Thunderous '03 Chateauneuf du Pape @ Hack's, Mordoree Reine des Bois & Pegau

Just a few impressions on some rocket fuel as I licked my NFL playoff wounds at Jay Hack's. For those that don't know, Jay is quite the Chef Boyardee and makes a mean lamb!

Saxum, Broken Stones ‘04
This was served blind. When Jay asked what I thought of it, I simply said ‘tastes damn good to me!’ Believe it or not, my first thought was ‘heady Tinto de Toro,’ as the precocious, expressive nose of road tar, mocha, violet and boysenberry soared from the glass. The sweet entry paved the way for a mouth-filling, lush palate of blue-fruit speckled flavors that pumped along a juicy, suave frame. The sturdy tannins are almost lost in the layers of fruit, which unfurl gradually on the expansive finish, 93 points.

Mordoree Rein des Bois, 2003
While the Boisrenard cuvee makes a strong case for the most deeply hued Chateauneuf du Pape, I’d be hard pressed to think of a Grenache based wine from France that is as pitch black as Mordoree’s ’03. The glass staining robe drips w/ extract and glycerin, as a blockbuster nose of roasted nuts, asphalt, freshly ground coffee, date bread and fig fruit launches from the glass. The flavors (believe it or not) are ratcheted up even higher in the massively endowed, almost shockingly ripe palate. A torrent of over-ripe strawberry, tanned leather, cocoa & dried fruit flavors barrel through a sinewy frame; somehow finding a way to tie it all together. How this type of opulence can be controlled is well beyond me. This is an awesome rendition of what Chateauneuf looks like in Amarone clothing and is sure to have as many fans as foes, simply due to its severity in style. Consider me in the category of tasters that fawns all over it, 97 points.

Pegau Reservee 2003
I’ve had this over a dozen times but jotting down my impressions never seems to feel tedious or redundant, perhaps because the wine is simply so much fun!? This showing was a bit shyer in terms of aromatics, w/ a flicker of salty game, wilted flowers and saddle leather notes stemming from the glass. The flavors pick up steam on the attack though, w/ a wave of cherry liqueur and plum cake filling out the impressively full-bodied, chewy core of fruit. The telltale savory spine emerges on the backend, wrapping the package together beautifully through the finish, 95+ points.