The 2005 Tavel Rose is one of my favorite summer quaffing wines, but it can only last a year and within two months of this report the 2006 will probably be hitting the marketplace. One of the advantages of the 2005 growing season and the cooler conditions is that there is terrific acidity not only in the reds but also the whites and roses. This is an estate that was a no-brainer for inclusion in my recent book on the world’s greatest wine estates. With 135 acres spread throughout some of the most impressive appellations of the southern Rhone, Christophe Delorme and his brother took over this estate in the early to mid-1990s and have done nothing but produce one exquisite wine after another. Of course, the top cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape are rare and expensive, but this is a place to find terrific Cotes du Rhones and Liracs as well. Delorme is equally adept at dry whites as well as reds, and turns out some stunning roses both under the Cotes du Rhone and Tavel appellations. Visitors to the area will be surprised to find out that Mordoree is actually in Tavel, not Chateauneuf du Pape.Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

A bit heavy and rich, with ample weight and a slightly syrupy texture. Perfumy and rose-like on the nose, with bright, confected cherry and berry fruit.——J.C.(11/15/2006)—— 86