1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Prestige Tete de Cru

One would have to go back to their exquisite 1961 to find a Chateauneuf du Pape from Cabrieres as superb as their 1990 Cuvee Prestige. This selection from their oldest vines is superb. But I wonder if the bottling that arrives in America will be as profound as what I tasted in France? This estate has a tendency to zealously filter their wines, stripping them of much of their potential. What I tasted was exquisite. It had obviously seen some new oak given the subtle vanillin, smoky character in the fabulously dramatic, earthy, black fruit-scented, sweet nose. In the mouth, the wine displays full body, exquisite depth and richness, as well as fine grip and focus. This flashy, immensely impressive, velvety-textured wine can be drunk young, but it should easily last for 15 or more years. Importer: Parliament Wines, Atlantic City, NJ.