The 2009 Les Poupres Vin de Pays is 100% Viognier aged in tank. Selling for under $15 a bottle, this is a real sleeper of the vintage. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it, but it displays exotic floral notes intermixed with tropical fruit, white peaches, and apricots. It is delicious, crisp, honeyed Viognier to drink over the next 1-2 years. The great news for the northern Rhone is that 2009 will mark the full and complete resurrection of Maison Paul Jaboulet Aine to the highest level of quality in the northern Rhone. I had predicted that it wouldn't take long for the Frey family (proprietors of Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux) to put their act together and start turning out fabulous wines. They have done that in 2009, which will go down as the greatest vintage at Paul Jaboulet since 1990. One of the major changes has been to move almost entirely to estate wines, eliminating most of their negociant business. I have included in this report some of their selections from the southern Rhone, which are impressive. P. S. Put your seatbelts on - you won't believe the reviews of their 2009 Northern Rhones! Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700