Rarely do I have an opportunity to taste the wines of Pierre Usseglio, but I admire this producer who sells much of his production to private clients and merchants in western Europe. One of the finest wines of the vintage, this 1994 Chateauneuf du Pape is reflective of the traditional, old style vinification practiced by Usseglio. A muscular, full-bodied, powerfully extracted wine, it is vaguely reminiscent of such wines as those produced by Pegau and Henri Bonneau. It displays a seaweed, spicy, cedar, iodine/peppery nose, and rich, full-bodied flavors exhibiting thick, unctuously-textured fruit. There is also an underbrush, herbes de Provence/garrigue component to this rustic wine's flavors. It will benefit from several more years of cellaring and should keep for 12-15 years. This wine was tasted between June 1 and June 16, 1996. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173