The 2005 Cotes du Ventoux Les Traverses is a pleasant, fruity, bistro-styled red with more character and richness than many offerings from this appellation. It should be drunk over the next several years. Everything is changing at the Jaboulet firm now that it has been sold and is under control of the Frey family, also major investors in the Billecart-Salmon Champagne, and the proprietors of Bordeaux’s Chateau La Lagune. These 2005s were sourced and blended by the Jaboulet family, and finished by the new owners. I fully expect a rise in quality across the board at this estate, and I can’t wait to see what the new owners do with their first top vintage. The following cuvees will probably be discounted heavily to make room for the newer vintages.Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700