Here’s my note on the '03 VD — you will note that this TN is now six years old:
2003 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/19/2009)
LA/OC Welcomes Hollowine (Houston’s in Irvine): – popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind –
NOSE: gorgeous CdP funk - no brett; smells like a good piece of lamb; fruits are there, but not at the forefront.
BODY: rustic mahogany color of medium-light depth; medium bodied – is this really an ‘03?!?
TASTE: earthy; muted fruits; spicy; a bit smoky/underbrushy; extremely surprised at the elegance coming from a CdP from such a hot vintage - this is a light-weight CdP; 14%; our table was divided on the ageability of this wine: I say drink soon, most everyone else says hold. I don’t see this wine having the stuffing to show very well much further down the line, but who knows … maybe that damned Grenache is merely in hiding right now, like it so often does. This is a wine I would be very curious to re-visit in 5 years or so.
Charvin’s '03 is really the only '03 I’ve had that truly impressed me:
2003 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/26/2012)
Annual CdP Dinner (Edina Country Club, MN): – popped and poured –
– tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 50 min., and then another pour non-blind over approx. 15 min. about 2 hours later –
NOSE: zesty red/purple berries; moderate leather note; garrigue; black licorice spice; really nice.
BODY: little bit of age creeping into the coloration at the wine’s edges; (forgot to note weight: seem to recall it being medium to medium-full bodied)
TASTE: savory/herby; leathery; a bit horsey; tons of garrigue; drying tannin, and good acidity; 14.5% alc. well-hidden; very nice, and not typical of the ’03 CdP vintage. Drinks well now, but will probably continue to hold for at least another 5 years: I don’t see it improving much, however. My WOTN.