Produced from vines planted in 1920 and 1921, the 2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Secrets de Pignan (99% Grenache and 1% Syrah) is a big, decadent, peppery fruit monster. Aromatically, it displays spiced cherries, kirsch, and waxy raspberries. On the palate, this medium to full-bodied beauty is a chewy, asphalt, garrigue, black cherry, and red fruit-packed jewel. Its highly expressive, satin-textured character lingers in its persistent finish, revealing additional layers of raspberry-laced spices. Lastly, this wine sports 15% alcohol without a hint of it showing, proving once again that it isn’t the amount of alcohol that counts, it’s the amount of fruit that matters. To paraphrase a great Burgundian who was speaking about oak, “It’s not that the wine has too much alcohol, its that it doesn’t have enough wine!” Drink this beauty over the next 8-10 years. Importer: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476