The 1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée has fantastic aromatics of licorice, beautiful dark fruit, spice and subtle earth notes. Full bodied with great concentration, a beautiful texture and a long finish.

This 26-year-old has a clear, blood-red hue and a fully mature though wonderfully aromatic character: graceful, accessible and well-ordered. Allusions you might find include pine honey, wild mushrooms, dusty leaves at the end of summer and cured meats hanging over an open fireplace. A magnificent palate, too, though again at full maturity for me: plum, prune and raisin notes, all somehow singed by time into a dark, bitter-edged fruitcake-and-tobacco intensity. The supporting tannins are still superb, but the quality of the fruit and the nature of the allusions suggest full maturity now.

The 1990 Cuvee Reservee is one of the appellation's superstars. After bottling, the color is still an impenetrable, black/purple color. The huge nose of truffles, tar, super ripe black fruits, licorice, tobacco, and spices is profound. In the mouth there is sweet, expansive fruit, a super concentrated, powerful, tannic taste, lavish amounts of glycerin and body, as well as a finish that lasts well over a minute. With plenty of tannin, this wine is destined to have 20-25 years of evolution. And yes, this wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, so expect considerable sediment to occur. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2020.