The 2005 Cote Rotie Les Jumelles exhibited bacon fat, tapenade, and a smoky Syrah character, medium body, elegance, and good purity and richness. It is hardly profound, but it is a very good effort and significantly better than most of the Cote Rotie Les Jumelles offerings over the last decade. 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

Made from purchased grapes (Jaboulet finally acquired 1.5 hectares of Cote-Rotie in 2006), this is a nicely textured, creamy wine that avoids tannic overload or heaviness, allowing the floral, spicy side of the appellation to shine. Drink now–2015.——J.C.(9/1/2007)—— 89