1998 Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo

The first vintage for this cuvee, and more refined and silky than the Cuvée Laurence, but with a slightly riper profile, 1998 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Da Capo exhibits a fantastically complex bouquet of kirsch and overripe plum liqueur with meat juice, charred steak, licorice, and spice aromas showing more with air. Full-bodied on the palate, and not showing much baby fat, the wine possesses sweet fruit, a silky, streamlined texture, and a long finish where more of the wines underlying structure and length show. While a gorgeous showing, this lacked some mid-palate depth and richness, especially when compared to the Cuvée Laurence.

Notably more youthful and lively than either the Reservee or Cuvee Laurence, the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo offers a massive, full-bodied and decadent profile to go with ripe, full-throttle notes of cassis, licorice, roasted herbs, Asian spice and garrigue. The first vintage of this tiny production cuvee and coming all from the old vines of La Crau and mostly rolled pebble soils, it's just now at the early stages of maturity and has plenty of life ahead of it. Nevertheless, there's absolutely no harm in opening bottles today. Aug 2015, www.robertparker.com