2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Reine Bois

Seemingly unchanged since I first tasted the wine 5 years ago, the 2001 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois is still utterly profound in every way and has a very long life ahead of it. Displaying gorgeously pure, focused aromas of assorted dark fruits, graphite, meat juice, licorice, and touches of flowers on the nose, it fleshes out beautifully over the evening with a layered, complex, and yet astoundingly concentrated and structured character. In addition to showing full bodied power and richness, the wine possesses an amazingly poised, seamless nature that truly sets it apart. This awesome effort should continue to evolve for another 5 to 8 years, and drink well for a decade or more after that. Don’t miss this wine!

Saturated medium ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, blackberry, violet and roasted nuts; if some past vintages of this wine have been Burgundian in style, this is classic roasted Chateauneuf du Pape, but with more black than red fruits. Large-scaled, thick and explosive in the mouth, with lush flavors of black fruits, creme de framboise and minerals and firm underlying structure. Wonderfully sweet, dense and long on the aftertaste, with big but fine tannins.