2003 Chateauneuf du Pape La Plume du Peintre

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

Just over the top and almost completely crazy, the 2003 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Plume du Peintre is easily one of the most concentrated, rich wines I’ve ever tasted. This bottle was opened and decanted roughly 4 hours prior to drinking and was then followed over 2 days. The nose on the first day was just amazingly huge and concentrated with the very essence of Grenache fruit. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry liqueur, plums, graphite, new oak and charred meat aromas are easily smelled feet from the glass. Honestly, it’s hard not to smile after smelling this. Despite the vintage characteristics, this had beautifully pure and clean fruit without a trace of roasted or cooked fruit. The palate is full bodied with huge, perfectly ripe fruit, a thick mouth coating texture and a blockbuster finish. Very tannic, dense and primary at the moment, this needs to be cellared for 10+ years. On the second day, this had closed down to the point of being downright unfriendly to drink, so if drinking any time soon, uber-long decants are not recommended.

Dark, saturated ruby. Flamboyantly aromatic nose offers creme de mure, exotic oak spices, dark chocolate and pipe tobacco. Thick and creamy in texture, showing deeply concentrated kirsch, blackberry and baking spice flavors that saturate the palate and cling endlessly. The round, sweet tannins beautifully complement the lush fruit. A dramatic, stunning effort, but only 1,500 bottles were produced.