The top cuvees should be designated as the 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. I rated them all between 93 and 96 points. Fabulously concentrated, flamboyant, exuberant efforts, they are bursting with sweet kirsch, smoked duck, and animal-like characteristics. Drinkable upon release, the Reserve des Celestins will have 15 or more years of aging potential. One of the controversies surrounding Henri Bonneau is what happened to those cuvees that were supposed to go into the Cuvee Marie Beurrier in 1998. Bonneau has maintained over the last several years that everything was so spectacular in 1998 that there would be no Marie Beurrier. But, he did bottle a tiny quantity prior to the harvest in 2004 to satisfy one of his European customers. However, I do not believe any of that wine will be allocated to America (unless it comes through the grey market) since so little was made, and the quality was so high in 1998 that all of the cuvees that fermented dry will be designated as Reserve des Celestins. That said, one never is quite sure what Henri Bonneau intends to do until the wine is in bottle. Readers should be prepared for just about anything.Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins has notes of sweaty saddle leather, roasted meats, dried Provencal herbs, and plenty of kirsch and black currant. Big and fleshy, with a hint of balsamic vinegar, and oodles of complexity and richness, it is no doubt controversial because it is so extreme in its aromas and flavors. But I love it. While I don’t think it’s one of Bonneau’s most noteworthy achievements, it is certainly a powerful 2000 that will evolve for another 15-20 years. The irrepressible Henri Bonneau is still in control, but seems to be slowly inching his way into a quasi-retirement with his new collaborator, Michel Roman, working hand-in-hand with him in the cellar assisted by Henri’s son Marcel. Tasting here is always a lesson in classic, traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape that appears to be produced the way wines were several hundred or so years ago. Few producers take the risk of aging their Chateauneuf du Papes as long as Bonneau does, especially in cellars that would make a modern-day oenologist seek psychiatric help.Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173