2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Omnia

This domain, owned by Burgundy-based winemakers Mounir and Rotem Saouma is one of the most exciting new stories in the southern Rhône Valley. Burgundy lovers (mostly well-heeled ones) are by now acquainted with Saouma's Lucien LeMoine reds and whites, which are among Burgundy's most perfumed and downright sexy wines. The bloodline is quite clear in the couple's Châteauneufs, which share the finesse and intense fruit of their Burgundies and show a purity that's pretty uncommon for wines from the southern Rhône. Extended élevage is the rule here, with some wines resting in casks and/or amphoras for up to four years before bottling, a process that Mounir Saouma believes helps to round out the rough tannins that routinely occur due to the thick skins of grapes grown in such a hot region.