2000 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Deux Frères

An otherworldly wine, the 2000 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères is packed with roasted herbs, charred beef, smoke, tobacco, cassis and dark fruit. The palate is as good as wine gets with full body, an amazing texture that saturates your mouth, bright acidity and a knockout finish. Still very young, this should age beautifully.

The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres, which has been one of the winners in several blind tastings, is a candidate for "wine of the vintage." Sadly, there are only 5,000 bottles. The wine emerges from the estate's oldest vines, and is aged in old barrels. This blend of 95% Grenache and 5% Cinsault tips the scales at a whopping 15.8% alcohol. Its inky purple color is accompanied by succulent aromas of blackberry, cherry, and raspberry liqueur interwoven with licorice, mineral, and acacia flower characteristics. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a voluptuous texture, sweet tannin, and a flamboyant and accessible personality, this prodigious, majestic Chateauneuf du Pape needs to be tasted to be believed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. Kudos to Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio, Wine Advocate wine personalities of the year in 2001! Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres, which has been one of the winners in several blind tastings, is a candidate for "wine of the vintage." Sadly, there are only 5,000 bottles. The wine emerges from the estate's oldest vines, and is aged in old barrels. This blend of 95% Grenache and 5% Cinsault tips the scales at a whopping 15.8% alcohol. Its inky purple color is accompanied by succulent aromas of blackberry, cherry, and raspberry liqueur interwoven with licorice, mineral, and acacia flower characteristics. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a voluptuous texture, sweet tannin, and a flamboyant and accessible personality, this prodigious, majestic Chateauneuf du Pape needs to be tasted to be believed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. Feb 2003, www.robertparker.com