The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes may not attain the perfection of the 1998, or the pure exuberance and voluptuousness of the 2000, but it is a brilliant effort. A wine of nobility as well as purity, this cuvee, made primarily from 50-100 year old Grenache vines, exhibits a dark plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of Provencal herbs, roasted meats, creme de cassis, blackberries, and violets. Floral and full-bodied with a seamlessness that only old vines can provide, it possesses rich, concentrated, pure fruit, low acidity, and admirable delineation (because of its tannic structure). Give it 2-3 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 15-18 years.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Tasted at the domaine out of magnum, the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is just a bit past its peak to my palate, but it still remains a delicious wine. Knockout, complex aromas of black truffles, leather and black cherries emerge from the glass, while the wine remains full-bodied, supple and silky on the palate, with a tremendously long but slightly astringent finish.