1998 Pic Saint-Loup Rose

Jacques Boutin has owned this sprawling estate outside St. Mathieu for the past 17 years; his house dates back to the Benedictine monks of the 12th century. There are 40 acres of vines, of which about half are 55 years old. Pic Saint-Loup features about 90% syrah and grenache, Boutin pointed out, as mourvedre is harder to ripen here. The climate is rather septentrionale here, he explains, very hot in the summer but with low temperatures at night. The soils at Chateau La Roque are well-drained clay and chalk, with lots of small rocks close to the surface. Boutin describes his '99s as subtle, feminine, less structured wines; during this humid summer, the grapes took up some water, he says. The '98s, in comparison, are more powerful. Boutin calls '98 l'annee reference for red wines, "at least equal to 1990." Boutin makes his top white wine in 450-liter barrels, and uses 60%-70% new barriques for the reds (he ages his mourvedre in foudres).