Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvee Mon Aieul" 2003 bottle - Vins Rare

96-98 WA

Notes:

The spectacular 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul, a worthy successor to the great wines made in 2001, 2000, 1999, and 1998, is a blend of 95% Grenache and tiny dosages of Cinsault and Syrah. Sadly, there are only 8,000 bottles of this wine, which is aged completely in epoxy lined tanks before being bottled without filtration. It generally comes from three old vine lieux-dits called Les Serres, Guigasse, and La Crau. The fabulous 2003 boasts a dense purple color as well as a glorious nose of blueberries, blackberries, cassis, roasted meats, licorice, and spice box. The color of midnight oil with a texture to match, this is an awesome, chewy, low acid offering with amazing concentration, huge glycerin, and a stunning finish that lasts over a minute. It should drink well for 15-20 years.

One cannot say enough about the extraordinary qualitative revolution that has quietly taken place at this well-known domaine north of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape. While father Pierre is still on the premises, providing a wealth of historical information about the vineyards, his two sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry, have introduced two extra-special cuvees, pushing this estate into the top echelon of Chateauneuf du Pape producers. This domaine is notorious for incredibly low yields (in 2003 yields were 25-28 hectoliters per hectare) as well as traditional winemaking. They now have a small, 1-hectare plot of vin de pays planted with Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, and Merlot.

Wine Advocate Issue #156
96-98 Points

Vins Rare

Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvee Mon Aieul" 2003

Name: Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvee Mon Aieul" 2003
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 1045
Price: 110.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock