What's a candidate for the wine of the vintage, the sensational 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (85% Grenache and 15% Syrah) is a sunny, Provencal, sexy and incredibly full-bodied beauty. With a still youthful ruby color, a big mid-palate, sweet tannin and tons of decadent aromas of currants, black cherries, garrigue, chocolate and spiced meats, this blockbuster Chateauneuf du Pape delivers incredible intensity and flavor (it's over 16% alcohol), yet stays lively, graceful and seamless. It's ready to go, but will keep through 2023.

The blockbuster 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (16.3% alcohol) is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah that usually emanates from the three old-vine parcels they own – La Crau, Gallimardes, and Esquirons. The fruit from the latter vineyard, which usually goes into the Vieilles Vignes as it did in 2004, did not make it in 2003. This wine is built from the back forward, meaning there is huge tannin and structure, so at first the wine seems somewhat backward, but with air, the extraordinary perfume of lilacs, sweet licorice, blackberry liqueur, and kirsch soar from the glass. There are even hints of roasted meats, smoked herbs, and underbrush as well as truffles. The wine has superb concentration, remarkable intensity, full-bodied flavors, sweetness, opulence, and a multi-layered palate and finish that literally have to be tasted to be believed. This wine spent 100% of its time in tank and is a modern-day monument to Chateauneuf du Pape, and the glories of the old vines of this appellation. I would give this wine another 1-2 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it merit a perfect score in a few years – it’s that special.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565