Domaine de la Mordoree, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, La Reine Des Bois 2010

A wine that might rival the 2001 when all is said and done, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is an incredible effort that does everything right. Possessing a voluptuous, decadent and super-rich profile, it stays graceful and perfectly balanced, with beautiful freshness, a stacked mid-palate and a blockbuster finish. Opening up in the glass, with copious blackberry, cassis, graphite, violets and spring flower-like nuances, it needs another 2-3 years of bottle age, and will have upward of three decades of overall longevity.

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois should rival the estate’s terrific 2007, 2006, 2005, 2001 and 1998. It boasts a saturated black/purple color and a glorious perfume of melted licorice, acacia flowers, lavender, blueberries, blackberries and kirsch. Full-bodied and dense as well as extraordinarily elegant, precise and fresh, this sumptuous wine should be cellared for 3-5 years, and drunk over the following 25+. It is a candidate for “wine of the vintage.”

Vivid purple. Heady, complex scents of black and blue fruits, incense, lavender, licorice and Asian spices, with a smoky overtone. Pliant, palate-staining blackberry and boysenberry flavors are lifted by zesty minerality and complicated by candied flowers and star anise. Supple tannins build with air and add shape and grip to the very long, sappy, spice-accented finish. This distinctly exotic wine has the depth and structure to age.