Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2003 Cuvée de Mon Aieul, Domaine Pierre Usseglio

One of the vintage’s most profound wines, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul has a dense purple color as well as a glorious nose of blackberries, licorice, smoke, and some roasted meats and dried herbs. Amazingly opulent, even voluptuous, with extraordinary purity, a huge tactile impression on the palate, but not heavy by any means, this is a stunning Chateauneuf du Pape from ancient vines made with 95% Grenache and the rest Cinsault and Syrah. Production is about 8,000 bottles, and the wine is bottled after spending its entire life in epoxy-lined tanks, so what one gets is the essence of the three separate terroirs it comes from – Les Serres, Guigasse, and La Crau. Anticipated maturity: now-2020+.

I asked the Usseglios what the most abundant years were over the last decade, and was told they were 2000, followed by 1999, 1998, 2001, 2003, and the smallest crop of all, 2004.