1998 Chateauneuf du Pape

The glorious 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins has finally finished its alcoholic fermentation, tipping the scales at a whopping 16%, much like the surreal 1990 Reserve des Celestins. The deep ruby/purple-colored 1998 exhibits a glorious nose of brandy-macerated black cherries, aged beef, smoke, licorice, pepper, lavender, and sweet figs. Enormous in the mouth, yet remarkably light on its feet, its unctuous texture oozes fruit, glycerin, and extract. There is not a hard edge in this silky-textured, voluminous, majestic Chateauneuf du Pape, the likes of which seem to be incapable of being duplicated anywhere else in this appellation, or the world. This is a singular wine of great intensity and power with multiple dimensions. Liquid Viagra meets Rabelais! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035. Always one of the most remarkable visits, my annual pilgrimage to the top of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape for the descent into the ancient cellars of Henri Bonneau is always a challenge. First of all, the wines are spectacular, but getting Bonneau to deliver a serious response to a question is never easy. Nevertheless, he has a wicked sense of humor, and with his Provencal twang, he is not the easiest to understand, particularly when his jibes are aimed at the French bureaucracy. Bonneau was in rare form when I saw him. He was thrilled with his 2001s, 2000s, 1999s, and 1998s (as was just about everybody else in Chateauneuf du Pape). He was philosophical about the rain storms that flooded the region on September 8 and 9, 2002, saying that fate had already been kind to Chateauneuf du Pape with four great vintages in a row. As I have said before, the wines that emerge from Henri Bonneau's 15+ acres of old vine Grenache planted on the famed sector called La Crau are majestic wines of extraordinary power, richness, and longevity. At the end of our tasting, Bonneau pulled out one of his legendary old vintages, the 1955 Reserve des Celestins, and once again, I simply wrote "100 ... it doesn't get any better than this." The only question is when will Bonneau decide to bottle his wines? Everything done at chez Bonneau makes no sense to modern day oenologists. His cellars are deplorable, and the condition of his barrels (at least the outside of them) is frightful. However, it's what's inside that counts. The magic in those barrels represents the essence, the heart and soul of Chateauneuf du Pape. (Not yet released) Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173