($33-$38; the domain's basic Chateauneuf release) Good bright ruby. Lively, multidimensional aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, licorice, leather, game and dark chocolate. Densely packed but juicy, with notes of licorice and roasted nuts. Very nicely balanced Chateauneuf in an old-fashioned, headspinning style. Finishes very long, with fine tannins. Should be drinkable upon release but capable of developing for a decade or more. Ultimately a bit less thick than the '98 but more refreshing.

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A powerful, concentrated 1999 Chateauneuf du Papes was produced at Chateau Pegau. The dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee boasts a powerful bouquet of pepper, garrigue, black fruits, and earth. Full-bodied and expansive, with sweet tannin giving it a more open-knit, accessible style than most young vintages of Pegau, this is a wine to drink while waiting for the 1998 and 1995 to become fully mature. Like all of this estate's red wines, it was bottled with neither fining nor filtration.

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Wonderfully fragrant and impressively ripe. What Châteauneuf is all about--plenty of wet earth, mineral, plum, sweet tannins and sweet fruit. A cascade of pleasure, full-bodied and long on the sparkling finish. 5,000 cases made.

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Others were not as impressed as I was with this wine. Since I am typing in the review/score, understand that others found the wine lacking in complexity (relative to the Saxum Rocket Block and Olivier Hillaire). While certainly not as good, was a very solid wine that got a lot better with time open.