Sampled at Oinoscent, courtesy of a customer, bottle no 1249/1500, tasted blind -/- The wine shows thick core of ripe to overripe black fruit, spices, thick oak frame, cinnamon and clove, chocolate and coffee. I call this Californian Syrah/Grenache The palate is different, far more old school, earthier, the wine shows dried red fruit, smoky, spicy, chocolate, whole spice, nice tannins, elegant with long finish. I call this southern Rhone. Overall probably Rhone from a warm vintage. -//- I've never had this cuvee before. The wine shows no sign of its 15%. But the heatwave of 2003 stripped the wines freshness. A wine of beauty still
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Powerful and dense CNdP, a mix of elegant red and black fruit, much less tannic compared to another bottles consumed 6 months ago, only 1500 bottles produced.
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My friends were excited with this very rare bottle which is numbered by hand and with only 1500 bottles produced. I found it rich in Alcohol, extremely tannic, with a good length. I refused the second glass, for me much too massive (and this has been the last bottle of a long evening, a certain fatigue came up, partially also due to my heavy cold).
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Recently, I took advantage of a rare opportunity to purchase 2 bottles of the 2003. I purchased with confidence based on glowing prior professional reviews and Jeff Leve's most recent CT review in 1/2020.
I decided to open this bottle (#530/1500 bottles) on Valentine's Day Weekend at my new house that I haven't yet to move into due to an unexpected remodel. The night began with an Ultramarine BdB 2016 then transitioned into this beauty with dinner.
I had no idea how to treat this bottle, so I decided to pour out just under an ounce and returned the bottle to 55 degrees for a 2.5 hour slow ox. I then decanted for a little over 1 hour prior to pairing it with a delmonico steak. Drank out of a Riedel Fatto A Mano Old World Syrah Glass.
The color showed some age and it was a medium garnet. The bouquet showed mostly earth tones with some fruit. The primary flavors were of red and black fruit ithat are still present but the predominant flavors that I detected were more secondary of mineral, spice and earth tones. In addition,, there were hints of smoked meat. It was full bodied and concentrated but not overly concentrated.There is still good acidity and the wine was well balanced. I think it may be starting to transition from the behemoth some have previously described to a more intellectual wine. There is still a lot of life left and the drinking window is rather broad.
I do not have much experience with aged CdPs or CdPs at this level. For me, the wine was very good but I don't think my palate was ready to appreciate this wine for the greatness that it may be. Glad I bought 2, albeit not the best QPR for me. I'm looking forward to my second bottle, as I'll have a better idea what to expect and may be able to appreciate it at a greater level with the prior knowledge of what I'm getting in to.
My score is a 95+.
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This is a wine that does not come my way too often With a production of about 125 cases, it is easy to understand why. I cannot believe the power, concentration, richness and depth this still offers, considering it is from 2003. This is not a delicate wine. It is full-bodied, showy and mouth-filling, with layers of ripe and very ripe, deep red fruits, smoke, licorice, earth and black cherry. This is an intense drinking experience that is better accompanied by a big slab of beef. It is also a stylized wine, so it is not for those seeking a delicate experience. Interestingly, there is no heat or jammy qualities, even at 17 years of age. It could get better, but if you are one of the lucky few to have a bottle, pull a cork and check it out. Along with Cuvee da Capo, this is the wine of the vintage.
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La Tablee: Celebratory Dinner (BYO) (26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn): Interesting - I had never heard of this wine before but given that each of the bottles are numbered and there's only 1500 total I take that it is quite rare. Very fruit forward, very intense. It's almost a touch on the jammy side. This wasn't quite my style of wine.
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Quite ripe dark fruit on the nose including blackberry, boysenberry, and plum. Black pepper, licorice, charcoal, dry earth and cardamom follow. However, while broad, the nose is not particularly deep. The palate was a disappointment, showing a variety of sweet and savory flavors but struggling to present a refined level of coherency or sophistication. Tannins are firm but are not aggressive and detract from neither the finish nor the overall impression. This will should get somewhat better with time, but I don't see a breakout from this combination of alcohol, low acid and ripe fruit. A good wine that will be a better one, but this falls short versus the price point, the expectation, and my palate. Will wait at least a few years for the next bottle. Decanted two hours, consumed over the following three. 93+
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Too early!! Huge wine, decadent nose of red fruits and chocolate. Very long finish but quite tannic, needs more time for the alcohol to integrate better with the wine. Started showing very well after 6 hours, 3 of which in a decanter. This will be a legendary wine in 3-5 years... Might merit a 98-100 score
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Really had a hard time wrapping my head around this wine. It was pretty stewed and to me is seemed like it was already starting to fade. Others really loved it.
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Drinking Rhones at Capella (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): I suppose the impression can’t vary much for a monster scale wine like this in a couple months. Ripe black fruits, framboise, cherry liqueur, licorice, baking spices, root beer and ink. Initially Gary called it very Aussie shiraz like and I agree wholeheartedly. One of the biggest CDPs and certainly the biggest03 CDP that I encountered. Incredible concentration, silky and polished, dark incense and framboise driven palate impression, no noticeable tannins and incredibly long finish. Although ripe and sweet, I am not so sure whether this is a typical 03. For now, if you love the big scale well-crafted wine like SQN, you will love this wine. This will need another ten to twenty years to gain enough tertiary notes to make sense to the traditional CDP lovers. Impressive for sure.
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Dinner at Don and Gary's - 64 CB, 03 Plume and 67 D'Yquem (Don's house): Expressive nose of cherry liqueur, framboise,, exotic sweet spices, roasted fruits, and ink. Incredible concentrated but also polished and silky, sweet intense liqueur fruits, nicely integrated tannins and long finish. The fruit is very ripe and jammy but if tasted blind, I wouldn’t be able to tell the vintage. If you are a fan of incredibly concentrated super luxury cuvee CDPs, you will fall in love with the wine. The great balance reminded me SQN but distinctively CDP although definitely not traditional.
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Amazingly fres nose for a 2003, everybody guessed 2000 or 2001... ripe red berries, mine de crayon... Loads of ripe tannins, mine de crayon, ripe red berries, very long and fresh mineral... so much dry extract that it is almost a meal by itself!
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SQN vs C9duP and some extra's (@ PC): Wow! Another superb wine I never tasted before. A luxurious, delicious and complex bouquet with all sorts of herbs and spices and beautiful red and dark forest fruits as well as cherries. Same on the palate in an enormous concentration. Some chocolate as well. There is some sweetness, but the acidity that balances that is really beautiful. Soft tannin with a lot of power still. This wine is already so delicious. Early maturity stage now and can last at least until 2025+.
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I have to depart from some of the TNs found here. I found this wine to be tasty, but far short of the accolades that others have given it. It is definitely atypical for CDP and seems more like a big CA Grenache. Almost no acid. Port-like. To be honest, not anywhere near as much of a pleasure to drink as a basic Pegau Cuvee Reservee. At $600- not worth it. Those who have bottles should wait at least 10 years before trying.
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Blackberry liqueur, incense, blue fruit, toast and the essence of kirsch create the nose. Blackberry liqueur, incense, blue fruit, toast and the essence of kirsch create the nose. The wine paints your palate with flavor and intensity. The finish must last at least 60 seconds with its intensity and purity of fruit. If the knobs go to 11, this stunning wine deserves more than 100 Pts.
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Atta BEAST! Please consider: I took down my glass and wrote my feeling as here and now….it’s FABULOUS. Dried cherries brought by a multidimensional gallop. This is a Pandora wine, full of everything and artistically displaying what it wants to display! A nightmare for a scientist, a dream for an artist, this wine is to be displayed as an illustration to Whitman’s “when I heard the learnd astronomer”. I won’t even depict any of its component, I’m just here to testimony that, YES, this is truly the painter’s plum, writing effortlessly it’s beauty that no one can master but admire. As far as beauty and art goes, here I find it and shut my mouth. The beast subdued me.
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If you've ever been curious as to what a 100 Pt Chateauneuf du Pape tastes like, one sniff, swirl and sip will explain it all. Inky in color, with aromatics packed with stone, pepper, earth, garrigue, licorice and kirsch liqueur, the wine is fat, rich and incredibly concentrated. This Chateauneuf du Pape paints your palate with waves of perfectly ripe, black cherry, herbs and dense, intense fruit. The finish lasts for more than 60 seconds!
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La Plume du la Pientre. Boom! That’s what happened when the cork popped and the perfume blew out of the bottle. Jammy blackberries, truffle, licorice, spice, pepper, molten cherry and blueberry liqueuer caught your attention and kept it there. The mind-blowing levels of perfume was intoxicating to smell. Massive, with insane levels of concentration, this wine coated your palate with flavors and textures for over 60 seconds. But don’t let the size fool you. Everything was in perfect balance. Only 1,500 bottles of this wine was produced for the world! This was bottle #521.
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Guessing double blind I assumed this was a SQN Grenache. Everyone thought this was new world. So ripe, black, sweet and massive in comparison to a Pegau Cuvee da Capo. Punishingly dry and tannic on the finish. I guess this one needs a LOT of time, as I found it no so civilized at this stage.
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Intense does not begin to describe the explosion of flavor this wine offers. Massive concentration, dense, rich, ripe, spicy, jammy berries, pepper, earth and fennel scents are all over the place. This opulent wine coats your mouth and feels like molten berries. The long finish lasts close to 60 seconds. This is not your grandma's Chateauneuf du Pape. But I loved it!
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Uncorked DK Sine Qua Non Event (and some pretty interesting jokers...) (Restaurant Premisse, Copenhagen): Extremely dark wine with a very sweet and intense nose of earth, iodine, sweet berries, marzipane, glue, horse stables, bacon and meat. Clearly the nose is intriguing - what is going on?! When it enters the mouth it has some of the most massive tannins I have ever encountered. I literally had to peel my lips from my teeth and almost had to pick my tongue out of the spit bucket... Tastewise there is licorice essence and loads of pepper. The Mourvedre fireworks on the nose is very impressive, but the structure prevented me from any enjoyment from drinking the wine. Once again other group members were more enthusiastic and found it to be a profound example of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I would like to try it again in 20 years time... (Parker says that this wine is off the charts in terms of dry extract and polyphenol levels and calls it strikingly backward) Another extremely rare wine - only 1500 bottles produced. (Uncorked DK average: 97 - lowest: 96 - highest: 98)
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7/8/2023 - kostaslonis wrote:
Sampled at Oinoscent, courtesy of a customer, bottle no 1249/1500, tasted blind
-/-
The wine shows thick core of ripe to overripe black fruit, spices, thick oak frame, cinnamon and clove, chocolate and coffee. I call this Californian Syrah/Grenache
The palate is different, far more old school, earthier, the wine shows dried red fruit, smoky, spicy, chocolate, whole spice, nice tannins, elegant with long finish. I call this southern Rhone.
Overall probably Rhone from a warm vintage.
-//-
I've never had this cuvee before. The wine shows no sign of its 15%. But the heatwave of 2003 stripped the wines freshness. A wine of beauty still
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3/19/2022 - MJReb wrote: 93 Points
Powerful and dense CNdP, a mix of elegant red and black fruit, much less tannic compared to another bottles consumed 6 months ago, only 1500 bottles produced.
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10/22/2021 - MJReb wrote: 90 Points
My friends were excited with this very rare bottle which is numbered by hand and with only 1500 bottles produced. I found it rich in Alcohol, extremely tannic, with a good length. I refused the second glass, for me much too massive (and this has been the last bottle of a long evening, a certain fatigue came up, partially also due to my heavy cold).
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7/7/2021 - csimm wrote: flawed
2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Destroyed and dead. A pile of leaves slathered in sherry and liquified golden raisins. Not sure what happened here. An unfortunate fail.
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2/13/2021 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Recently, I took advantage of a rare opportunity to purchase 2 bottles of the 2003. I purchased with confidence based on glowing prior professional reviews and Jeff Leve's most recent CT review in 1/2020.
I decided to open this bottle (#530/1500 bottles) on Valentine's Day Weekend at my new house that I haven't yet to move into due to an unexpected remodel. The night began with an Ultramarine BdB 2016 then transitioned into this beauty with dinner.
I had no idea how to treat this bottle, so I decided to pour out just under an ounce and returned the bottle to 55 degrees for a 2.5 hour slow ox. I then decanted for a little over 1 hour prior to pairing it with a delmonico steak. Drank out of a Riedel Fatto A Mano Old World Syrah Glass.
The color showed some age and it was a medium garnet. The bouquet showed mostly earth tones with some fruit. The primary flavors were of red and black fruit ithat are still present but the predominant flavors that I detected were more secondary of mineral, spice and earth tones. In addition,, there were hints of smoked meat. It was full bodied and concentrated but not overly concentrated.There is still good acidity and the wine was well balanced. I think it may be starting to transition from the behemoth some have previously described to a more intellectual wine. There is still a lot of life left and the drinking window is rather broad.
I do not have much experience with aged CdPs or CdPs at this level. For me, the wine was very good but I don't think my palate was ready to appreciate this wine for the greatness that it may be. Glad I bought 2, albeit not the best QPR for me. I'm looking forward to my second bottle, as I'll have a better idea what to expect and may be able to appreciate it at a greater level with the prior knowledge of what I'm getting in to.
My score is a 95+.
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1/11/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
This is a wine that does not come my way too often With a production of about 125 cases, it is easy to understand why. I cannot believe the power, concentration, richness and depth this still offers, considering it is from 2003. This is not a delicate wine. It is full-bodied, showy and mouth-filling, with layers of ripe and very ripe, deep red fruits, smoke, licorice, earth and black cherry. This is an intense drinking experience that is better accompanied by a big slab of beef. It is also a stylized wine, so it is not for those seeking a delicate experience. Interestingly, there is no heat or jammy qualities, even at 17 years of age. It could get better, but if you are one of the lucky few to have a bottle, pull a cork and check it out. Along with Cuvee da Capo, this is the wine of the vintage.
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2/2/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:
La Tablee: Celebratory Dinner (BYO) (26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn): Interesting - I had never heard of this wine before but given that each of the bottles are numbered and there's only 1500 total I take that it is quite rare. Very fruit forward, very intense. It's almost a touch on the jammy side. This wasn't quite my style of wine.
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7/24/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite ripe dark fruit on the nose including blackberry, boysenberry, and plum. Black pepper, licorice, charcoal, dry earth and cardamom follow. However, while broad, the nose is not particularly deep. The palate was a disappointment, showing a variety of sweet and savory flavors but struggling to present a refined level of coherency or sophistication. Tannins are firm but are not aggressive and detract from neither the finish nor the overall impression. This will should get somewhat better with time, but I don't see a breakout from this combination of alcohol, low acid and ripe fruit. A good wine that will be a better one, but this falls short versus the price point, the expectation, and my palate. Will wait at least a few years for the next bottle. Decanted two hours, consumed over the following three. 93+
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7/9/2015 - george61 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Too early!! Huge wine, decadent nose of red fruits and chocolate. Very long finish but quite tannic, needs more time for the alcohol to integrate better with the wine. Started showing very well after 6 hours, 3 of which in a decanter. This will be a legendary wine in 3-5 years... Might merit a 98-100 score
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3/12/2015 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 85 Points
Really had a hard time wrapping my head around this wine. It was pretty stewed and to me is seemed like it was already starting to fade. Others really loved it.
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10/16/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Drinking Rhones at Capella (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): I suppose the impression can’t vary much for a monster scale wine like this in a couple months. Ripe black fruits, framboise, cherry liqueur, licorice, baking spices, root beer and ink. Initially Gary called it very Aussie shiraz like and I agree wholeheartedly. One of the biggest CDPs and certainly the biggest03 CDP that I encountered. Incredible concentration, silky and polished, dark incense and framboise driven palate impression, no noticeable tannins and incredibly long finish. Although ripe and sweet, I am not so sure whether this is a typical 03. For now, if you love the big scale well-crafted wine like SQN, you will love this wine. This will need another ten to twenty years to gain enough tertiary notes to make sense to the traditional CDP lovers. Impressive for sure.
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8/30/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Dinner at Don and Gary's - 64 CB, 03 Plume and 67 D'Yquem (Don's house): Expressive nose of cherry liqueur, framboise,, exotic sweet spices, roasted fruits, and ink. Incredible concentrated but also polished and silky, sweet intense liqueur fruits, nicely integrated tannins and long finish. The fruit is very ripe and jammy but if tasted blind, I wouldn’t be able to tell the vintage. If you are a fan of incredibly concentrated super luxury cuvee CDPs, you will fall in love with the wine. The great balance reminded me SQN but distinctively CDP although definitely not traditional.
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7/25/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 98 Points
Amazingly fres nose for a 2003, everybody guessed 2000 or 2001... ripe red berries, mine de crayon... Loads of ripe tannins, mine de crayon, ripe red berries, very long and fresh mineral... so much dry extract that it is almost a meal by itself!
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7/24/2014 - Zweder wrote: 99 Points
SQN vs C9duP and some extra's (@ PC): Wow! Another superb wine I never tasted before. A luxurious, delicious and complex bouquet with all sorts of herbs and spices and beautiful red and dark forest fruits as well as cherries. Same on the palate in an enormous concentration. Some chocolate as well. There is some sweetness, but the acidity that balances that is really beautiful. Soft tannin with a lot of power still. This wine is already so delicious. Early maturity stage now and can last at least until 2025+.
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1/27/2014 - h2ofowler55 wrote: 92 Points
I have to depart from some of the TNs found here. I found this wine to be tasty, but far short of the accolades that others have given it. It is definitely atypical for CDP and seems more like a big CA Grenache. Almost no acid. Port-like. To be honest, not anywhere near as much of a pleasure to drink as a basic Pegau Cuvee Reservee. At $600- not worth it. Those who have bottles should wait at least 10 years before trying.
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10/24/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
Blackberry liqueur, incense, blue fruit, toast and the essence of kirsch create the nose. Blackberry liqueur, incense, blue fruit, toast and the essence of kirsch create the nose. The wine paints your palate with flavor and intensity. The finish must last at least 60 seconds with its intensity and purity of fruit. If the knobs go to 11, this stunning wine deserves more than 100 Pts.
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2/11/2013 - cr84 wrote: 100 Points
Atta BEAST! Please consider: I took down my glass and wrote my feeling as here and now….it’s FABULOUS. Dried cherries brought by a multidimensional gallop. This is a Pandora wine, full of everything and artistically displaying what it wants to display! A nightmare for a scientist, a dream for an artist, this wine is to be displayed as an illustration to Whitman’s “when I heard the learnd astronomer”. I won’t even depict any of its component, I’m just here to testimony that, YES, this is truly the painter’s plum, writing effortlessly it’s beauty that no one can master but admire. As far as beauty and art goes, here I find it and shut my mouth. The beast subdued me.
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11/5/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
If you've ever been curious as to what a 100 Pt Chateauneuf du Pape tastes like, one sniff, swirl and sip will explain it all. Inky in color, with aromatics packed with stone, pepper, earth, garrigue, licorice and kirsch liqueur, the wine is fat, rich and incredibly concentrated. This Chateauneuf du Pape paints your palate with waves of perfectly ripe, black cherry, herbs and dense, intense fruit. The finish lasts for more than 60 seconds!
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9/27/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
La Plume du la Pientre. Boom! That’s what happened when the cork popped and the perfume blew out of the bottle. Jammy blackberries, truffle, licorice, spice, pepper, molten cherry and blueberry liqueuer caught your attention and kept it there. The mind-blowing levels of perfume was intoxicating to smell. Massive, with insane levels of concentration, this wine coated your palate with flavors and textures for over 60 seconds. But don’t let the size fool you. Everything was in perfect balance. Only 1,500 bottles of this wine was produced for the world! This was bottle #521.
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9/23/2011 - Eric wrote:
Guessing double blind I assumed this was a SQN Grenache. Everyone thought this was new world. So ripe, black, sweet and massive in comparison to a Pegau Cuvee da Capo. Punishingly dry and tannic on the finish. I guess this one needs a LOT of time, as I found it no so civilized at this stage.
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1/20/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Intense does not begin to describe the explosion of flavor this wine offers. Massive concentration, dense, rich, ripe, spicy, jammy berries, pepper, earth and fennel scents are all over the place. This opulent wine coats your mouth and feels like molten berries. The long finish lasts close to 60 seconds. This is not your grandma's Chateauneuf du Pape. But I loved it!
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3/20/2009 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Martin Weiner Chateauneuf du Pape dinner tasting (Chez Weiner, Westwood, California): Dark red violet color; super ripe, oak, preserved cherry and berry syrup nose; super ripe, over-the-top, sweet cherry, boysenberry and cassis palate, reminiscent of a big Napa Cab, with sweet tannins; medium-plus finish
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2/20/2009 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
Uncorked DK Sine Qua Non Event (and some pretty interesting jokers...) (Restaurant Premisse, Copenhagen): Extremely dark wine with a very sweet and intense nose of earth, iodine, sweet berries, marzipane, glue, horse stables, bacon and meat. Clearly the nose is intriguing - what is going on?! When it enters the mouth it has some of the most massive tannins I have ever encountered. I literally had to peel my lips from my teeth and almost had to pick my tongue out of the spit bucket... Tastewise there is licorice essence and loads of pepper. The Mourvedre fireworks on the nose is very impressive, but the structure prevented me from any enjoyment from drinking the wine. Once again other group members were more enthusiastic and found it to be a profound example of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I would like to try it again in 20 years time... (Parker says that this wine is off the charts in terms of dry extract and polyphenol levels and calls it strikingly backward)
Another extremely rare wine - only 1500 bottles produced.
(Uncorked DK average: 97 - lowest: 96 - highest: 98)
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