2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine de Terre Ferme

Ruby-red. Spicy redcurrant and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of dried flowers and herbs. Firm and precise in the mouth, offering sappy red berry preserve flavors and a hint of white pepper. Picks up power with air and finishes with very good cut and smoky persistence. This wine is based on 80% grenache.

The 2009 Domaine de Terre Ferme Chateauneuf du Pape is the finest wine I have tasted from this estate in many years. Composed of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre cropped at low yields, it exhibits a deep plum/purple color as well as a striking bouquet of fresh figs, kirsch, black currants, licorice and subtle smoke. Full-bodied with terrific concentration and texture in addition to a long, heady, glycerin-filled finish, it can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years. As I reported last year, beginning in 2009, the Jaboulet firm has been doing excellent work under the new ownership of the Frey family and are currently making their finest wines since the 1990 vintage. Jaboulet’s selections of southern Rhones are all from estate vineyards. The biodynamically farmed Domaine de Terre Ferme (27 acres) purchased by the Jaboulets is near the village of Bedarrides in the eastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Ruby-red. Spicy redcurrant and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of dried flowers and herbs. Firm and precise in the mouth, offering lively red berry flavors and a hint of white pepper. Gains sweetness with air and finishes with very good clarity and smoky persistence.