2005 Lirac

The 2005 Lirac Dame Rousse is an equal-part blend of Grenache and Syrah from 40-year-old vines. Dark ruby/purple with sweet black raspberry, cassis, and meaty notes, the wine is spicy, medium to full-bodied, structured, but rich, full, and very impressive. It should drink nicely for another 7-8 years. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

The 2005 Lirac (the generic cuvee) is rich, tannic, deep ruby/purple, compact and structured, yet big and promising. Unlike the 2004, however, it will require some patience as it needs several years of bottle age. It should last for at least a decade. 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

Too much new oak on the nose for me. Thick and definitely trying to be a Châteauneuf. Very inky and chewy. (JR)