Color was medium gold. Had a very sweet nose of blood orange liqueur, citrus, honey, nuts, and marzipan. Really blossomed throughout the evening, with the slight heat on the nose mellowing out. Sweet and smooth on the palate. Very round and with less bright acidity than expected. Medium length finish. Very nice overall.

A classic Châteauneuf. Red fruits, fruitcake, cinnamon, curry, spice, and dark chocolate on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate. The bright acidity was a bit high and stood out on the finish. The tannins were fully integrated. Despite the unique nose, this wasn't terribly interesting overall. This is likely past its peak, so I would drink this now if I had it in my cellar.

Lots of volatile acidity. Undrinkable

This was the consensus wine of the night, though this was partially because this wine was at its peak while the knockout wines from 2003 were young and far from maturity. The nose just never quit, with red fruits, cigar box, espresso, truffle, smoke, and lots of pepper. There was so much depth to the nose. And the palate was just as strong. Full-bodied with impressive density and concentration. It was hard to find a flaw here, and it was a wine that was difficult to forget, with its resonating finish. Superb, but still a notch below the 1989 and other-worldly 1990.

One of my favorite wines of the evening. The nose exhibited black cherry, plum, barnyard, barbecue smoke, bacon fat, and dark chocolate. A soft but full mouthfeel. Tannins mostly resolved. Bright acidity on the finish. Refined and complex. Truly an excellent wine.

A very unique nose of blackberry, brown spices, anise, smoked meat, cedar, and cinnamon. Not quite as dynamic on the palate, which appeared to be less dense and certainly lacking the complexity that the nose indicated. There is a good core of fruit here, and refined tannins, but there is just something missing on the palate. There are no hard edges, and the acidity is in a good place. Perhaps this hasn't fully peaked, but I wouldn't expect it to improve much from here.

Initially the nose was quite shy, and seemed to be offer up little. But with time, it emerged with cherry, raspberry, garrigue, fresh roses, curry, and tobacco. Medium-bodied on the palate, with silky tannins. Good balance overall. Medium-high level acidity that balanced nicely with the fruit. Medium length finish.

I haven't had this in two years, and it's clear that this wine has gone through big changes. It's much more balanced, and its edged are polished and refined. It's hard to find many flaws with this wine. First, there's the gorgeous nose of black cherry, boysenberry, white pepper, thyme, and bacon fat. What surprised me most was the impeccable balance that this is already showing. Didn't exhibit any heat whatsoever. The acidity is in a perfect place, to go along with the ultra-smooth tannins and long, lingering finish. To compare with the equally good 2003 Guigal La Landonne, this wine had more freshness and better balance, and wasn't showing as much of its youth.

A knockout wine. It just needs a lot more time in the bottle for everything to flesh out. Full-bodied and with incredible concentration. Loads of game, smoked meat, soy, black currant, blackberry, anise, licorice, soy, and pepper. Very dense and layered on the palate, with good sweetness. A finish that just didn't seem to stop. This will be much better as the oak settles in, and it continues to gain the complexity of maturation. Not quite the 1999, but pretty close.