1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Jean-Denis Vacheron, son of Jean-Louis Vacheron, the co-owner of Domaine Vacheron in Sancerre, took over winemaking duties here in time to vinify the '96s and finish the levage of the '95s. "But 1998 was the first vintage to show my style," he told me in November. Vacheron brings a northerner sensibility to the job; with his love of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, it's no surprise that his wines display a sappy freshness of red fruit flavors even when they're from fruit harvested at potential alcohol in excess of 15%. Fans of affordable viognier should check out this domain's 1999 Cotes du Rhone Bouquet des Garrigues, a wine with 16% alcohol and aged in 100% new oak. Its aromas of peach, apricot, almond, spice and anise are remarkably fresh, and despite its great fat and fullness the wine almost magically maintains its balance. "This is the most sauvignon of the wines of the South," observes Vacheron.

Jean-Denis Vacheron, son of Jean-Louis Vacheron, the co-owner of Domaine Vacheron in Sancerre, took over vinification at this estate from his father-in-law Claude Pouizin in time to vinify the '96s and finish the levage of the '95. He instituted a pre-fermentation cold soak lasting four or five days, and now does a portion of the malolactic fermentation in new foudres. Vacheron also does extensive work in the vines, including a good deal of leaf-pulling, especially in the plots that go into the cuvee speciale. Most of Clos du Caillou's holdings are on galets roules and sand, very much like Chateau Rayas, and today's Clos du Caillou wines share with Rayas an extraordinary sappiness of red fruit flavors. The grapes in '98 were 60% destemmed.