Looking at the 2003 Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee de la Plume du Peintre, it’s a blend of equal parts Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache that spent upward of 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. While I tasted this wine more than a year ago in the United States, this bottle from the domaine was on another level. Extraordinary stuff, it offers up a decadent bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, crushed rock and roasted herbs to go with a massive, rich and full-bodied profile on the palate that carries incredible purity, no hard edges and blockbuster length. Well-stored bottles will drink well for over 3 decades. As I wrote in the intro for this domaine last year, Domaine de la Mordoree is a reference point estate for Chateauneuf du Pape. Run by the talented brother duo of Fabrice and Christophe Delorme, with Christophe making the wines, they produce a relatively modern-styled Chateauneuf, as well as more than noteworthy Liracs and Tavels. For this tasting at the domaine (I was also able to taste through this full lineup again, from bottles in the U.S.), we started with the older vintages and worked toward the more current releases. In addition to their Reine des Bois cuvee, the Delorme brothers also release a special cuvee call the Cuvee de la Plume du Peintre. It’s made only in top vintages, and, as of today, it’s only been made in 2003 and 2005. There’s a scant 150 cases of each. Coming from a plot of 80-year-old vines located in the famed La Crau lieu-dit, the blend has changed between the two releases, as has the elevage. Importer: Fran Kysela, Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228; fax (540) 722-9258