2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Sixtine
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Tasting notes
A great 2003 that is aging at a glacial pace, the 2003 Cuvee du Vatican Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Sixtine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and the rest assorted varieties. Aged in 30% new barrel and the balance in foudre, it certainly possesses a modern slant, yet easily holds on to its southern Rhone roots. Youthful and lively, with big black currant, steak tartar, white chocolate, truffle and graphite on the nose, it flows seamlessly onto the palate and deliver layers of fruit, beautiful purity and perfectly ripe tannin that emerge on the finish. Seriously well put together and endowed, it will continue to thrill for another decade. Oak adverse readers should give bottles another 2-3 years of bottle age.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Wow, what a beauty. The 2003 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine has a unique but drop dead gorgeous, smoky nose. The fruit is on the dark side with a boatload of black berry and cassis notes but it also has a strong raw meat, wax and licorice slant that is pretty darn interesting and unique. It's like candle wax melted over a raw steak. This is also easily the most oak driven Chateauneuf I've had and it flirts with being integrated and subtle to being full bore and over the top depending on the sip. I think it has the fruit to handle it and I do think it will integrate with time but I certainly don't mind oak either. As a side note, this wine doesn't display any of the roasted notes that can be the hallmark of this vintage. The palate is full bodied, perfectly balanced, powerful and massively structured with some serious tannins but also some serious length. Even with all the structure and tannin (and I'm not kidding about the tannins), there's enough plush, ripe fruit covering everything that this is a joy to drink right now. Just stunning stuff and certainly hits my sweet spot.
The 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits a relatively evolved dark plum/garnet color with a big, soft, sexy nose of garrigue, ground pepper, plums, figs, and black currants. The wine is fleshy, round, attractive... (RP)
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Product details
Syrah / Shiraz, Mourvedre/Monastrell/Mataro, Garnacha Blanca/Grenache Blanc
Red
Dry