A wine that always does it for me, the 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is open for business and has a sexy, voluptuous texture to go with classic Mordoree spice, licorice, graphite and black cherry and currant-styled fruit. Beautifully complex, full-bodied and with brilliant purity of fruit, drink it over the coming 3-5 years. 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

The flagship wine remains Mordoree's remarkable Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois. The 2000 boasts an inky purple color in addition to a ravishing perfume of wood smoke, creme de cassis, blueberries, plums, figs, and a hint of graphite. Full-bodied, with sweet tannin, a layered richness, staggering ripeness, and a finish that lasts for nearly 50 seconds, this monumental Chateauneuf du Pape continues the unbelievable succession of superstar wines that began in 1998. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228