2005 Domaine Chante-Cigale Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

($55) Opaque ruby. Explosively perfumed nose displays a sexy array of dark fruit liqueur scents, along with cocoa, fresh lavender and vanilla. Fat, pliant blackberry and boysenberry flavors display great depth and are enlivened by zesty minerality, which carries through the long, sappy finish. Gentle tannins add grip but this is all about the fruit. Lovely stuff. (Various importers, including Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY; Wine Adventures, Des Moines, IA and Elite Estates, Braintree, MA)

Author: Josh Raynolds

Issue: January/February 2008

A dark, beefy style, with lots of roasted fig, coffee and chestnut notes layered with licorice root, roasted earth and currant paste. Still has some grip to shed on the finish. Shows more guts than finesse.

Drink Dates: 2010-2020

Author: James Molesworth

Deeper, fuller, broader, and fuller-bodied than the regular bottling with greater concentration, depth, length, and I assume, much better aging potential as well, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a beauty. This is a bold wine of considerable exuberance, with impressive levels of kirsch-like fruit intermixed with some blacker fruits, ground pepper, incense, and roasted herbs. It is very full-bodied, has admirable glycerin and depth, noticeable but sweet tannin, and a 40+-second finish. This is a super Chateauneuf du Pape that should hit its peak in 2-4 years and last for 15 or more years.

Drink Dates: 2009-2022

Author: Robert Parker