03 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

My first taste of the 03 CdP's and my first real foray into good CdP in general. I knew it was a hot year, so I was expecting a lot of unbalanced, alcoholic wines.

• 2003 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron 85 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Floral, berry-ish aroma. Light, almost Pinot Noir-like flavors. Robert Parker liked this one, but I didn't think much of it. Just not my idea of a good Chateauneuf.

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• 2003 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Unique Vieilles Vignes 86 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Earthy and somewhat soft, jam packed with loganberry flavors. Nice, but didn't knock me off my feet.

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• 2003 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Muted earth, plenty of fruit. Very smooth, will likely pick up some intriguing flavors over time.

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• 2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Very smooth, with lots of plush fruit and dusty tannins. Yummy now and will undoubtedly improve.

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• 2003 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Elegant wine. Very dry, with terrific balance between earth and fruit. Packed with flavors. Quite nice.

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• 2003 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Exceedingly earthy, mushroomy, complex aromas explode from the glass. Very full, ultra smooth, a phenomenal wine. Will likely improve, but tempting to just drink it now. WOTF for me and several folks in my vicinity.

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• 2003 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Félix 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Dry and tight right now, but great balance and clearly has a bright future.

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While they were certainly alcoholic, in general I was pleasantly surprised. Most of the wines had tons of fruit, but lots of tannin and just enough acidity to avoid completely falling apart. I doubt they'll hold up for 30 years, but they should hold up for at least 10. On the other hand, they're so plush that most should be drinking well in 5 or 6 years.