2005 Domaine de Monpertuis (Paul Jeaune) Côtes du Rhône Southern Rhone France. 13.5% alcohol. $16.99 at Beekman, Glen Rock. Imported by Madrose.
Deep red color, deep hue, lovely and forward aromaq of fruit, spice, flowers and more, quite restrained fruit and spice tastes -- usually a big negative for me -- I tend to dislike wines that promise a lot on the nose but deliver very little, but this wine shows great, albeit restrained depth, very good balance of acidity, fruit and light tannins, long complex finish. The wine developed beautifully in the glass with lots of swirling. I enjoyed it very much and believe it would benefit from a couple of years of aging. 4*.
Notes:
Beekman: Wow! This wine shows the high quality of the 2005 vintage, and its quality/price ratio is exceptional. Light years better than the very pleasant $10 to $12 Rhônes such as Jaboulet, it shows vivid blackberry, violets, and black pepper aromas with excellent concentration of round, soft, black fruit flavors that are thick on the palate. With good acidity and just a touch of tannin, this beauty will only get better! And it’s perfect with barbecued meats.
Photos and labels: http://www.chateauneuf.dk/en/cdpen11.htm
Madrose: The domaine has been in the hands of the Jeune family for several generations. Each successor has added bits and pieces of vineyards to the estate so the current owner, Paul Jeune, is now the proprietor of 10 acres of vines that are scattered among 32 separate parcels throughout Chateauneuf du Pape. Jeune also vinifies this separate cuvée of Côtes du Rhône from outside of Chateauneuf du Pape. Jeune has the remarkable good fortune of having a majority of his vineyards planted to vines between 60 and 110 years of age. The remaining vineyards generally are between 20 and 60 years. This Côtes du Rhône is made almost exclusively from Grenache.
K&L: The multiplicity of parcels spread across Chateauneuf imparts a classic character to the wines of Monpertuis, absorbing the nuances of each soil type of the appellation. However, the heart and soul of the domaine lies within three primary parcels: La Croze, Le Clos de la Cerise, and Monpertuis. Although Chateauneuf du Pape may be composed of 13 individual varietals, the Domaine de Monpertuis relies most heavily on the grenache grape. The "Cuvee Tradition," produced solely from old vines of minimum age of 60 years, is supported by at least 85% grenache.