The 1990 Cuvée Spéciale was an unplanned for special bottling for Monsieur Bonneau, as he had one barrel that just refused to stop fermenting. When all was said and done, the Cuvée Spéciale weighed in a port-like levels of opulence and alcohol. I had anticipated the wine showing a bit of residual sugar as well, but it seemed quite dry to me. The nose is stunning, offering up intense scents of sweet raisins, mincemeat, red cherry, coffee, ground pepper, hot stones, herb tones, and game. On the palate the wine is huge and impeccably balanced, with a surreal synthesis of brute strength and soulful finesse. The finish is long, complex, ripely tannic and an absolute avalanche of fruit. Much like the Kremlin, this towering wine is not built on a human scale. It is a fine drink today, but seems built for a very long evolution in the bottle as well. I am not sure when will be the best time to drink this essence of Châteauneuf du Pape, but I would forget about it for at least a few more years to let it move decisively beyond its youthful, fruit-driven stage. Amazing stuff.

For the first time, Henri Bonneau produced a Cuvee Speciale in 1990. The vintage was so extraordinary he let one parcel of Grenache vines hang until the sugars were over 30%. In essence, this is a late-harvest Chateauneuf du Pape with 16.5% natural alcohol and 3 grams residual sugar. It took three years to ferment on its wild yeasts and, after aging in cask and foudre for more than four years, it was bottled without filtration. To say this wine will last for 25-30 years is an understatement. When I asked Bonneau what he would serve with such a powerful, rich wine, he spent the next 20 minutes fantasizing about possible matchups. If readers want to taste the quintessential Henri Bonneau style, as well as how exciting (and exaggerated) Grenache can be when made from such a degree of ripeness and tiny yields, this wine should not be missed. Although too massive to drink now, it should become surprisingly civilized with aging. Sit on it for 7-10 years and drink it over the following two decades. For Rhone wine enthusiasts, it will likely become a collector's item worth its weight in gold. (RP)