As always, the food, wine service, and attention to detail at Charleston are all impeccable. It truly is the equivalent of a Michelin two or three-star restaurant in terms of the cuisine, service, and ambience. On this evening, the non-vintage Deutz Rosé Champagne, while not spectacular, was a pleasant, well-made, refreshing lively Champagne. My guests were evenly divided over which was the better of the two whites, although everyone agreed both were exceptional. I preferred the 2001 Trimbach Clos Ste.-Hune Riesling. Although still very young, it displayed a lot of body as well as apple-y richness along with a liqueur of crushed rock-like note. From 100% Roussanne, the 2006 Grand Veneur Châteauneuf du Pape La Fontaine Blanc is one of the appellation’s top whites. Everyone was surprised by the extraordinary balance it possessed for a wine of such substance and headiness. Aromatic, full-bodied, and not dissimilar from a grand cru white Burgundy (although it is made from Roussanne, not Chardonnay), it is best consumed during its first several years of life.

The theme of the night was to revisit the sumptuous 1990 Châteauneuf du Pape vintage at age 18. It was a year of high yields, high heat, and drought that resulted in wines that were gorgeous, even from tank, vat, foudre, or small barrels. These wines have never gone through a closed stage, and I have often thought these are true sprinters, and probably needed to be drunk during their first 12-15 years of life. These 18-year old wines were fully mature, except for the Beaucastel Jacques Perrin, which needs another decade to hit its plateau of maturity, and the Pégaü Cuvée Réservée, which, while mature, is more backward than the Rayas and the Marcoux Vieilles Vignes. All of these 1990s are splendid. As I have said many times, I think the Rayas is on a slippery slope. It is still a profound bottle of wine, but it is no longer at the pinnacle of perfection it was during its first 12-15 years of life. The 1990 Pégaü Cuvée Réservée is a blockbuster. Father and daughter, Paul and Laurence, always argue over which was the greater vintage, 1989 or 1990, with Laurence preferring 1989 and Paul 1990 (if my memory is correct). In any event, the splendidly rich 1990 has been fabulous since they released it, and it still reveals sumptuous notes of sweet, roasted meats and Provençal herbs as well as a dense plum/purple color, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and tremendous length and richness. It is a great example of old style Châteauneuf du Pape.

The 1990 Marcoux Vieilles Vignes is one of the more perplexing wines I have tasted. Some bottles can be oxidized and shot, while others are nearly perfect. They all came from the same source, so how they can be so different remains a mystery. This was a prodigious bottle. Pure blueberry and blackberry notes intermixed with aromas of truffles, incense, and white flowers were accompanied by exquisite concentration, real opulence, and a seamless integration of all the component parts. It was the most popular wine at the table. The exquisite 1990 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin is still a young wine at 18 years of age, and what a fabulous effort! This was the second vintage Beaucastel produced of this cuvée from their vineyards in the northern sector of Châteauneuf du Pape.

The day after this dinner party, I decided to continue my mini-study of 1990 Châteauneuf du Pape, so I opened a Clos des Mont Olivet Cuvée Papet. This is another wine for which there is bottle variation. The wine I bought from my local retailer, which came directly from importer Robert Kacher, is a mid-ninety point wine at the minimum. In fact, it can be close to perfection at times. The other bottles I bought through the grey market are much more evolved, and at least 5-7 points lower in quality, probably reflecting some warm shipping and storage conditions in the distribution line. This bottle was spectacular, and could have easily rivaled all four of the 1990 Châteauneuf du Papes we had the night before at Charleston.