2005 Cotes du Rhone Villages Garrigues

The absolutely blockbuster 2005 Cotes du Rhone Les Garrigues is just an amazing wine. As I said last year, this eclipsed 15.6% natural alcohol. It tastes like a Chateauneuf du Pape rather than a Cotes du Rhone. It has a gorgeous nose of blackberries, sweet kirsch, licorice, loamy soil, and truffles. Superb concentration, an opulent, fleshy texture, and a blockbuster finish make for one of the most profound Cotes du Rhones I have ever tasted. Tasting at Janasse is fun. It is a large estate of 195 acres with 45 of them situated in Chateauneuf du Pape. Even if you weren’t obsessed with their fabulous Chateauneuf du Papes, they have a portfolio of brilliant wines from Cotes du Rhone as well as a vin de pays. Young proprietor Christophe Sabon, working with his wife and father, continues to fine-tune his winemaking skills. He is already brilliant at reds and shows increasing confidence in the quality of his white wine cuvees. 2006 produced a boatload of charming wines from Janasse, especially at the Cotes du Rhone level. The 2005s are stunning wines as well, but more structured and, in the case of the Chateauneuf du Papes, much more backward and masculine. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Inky color. Explosive cassis and dark berry aromas, with strong licorice and espresso accents. A strong cherry-cola quality on the palate is enlivened by zesty acidity, giving focus to the strikingly sweet fruit. This is really packed and carries over 16% alcohol, according to Sabon. But there's no heat. Finishes sweet and long.