The one-dimensional 2005 Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets revealed herbal notes, red currants, high acidity, and considerable leanness and austerity. I fully expect quality will dramatically soar at Jaboulet (just as it has at Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux) and that these transitional vintages, particularly the mediocre 2004s which were not made by the new owners, and the good but hardly inspiring 2005s, will be lost memories when the new ownership team has the next fine vintage in the northern Rhone. As I reported last year, everything is in transition at Paul Jaboulet-Aine. This old family firm, founded in the early 1800s, was sold to the Frey family, who are major investors in the Billecart-Salmon Champagne house and proprietors of the well-known Chateau La Lagune in the southern Medoc. The entire winemaking operation is undergoing massive changes as the Jaboulet wines have had a lackluster as well as irregular track record after the death of Gerard Jaboulet in 1997. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

The most accessible of Paul Jaboulet Aine’s Crozes cuvees, the 2005 Les Jalets offers smoky, herbal, peppery aromatics, crisp pomegranate fruit and silky tannins on the finish. It’s a solid introduction to Crozes-Hermitage in an early-maturing style.——J.C.(12/31/2008)—— 87