Wildly provencal, the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois was singing on this occasion and had tons of kirsch, garrigue, seaweed and gamy notes all giving way to a full-bodied, plump, fruit-filled Chateauneuf du Pape that's drinking at point. There's no upside here, but it should evolve nicely going forward on its terrific core of fruit.

The 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois (the debut vintage for this wine) has plenty of peppery, seaweed, and garrigue notes intermixed with black cherry, licorice, and smoke. It is almost wildly Provencal in its personality and could be nothing but a Southern Rhone aromatically or flavor-wise. Full-bodied and fully mature, this wine needs to be drunk over the next 5-6 years.