A wine I’ve been lucky enough to have numerous times recently, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is gorgeous. Quite possibly the wine of the vintage, it shows thrilling levels of blackberry, licorice, toasted bread, and garrigue to go with a full-bodied, massive, yet layered and seamless feel on the palate. There’s none of the rusticity or coarse tannin that’s common in the vintage, and it possesses beautiful purity, sweetness of fruit and length. Drink it over the coming 2-4 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

2003 was a challenging vintage for Chateauneuf du Pape, but the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois (70% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, and the rest equal parts Cinsault, Counoise, Syrah, and Vaccarese) is extraordinary. I had wondered if the culling out of a special lot for the La Plume du Peintre would have any impact on the Cuvee de la Reine des Bois, but it has not. This is stunning Chateauneuf du Pape with an inky ruby/purple color and a sweet nose of blackberries, camphor, licorice, spice box, and violets. The wine is full-bodied, rich and layered, and similar in style to the 2001. It’s a beauty, and should drink well for 15 or more years. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

A dark, brooding wine, packed with wood and dry tannin flavors. At the same time, the fruit is huge, with chocolate, dark plum, cassis and sweetness. This is a dense wine that is going to be hugely impressive after 5 years of aging. Imported by Kysela Pere et Fils. ——R.V.(12/31/2005)—— 93