2001 Condrieu

The talented Louis Barruol did not make his specialx000D Gigondas Cuvee Valbelle in 2000, as he did not find enough difference in stylex000D between the fruit that would go into this bottling and the rest. Not surprisingly, he rates 2000 as highlyx000D successful and very ripe, but not quite up to 1998 in quality. He is enamored of the 2001s, however. The sugars really exploded late in thex000D harvest season, and the skins ripened late," he told me. At the beginning I didn't think 2001x000D was exceptional, but the wines have really progressed with elevage. It's turning out to be a greatx000D vintage." Barruol favors Vosgesx000D oak for his Cote-Rotie and Gigondas bottlings, with the wood dried for 36x000D months and charred very slowly. The drying of the wood is critical because the quality of the winex000D really comes during the second year of elevage," he noted. (Patrick Lesec Selections, imported byx000D Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; The Stacole Company, Inc., Boca Raton, FL;x000D and Michel Schlumberger Wines, Healdsburg, CA)