One of the true superstars in the vintage, the Sabon’s 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is deeper and richer than the cuvee Chaupin, yet stays just as balanced, fresh and drinkable. Loaded with notes of ripe black fruits, smoked herbs, smoked meats and licorice, it has full-bodied richness and power, a deep, decadent texture and beautifully integrated acidity which keeps it pure, lively and fresh. It’s another incredible wine from this estate that will continue to thrill for a decade.

Absolutely profound, and certainly one of the vintage’s great wines is the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Inky plum/ruby/purple to the rim, with a big, sweet nose of melted licorice, smoked meats, blackberries, cassis, and earth, the wine is deep, powerful, full-bodied, with fabulous concentration, purity, and a multi-dimensional mouthfeel. The finish goes on for close to a minute. Forget this wine for 2-5 years and drink it over the following 25+ 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

Warm with sweet hay and ripe, rich fruits. Gutsy, deep, pushy. Generously textured with lashings of spice and earth.