A beautiful effort that’s been at full maturity for some time now, the 1996 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is a silky, seamless effort that possesses plenty of blackcurrants, toasted spice, licorice and hints of graphite on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, rich and still nicely textured, with notable freshness, it should continue to evolve gracefully, but I’d drink up. 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 1996 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois, it is undoubtedly the wine of the vintage for Chateauneuf du Pape. From its youngest days, this offering possessed a level of concentration and intensity far beyond anything else produced in the village. Now that it is in bottle, it is a sensational wine, having more in common with a great vintage such as 1990 or 1989 than 1996. In that sense, it could be called atypical for the year. It boasts a saturated black/purple color, as well as a knock-out nose of blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice, roasted herbs, and kirsh. Full-bodied, with a sweet, massive mid-palate, fabulous harmony, and outstanding concentration and length, this Chateauneuf, which achieved 14% alcohol naturally, is a gorgeously-textured, superb wine that should continue to evolve for 15+ years. Bravo!This estate is at the top of its game, producing some of the finest wines in the southern Rhone. Readers should also pay particular attention to the superb cuvees of Lirac, Cotes du Rhone, and the Tavel rose that have been reviewed in my value reports. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel (540) 722-9228