This wasn't a year for the faint hearted, but for those growers who faced the challenges and conquered them, 2008 is a very good vintage. The whites are exceptionally good throughout. As in 2000 and 2004, 2008 is a vintage for drinking young. The wines are round and fleshy and the tannins are soft and ripe. In many cases, those growers who usually release several cuvées only made one in 2008. There are individual successes everywhere but Saint-Joseph and Cornas stand out.