The fleshy, fruit-forward, soft, delicious 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Peur Bleu has loads of body, fruit, and exuberance, but just how stable is it without any sulfur? In any event, it is an outstanding wine, but again, prudence suggests it should be drunk in Chateauneuf du Pape and virtually nowhere else.
The Brunel family has long been estate bottlers and one of the benchmark producers of Chateauneuf du Pape, working from the northwestern sector of the appellation. Their wines can be counted on to age as well as any in the Southern Rhone. There are three, and sometimes four cuvees produced, with the limited production Peur Bleu a wine made with no SO2 whatsoever; hence, it's best bought and drunk in France as opposed to risking consumption abroad. Then of course, there is their traditional cuvee of Chateauneuf, and their more limited but exquisite Cuvee des Generations, meant for 25 or more years of aging potential. The 2006s have turned out even better than I thought last year.
Importer: Shaw-Ross, Miramar, FL; tel. (954) 430-5036