While it is rather late in the season for a rose, Janasse makes one of the finest Cotes du Rhone roses. The 2008 is a blend of Grenache and Cinsault. It offers up notes of framboise and watermelon in a fresh, lively, authoritatively flavored style. Always one of my favorite stops on my Rhone Valley trips, Domaine de la Janasse is run with incredible passion by Christophe Sabon, his sister Isabelle, and his father, who showed up nearly half naked as he was bringing in some white grapes on the torridly hot day I visited. What this family operation has achieved over the last decade is nothing short of remarkable considering the breadth of wines made, from their Vin de Pays, which are among the finest made in France, to their world-class Cotes du Rhones and Chateauneuf du Papes. While this estate is at the top of its game, it is not content to rest on the status quo and continues to push the envelope. Their 2008s are among the finest wines of the vintage, and as the following tasting notes and scores indicate, their 2007s are out of this world. The 2008 reds are surprisingly strong across the board at Domaine de la Janasse. There is no Cotes du Rhone Les Garrigues or Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin in this vintage, but the other cuvees are all noteworthy. 2007 is the greatest vintage I have ever tasted of Domaine de la Janasse – and that’s says something given the amazing wines produced here in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2006.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Other terrific values include the 2008 Cotes du Rhone, a straightforward, fruity, Grenache-based red to consume over the next year. Christophe Sabon, his sister Isabelle, and their father operate one of the great Chateauneuf du Pape winemaking estates. They continue to invest in new vineyards as well as state-of-the-art winemaking equipment. Moreover, they never seem to be satisfied with the status quo, and are constantly challenging their past performances. Their 2007s were unbelievably good wines, the 2008s were among the finest wines of the appellation, and the 2009 vintage is another resounding success for them. The style is progressive, combining the best of traditional winemaking with the finest of a more modern approach. The wines all reflect their Provencal origins, only tiny quantities of new oak are used, and then only with the two grape varietals that can benefit from it (such as Syrah and Mourvedre). This is also a fabulous source for top wine values as the following tasting notes demonstrate. Christophe Sabon told me that the white varietals he works with tend to come from sandy and gravelly soils, so there is more finesse. Both Chateauneuf du Pape blanc cuvees are well-worth a search of the marketplace. Interestingly, Sabon achieves excellent acidity in his white Chateauneufs despite the fact that they go through 100% malolactic fermentation, an unusual practice for white Chateauneuf du Papes. His objective is to bottle them unfiltered, which he is able to do. The wines are also extremely low in SO2. As I wrote last year, Christophe Sabon made two of the finest Chateauneuf du Papes of 2008. The estate’s third cuvee, the Chaupin, was declassified into the traditional wine, which no doubt benefitted from it. Sabon told me there was more Mourvedre used in the blend in order to provide more structure and support to the Grenache in 2008. In 2009, all three cuvees were produced. I always think the harvest at Janasse must be one of the most difficult to manage as they have 200 acres of vines with over 200 separate parcels spread throughout the southern Rhone. Christophe told me it takes nearly two full days to just drive around and sample all the different vineyards to see where they are in terms of maturity. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565