2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

I tasted this year with Jean-Claude Sabon's sonx000D Thierry, who has become increasingly involved in vinifying this estate's wines. Thierry described the young 2001s as stylishx000D wines that are not especially powerful despite their relatively highx000D alcohol. There was great consistency ofx000D ripeness among the family's parcels of vines, he maintained. But there will not be a separate Cuvee dux000D Papet, said Thierry, as removing a portion of the best fruit would havex000D compromised the estate's regular Chateauneuf bottling. (A Peter Vezan Selection; importers includex000D Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and North Berkeleyx000D Imports, Berkeley, CA)

Pierre Sabon describes 2000 as "a great complex year, like '98, with outstanding aging potential. There are plenty of tannins but the wines are round and seductive. It's a year chaleureux et puissant with all the qualities. The wines were wonderfully aromatic from the start: when we walked by the fermenting vats, we were hit with a blast of red fruit aromas." Sabon referred to 1999 as "ma petite cherie a very good vintage but a bit rustic." This vigneron calls himself a chauvinist: he made a point of telling me that he does not seek out other Chateauneufs, much less wines from other regions, and admitted that he makes wines in the traditional style, with blinders on. The Mont-Olivet wines are rarely showy on release, but in the strong vintages are capable of long and profitable aging in bottle. (A Peter Vezan Selection; importers include Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA)