Only one cuvee was produced in 2008, the 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape. A sleeper of the vintage, it is one of the finest efforts in this difficult year. It possesses copious notes of black raspberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue, licorice and forest floor. It is surprisingly deep, round and generously endowed with good freshness, abundant fruit and a style that begs for consumption over the next 6-8 years. Chateau Simian is an up-and-coming estate that excelled with their 2007s and has returned with very strong performances in both 2008 and 2009. We can thank Jean-Pierre Serguier, the proprietor of this small 10-acre estate with cellars in the little village of Piolenc (also known as the garlic capital of France). No known American importer.