The Leveque brothers, Jean and Pierre, make the most Chateauneuf-like wine of the Luberon (the part of Provence east of Avignon and north of Aix, along the Durance). Pierre did his apprenticeship with Paul Avril at Clos du Pape, which might explain in part why Robert Parker described the ’92 Fontenille as "resembles Beaucastel." Another reason could be the cepages—nearly 50% each Grenache and Syrah, for the cuvee we have selected. Yet another reason might be the extremely low yields—at the levels of appellation Chateauneuf. Lastly, of course, our selection was bottled unfiltered. The result, a fabulous, big wine, yes, like Chateauneuf for much less money, but also a wine with its own unique character. The ’98’s show immense promise and will certainly age for 12-15 years.

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