2003 Crozes Hermitage Thalabert

Deep ruby. Very ripe and warm on the nose, but not pruney or over the top. A big, round wine with lush dark berry and cherry compote flavors and a serious, chewy texture. A bit youthfully inexpressive today but the power and concentration of the material are obvious. Notes of espresso and candied licorice emerged with aeration. Frederic Jaboulet noted that production was down from a normal 20,000 cases to 7,000.

Saturated ruby. Porty aromas of blackberry, black plum, violet, menthol and bitter chocolate. Very dense and primary, conveying an impression of brooding power. A powerful, superripe, glyceral wine with flavors of candied blackberry, minerals and violet pastille that carry through to the very long finish. The tannins are huge but rather suave, and nicely buffered by the wine's sheer density of material. Jacques Jaboulet compared this to the 1961, and indeed this seems richer and more concentrated than several recent vintages of the house's Hermitage La Chapelle. (Incidentally, the Cote-Rotie Les Jumelles that followed this sample was extremely dry, even a bit sour, and impossible to taste.) This should be an outstanding value.

The brilliant 2003 Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert (production was one-third of normal) boasts a deep purple hue as well as gorgeous aromas of tapenade, blackberries, cherries, incense, and licorice. Voluptuous and full-bodied, with low acidity, ripe tannin, and gobs of fruit and glycerin, it should be consumed over the next 10-15 years. Feb 2006, www.robertparker.com