Vinous - Score: 94 (2004 January)

Saturated medium ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, blackberry, violet and roasted nuts; if some past vintages of this wine have been Burgundian in style, this is classic roasted Chateauneuf du Pape, but with more black than red fruits. Large-scaled, thick and explosive in the mouth, with lush flavors of black fruits, creme de framboise and minerals and firm underlying structure. Wonderfully sweet, dense and long on the aftertaste, with big but fine tannins.