CDP Cuvée Mon Aieul, Domaine Pierre Usseglio 2005

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is 95% Grenache and 5% Syrah aged 100% in tank prior to being bottled. This wine always comes from the three best parcels of the estate – Les Serres, La Crau, and Guignasse. This hugely concentrated, muscular wine is very powerful, excruciatingly tannic at present, but super-rich. Yields were a low 22 hectoliters per hectare because of the drought, and this blockbuster, muscular, virile style of wine needs at least 5-6 years of bottle age and should keep for two-plus decades. It is certainly a terrific Mon Aieul, but for those who are very patient. This estate has been on an outrageous run of successful vintages ever since 1998, no small thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the two brothers, Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio. For them 2005 is a very structured, concentrated, powerful vintage that will require significant cellaring. Their 2006s are among the great successes of that vintage, much more charming and up-front than the 2005s, but concentrated.

Deep red. Musky cherry and blackcurrant aromas are complicated by sassafras, garrigue and anise. Saturates the palate with suave red and dark berry preserve flavors, hints of candied licorice and lavender, and velvety tannins. Seems to gain sweetness on the finish, which is striking for its mix of power and balance. There's nothing hard about this.