2003 Clos Les Lunelles

Full medium ruby. Superripe aromas of black cherry and licorice. Dense, superripe and low in acidity; in a somewhat chunky style. A slightly medicinal cast to the fruit. This very full-bodied wine has adequate freshness in the middle palate, then hints at port-like nut skin on the finish, which features strong, tongue-dusting tannins.

Full ruby color. Medicinal black cherry and licorice on the nose. Impressively sweet and dense, with this property's characteristic syrah-like gamey nuance complementing flavors of black fruits and bitter chocolate. Superripe but not at all flat. Finishes with huge but ripe tannins (the IPT, according to Gerard Perse, was 102!). Promises to be the best vintage yet for this Cotes de Castillon property.

An example of just how great a Cotes de Castillon can be, and how well it can age, the 2003 Clos des Lunelles (subsequently they dropped the “des” from the label) reveals its limestone soil heritage in the aromas and flavors of this wine laced with minerality. Intense, vigorous and still youthful, it exhibits lots of black currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with loamy soil undertones and a fabulous finish. Enjoy this full-bodied classic over the next decade. Aug 2014, www.robertparker.com