2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee l'Envol

(70% mourvedre and 30% grenache): Glass-staining ruby. Highly expressive aromas of cassis, cherry compote and garrigue, with a floral topnote. Concentrated and lush, with spicy dark fruit and candied lavender flavors showing a touch of back-end warmth. Offers good balance for such a rich wine and finishes bright and sappy, with supple tannins and lingering florality.

A more long-term effort is the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape L’Envol (70% Mourvedre and 30% Grenache, aged in two- to three-year-old small barriques). A complex nose of sauteed mushrooms intermixed with meat juices, blueberry, mulberry and tree bark are all present in a completely different interpretation of Chateauneuf du Pape. The color is a healthy deep bluish purple, and the wine medium to full-bodied, tannic and quite young and backward. This will need a few years of bottle age and evolve over the next 15+ years. (Not yet released) Michel Maret’s estate of 45+ acres is primarily in the eastern and northern sectors of the appellation, with large holdings in La Crau and the well-known lieu-dit of Brusquieres. His daughters, Caroline and Veronique, seem to be taking over more and more of the responsibilities and add to the remarkable number of women who seem to be in positions of influence and control in Chateauneuf du Pape. There are always four cuvees in the top vintages, but the Marets have added a fifth cuvee, dominated by Mourvedre with the balance Grenache, called L’Envol. This wine is a completely different take on Chateauneuf du Pape, one I am seeing appear more frequently in my tastings. The 2009s all performed better out of bottle than they did last year. These are classic, traditional styles of Chateauneuf du Pape. As insiders know, the finest value from the Maret family is their Vacqueyras made from the 10 acres they own in that appellation. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

Glass-staining ruby. Powerful aromas of blackberry and cherry-cola, supported by a strong smoky overlay. Lush, sweet, palate-staining dark fruit preserve flavors are complemented by notes of black olive and succulent herbs. Finishes with good thrust and persistent sweetness, echoing the cola note. For a rich wine this shows surprising vivacity. This is a new bottling and is composed of 70% grenache and 30% mourvedre, aged in barriques