest vintage overall that I have tasted from them, but 2005 was also brilliant at Cristia, and 2009 looks exceptionally strong as well. Cristia also turns out very fine Cotes du Rhones that sell for a song, and the 2009s are all in bottle.Importers: Wine Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (800) 331-2829; Galaxy Wine Co., Portland, OR; tel. (503) 248-9493; George Molitor, Fine Vines, LLC, Melrose Park, IL; tel. (708) 343-6702; Wine Symphony, New York NY; tel. (212) 226-8283; ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, Orlando, FL; tel. (407) 851-0000