In my opinion Whitemanholt nailed it with one exception. I believe there is still some life left in this wine and I found the finish to be velvet like and lingers for the correct amount of time
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The bouquet is at first shoe polish, strawberry, peppery, and smoked herbs with brown sugar cubes. Slightly subdued and tricky to tease out the whole notes. There is also a slight volatility lurking. The palate entry is medium-bodied with sweet fruits especially marinated strawberries sprinkled with muscovado sugar. There is a tarry note and generous alcohol with a mid-palate of dried candied orange and cayenne spice. The sweet and chill spice works quite well, whilst the tannins are granular but juicy. More pepper on the finish, and the length is dry and relatively long. The VA remains slightly challenging but seems to work with this wine, adding a balsamic twist on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured; left some of the wine in the bottle, refrigerated, and finished the following day. This is a solid ruby wine. There is a bit of tongue-staining particulate matter in the wine, but only a light sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get plum sauce, cherries, smoke, and fig. The mouth is very full, displaying frankly sweet red fruits combined with some pure 100% cacao chocolate. The finish is chewy, although some heat and raisin elements creep in. Overall, this is a heady wine that is perhaps a tad too much. I suspect this is past peak and among the “burning the candle at both ends” class of 2007 CdPs (but certainly not the worst example of that I’ve had). I found this to be much more enjoyable with a chill on it, which held back some of the excesses of heat, stewed fruit, etc. I don’t see a lot of upside and suspect the unfavorable aspects of this wine will only get further amplified with time. It’s a fading rockstar, so enjoy it while there’s still some vitality left. 90 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's excellent, but seems at or near peak. Full bodied, smooth, still lots of fruit, alcohol is in the background giving a slight medicinal taste on the finish, otherwise very pleasant and interesting. I doubt this will improve, but great now. Have one left, which I plan to drink by 2025.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
EAB dinner. This bottle was impressive if you like the style. Loads of fruit, lots of earth (with a tiny bit of barnyard) and garrigue. Complex and interesting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure what all the critics were raving about. Third bottle and consistently unenjoyable. Effervescent hints after opening, cooked fruit, no hint of typicity. Flushed it down the drain.
Medium to light ruby in appearance. Definitely some lightening at the rim.
Pronounced and evolved nose of candied red fruit- raspberry and cherry, kirsch, baking spice and even some smoked meats. In spite of the age of the age of wine the aromas are totally fresh. One of the more unevolved 2007s I have tasted recently.
The palate is where this wine really shines. Medium plus acidity and present but fully evolved tannins frame just a delicious palate which oozes class and flavor concentration. It just begs sip after sip..... The finish is long and palate staining.
Overall very well done. This seems like it will hold for several more years, but with Grenache, who really knows.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted this bottle for 2 hours, with a good amount of sediment. This wine was a very pleasant surprise. The color was a deep violet to a faded rim. On the nose there was a good dose of red fruit (mostly cherry) -- evidence of the 85% Grenache in the blend, along with 15% Cinsault -- with notes of earth and garrigue. The medium to plus bodied palate showed lots of this red fruit, along with some darker red fruit, some earth/garrigue, and a fair amount of spice. The acidity was juicy and nicely balanced with the fruit, and there was no hint of the 15.5% abv. A really nice wine that should hold for several years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Over the top and over extracted. Prunes and chocolate with some black cherries. Noticeable alcohol on the finish. Some leather and perhaps a hint of complexity but it’s overshadowed by the heavy dark fruit. Tannins are fine grained and structure is OK despite the weight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted. Took 30 minutes to one hour to fully open up and all the fruit to emerge. Unlike the previous review no stewed notes. What I would expect from a mature CDP. Very smooth with no heat. Lingering finish. I am happy where this wine is so will likely drink my last bottle this year.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than our last bottle in 2014, but this is again slightly too ripe for my palate. It shows lots of sweet stewed fruit, kirsch and licorice flavors, it is very alcoholic and sweet, there seems to be a hint of residual sugar in here, concentration is excellent and I really like the spicy notes. A wine for a cold winter evening. I clearly prefer the classier vintage 2010. Ready for drinking but can hold another 5 years. - 89 points
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Short decant to remove sediment. Sweet blue fruits dominate the nose. Some black pepper and musty funk emerge with coaxing. More stewed blue fruit in the mouth with flashes of underbrush and menthol. Sweet, round, jammy flavors drown-out the mineral elements. Not what I'm looking for in CdP but if you like the more forward, modern style this is for you.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
85% Grenache, 15% old vine Cinsault. Decanted for sediment. Med (+) ruby with a garnet hue. Med (+) aromas of ripe black cherry, dried prunes, raspberry, fig, smoky herbs. Dry, but very fruit-forward for an Old World wine. Med acidity, med tannins, high alcohol (15.5%), but it does not seem hot. Gains in complexity with air. Med (+) body, flavor intensity and length. It is at its peak or possibly slightly past. It's developed and not likely to improve with further aging, but also not likely to fall apart any time soon.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is one of the better 07 CdP's I've had. It is big, ripe and fruity, for sure, but somehow it doesn't come across over the top for me. I have one bottle left that I will try to hold for at least several years to see if develops more complexity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep purple, this wine is all about sweet, very ripe fruit: on the nose, raspberry syrup, toffee, garrigue, violet pastilles. Once you sip it that impression of very sweet fruit dominates, but gradually fades to reveal satiny tannins and a very persistent finish. Quite good, and in fact if you love wines that are unabashedly sweet, sensational. Now obviously, this is a dry red, yet if you told me it was a young vintage port I might actually believe you! Still, who doesn't love candy? I have to admit: I like this wine, even if normally I prefer wine to be a bit less exuberant!
Probably reaching its peak but no hurry here -- if the wine is this good at age 13, it will still be rocking at age 18.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of dark chocolate. Full bodied round and voluptuous wine. No discerning heat. Somewhat mono-dimensional and not much nunance. Also not much sense of place or "tipicity". Just lots of chocolate, not bad for dessert ;-)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet color. Bright red and blue fruit on open, revealing earth and subtle baking spice with air. Should hold for years, but delicious wine now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than my last bottle. The wine has filled out. Now very smooth with lots of dark fruit/berry flavours. Not too sweet. Good finish. Very enjoyable.
Medium/dark ruby. Initial ham, smoked meat nose, opening into sweet dark fruit, light garrigue. Similar on the palate. Smooth, good balance, still young, perhaps a little bit sweet for my taste. With a few hours to breathe, savoury soy sauce notes. 89-91.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Third bottle from a six pack purchased on release. This wine showed extremely well this time around and has developed considerable complexity and weight since a bottle tasted about 18 months ago.
Lots of candied red and black fruit, herbs, smoked meats , tobacco and spice on the nose with similar flavor characteristics on the palate. Wow!
Medium plus to full bodied with medium tannins and enough acidity to keep fresh. The finish is long and impressive.
Drinking well now, may keep longer but why wait!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit challenging. At open was funky and strong vegetal finish. After an hour decant mostly blew off and better. Still lacked structure but flavor was there. Might just be in a weird place. Will try again in a year or so.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I dislike most '07 CDP's finding them too ripe and alcoholic but this wine pulls it off. Quite ripe dark raspberry fruit with a hint of heat but showing excellent concentration and complexity with notes of garrigue spice and lavender on the long, smoky finish. Very ready now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet, very small meniscus and perhaps a touch of orange around the rim. Intriguing nose, grilled bread, herb, cassis, alcohol, black fruit. In the mouth, the tannins and acidity are added to the flavors from the nose, with the dried herbs, tannins, and black fruit dominating the long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez animal, avec des parfums de liqueur de cassis noir. Le vin est très mur, sur le fruit noir, avec une texture ronde et sucreuse. C’est savoureux, avec une finale suave, mais c’est plutôt "over-the-top", en surmaturité. Un vin qui diviserait les amateurs (très "Parker"), mais c’est franchement bon, certainement pas pour palais bourguignons. 91+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark crimson, big nose of alcohol, black currant, kirsch, black cherry, and garrigue, palate is rich and sweet with red and black fruit, dried fruits and juicy but subtle acidity, finish is long and sweet with tangy acidity, kirsch, pomegranate and dried herbs
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. This opened very tight, kind of reduced. Anyway, it got lots of swirling to get it to open up. Big and powerful with sweet cherry Grenache fruit. Acids are soft. Still has some tannic grip. Some garrigue, but almost new world in its taste profile. Good wine for a cold and snowy night!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big miss for me. Sweet black cherry with maybe a hint of underbrush on the nose. Chewy and syrupy in the mouth. Overwhelmingly sweet, one-note, and port-like. Cloying and way over-baked. Very disappointing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better showing than a funky bottle of this on release. Big, but balanced, enough so that I'm inclined to give it a few more years. No significant heat.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PHMG WAG: the '07 Chateauneufs (Old Home of the Lyon): WOTN. Better than 3 years ago, this is all about depth, complexity, and length. Black fruit, Grenache underbrush, tar, pepper / spice, leather, and kelp going on and on. First and only bottle drained by this group of tasters. 95+, now-2020.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Port-like. Smooth and creamy from too much oak influence for my preference but a real crowd pleaser and the 15.5% alcohol, although present seems lower on the palate. I can see this concentration lasting a while longer but since there is no acidity nor tannins it would need the dash of residual sugar which seems also present to help keep it afloat.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, rich, lush, concentrated, and with a purity of fruit, you find sweet, ripe kirsch, black plum, thyme, jam, spice and peppery aromatics. There is weight and density that emanates from old vine Grenache, but everything is in balance and harmony. At 10 years of age, this is showing really great today.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Was für ein Bouquet! Bitterschokolade, rauchige Barbecuenoten, Heidelbeere, Kirsche und Garriguekräuter; am Gaumen mittlerer bis fetter Körper, reichlich feines Tannin, langer Abgang mit leicht herb-bitterer Kräuternote, leider leicht zehrendes Tannin; sollte eher etwas kühler getrunken werden - dann ist es trotz der 15,5 % Alkohol ein fast perfekter CdP!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Boy is this ripe! Smells of Kirsch and alcohol with a whiff of VA. Underneath the VA there is lovely ripe rich kirsch/cherry fruit. No Brett whatsoever. The richness of the fruit here does a pretty good job of masking the 15.5% abv.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark Ruby appearance. Almost opaque , with very little lightening at the rim. Atypical for an 07 CDP.
Youthful but pronounced nose of confected fruit- blueberry, plum, raspberry. Also savory elements- smoked meats, herbs.
Full bodied with lots of that dark fruit and savory flavor on the palate. Medium acidity and tannin. The finish is long and exhilarating.
Great wine that is surprisingly un- evolved for an 07. Will easily keep for a dozen more years in a cold cellar and I think this is a rare examples of an 07 that will be drinking better in 2020 than today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red, bluish, black core --- Nose cardboard, wet grass, dark fruit, red fruit, sour tone, chestnut --- Palate smooth, then acidity coming through, plum, some red fruit, bacon, meaty, nutty, overall vivid, deep, black fruit. Yesterday is was a little fresher, more on the red fruit side with lots of cherries. However, this is a wonderful 07 CdP, deep and rich while showing no heat at all. Very nice vine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Huileux, concentré, il faisait presque Nouveau Monde! Encore très jeune, je l'ai trouvé trop massif ce soir, surtout après un Bourgogne. Attendre quelques années avant la prochaine. Décevant à ce stade.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A good wine, but my experience was a little underwhelming as I had high hopes based on recent CTs and Jeb's note. I got dried meats, cherry and dark berries after the slight reduction blew off. Still a good wine, but I expected more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed along side a 2012 Two Hands Bella's Garden. Both we stunning. We were having a chef's dinner with beef tenderloin, stuffed chicken breasts, roasted duck breast, and gnocchi in a tomato sauce.
One of my table mates summed it up as follows: The CDP is like a really hot, classy older woman. She can work a room and hold her own against anyone. Confidence exudes but never is so bold as to overcome her classy demeanor.
Bella is an equally hot, but younger woman. She is fresh and lively, but is threatened by the older woman's grace and elegance. Bella fits in to the party, in her little black dress, but she is just tries just a little too hard, ultimately displaying her inexperience.
Both were beautiful, and any man would be a fool to walk away.
This wine had zero barnyard funk that I often find with CDP. It was open for business with florals, berries and subtle spices. Amazing wine that is drinking really well right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and aired for about 30 minutes. Deep ruby color. Powerful and refined grenache-dominated CdP, lots of fruit. Seems ready now and will age will for the next 5-10 years as well. Great!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
double decanted, broad shouldered, cherries, somehow this didn't seem very well balanced for me, rich flavoured in the mouth, might come around with 5 additional years in the cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially promising scorched earth, bramble, & dark blue/black fruits when decanted, the nose & palate later seemed very extracted, perhaps too much so for the evident acid. The structure is there, only time will tell if the fruit is excessive or just this bottle seemed so. From this datapoint, I'll wait 3-5 more years before the next.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Informal notes, but this was an excellent bottle. Pristine cork. Initially, this was a bit tight, but really started showing with and hour+ decant. Loads of dark fruit, earth, fresh soil and tobacco. Medium+ body with perfect acidity and velvety tannin. Long finish. This was definitely a young bottle, but showed very, very well. No hurry here. 94-95
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Tasting Group: 2007's from around the world (Our house): This was was polarizing for our group. Folks with new world preferences did not like it at all. It is very earthy/dirty/funky on both the nose and the palate. Considerable notes of garrigue also. But there is also high quality fruit here and lots of complexity. This is very well made CdP and would probably have scored a lot better among folks with inclinations toward old world wines. I did not find this to change much over the course of the evening, but I think it has considerable upside with additional aging. I will leave my other bottles to sit for at least a few years. Karen really disliked this, as she often does with french wines that are very dirty/earthy. This would probably be much better with the right food. My #3. Group's #4.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin taste. On the nose, lots of red fruit, along with garrigue, earth, and a hint of lavendar (?). On the palate, lively red and blue fruits, fruitcake, garrigue, and lots of earth/mineral on the long (but somewhat dirty tasting) finish. Some heat from the 15.5% alc, but got a bit better with air. It mellowed out a bit with 20-30 min of air and became a bit more accessible. This seems to be in its drinking window but with plenty of life left. Quite good, especially if you like the style. Note for future: K would probably NOT like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ah, me, what was I thinking opening this? Yes, the 07 CDP vintage is supposed to be "early maturing and accessible," but this wine is far too young to liberate. Anyone opening this should decant for at least 60 min. Lots of potential here, though; potentially a 95 point wine. The last glasses from this bottle were amazing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Despite almost everyone loving this wine on CT, I have to say this is absolutely not my style of wine nor is it a classic Chateuneuf-du-Pape as I understand it. Blatantly sweet, stewed overripe fruit, candy like taste, cherry liqueur, smoke flavors, the alcohol way over the top of what I can bear. This is not a wine I would want to pair with food. Maybe one could pair this with a cigar on a cold winter evening. Not a wine style I can fully enjoy drinking. - 87 points
Absolutely stunning wine. Huge nose matched by an amazing palate of deep rich black fruit, spice, and a tiny bit of that funk that I love (let's call it mushroom/forest). Drinking really well now, but I imagine it will continue to improve. This wine rivals the best that I have tasted in my cellar. Please find some if you can...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and drank over a 3 hour timeframe. While this started off fresh and almost Cali like the wine quickly transformed to reveal a serious CdP. The wine starts off with an explosive nose of blackberry, plum, fig and stone along with an infusion of potpourri which leads way to a dark fruited palate with tobacco notes and a spiciness that lingers on the finish that is fresh and lively. This is very good now but I have a strong feeling that it is only going to get better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Voluptuous and intense. It has matured well in the cellar and the integration of the blends has introduced an intriguing complexity, with a subtle, sometimes striking mix of fruit and structure. It is is a fine drinking window now but clearly has the potential to evolve further. From a great vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with MS3: Nick and Lauren (The Lyon's Tree House): WOTN. After a 3.5 hour decant this was open for business. Very ripe black fruit, underbrush, tar, mocha/oak, spices/pepper, leather, and a touch of iodine all wrapped in velvet. Mouth-filling without being heavy. Alcohol well hidden. Next (can't wait to try again) in 2017!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright raspberry and cassis on the nose, but also giving off a very medicinal note to it, perhaps a little minty. The mouth was very intense, and I would have said finesseful if the 15.5 percent alc. wasn't always getting in my way. Some spicey notes coming through with the berry, and little cocoa in the mix. Enjoyable. Not at all cooked, and not at all tired. The finish is long... but also a little burning.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderfully aromatic nose with a fascinating smokey element. The smokiness continues on the palate which accents the ripe, dense dark and red fruits that linger impressively. Still very young this should age very nicely. Will revisit in 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright raspberry and cassis on the nose, but also giving off a very medicinal note to it, perhaps a little minty. The mouth was very intense, and I would have said finesseful if the 15.5 percent alc. wasn't always getting in my way. Some spicey notes coming through with the berry, a little cocoa. Enjoyable. Not at all cooked, and not at all tired. The finish is long... but also a little burning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took a bottle to a knowledgeable friend's NYE party and there was universal agreement there was something wrong with it, although the exact flaw was hard to describe. My friend thought it smelled like solvent. I thought it had high VA.
This is my third bottle of this that has had these issues. I have given up hope on the remainder. Can VA issues like this develop from poor storage? I suspect the wine shop that sold me this did not store it well.
Rich, dark and full bodied...nicley balanced with still just a touch of alcohol on the finish...maybe not as complex as some other 07's...but a great representative of the 2007 vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was opened by my wife and her sister yesterday so this note comes from a small glass that was left over. The wine sat on the counter overnight with a cork in it. Aromas of fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. Ripe black and dark fruits, fig, almost a raisin note, some spice and black pepper. Modern in style but tasty. Ill wait a couple more years before opening another unless my wife beats me to it. She loved it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sorry that I didn't buy more than one bottle of my new favorite varietal. This is a very dark wine. Unfiltered, which at one time was a big deal. On Pop 'n pour, this was rich and full bodied. The nose was just incredible! There was a hint of sweetness. Smooth and silky going down. It was my wine of the night (WOTN) at a Flyertalk wine dinner at Morgans Fish House in Rye. I purchased this in May 2009 for $48. I wish that I could buy more at that price. This is a red rhone blend. FYI, I enjoyed this with grilled salmon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite impressive. Black/ruby. Nose dominated by black raspberries, leather, Herbs de Provence, fresh hay. Rich, structured, ripe but not sweet. Some hints of brett here? Mineral touch on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took the bottle to a blind tasting where each brought a bottle and no one knew what the other brought. All 4 of the others, who are astute wine collectors, geussed wrong. Surprise! Balanced with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose; black pepper, cigar tobacco, blackberry jam, and tar. palate; blueberries, spice, bacon fat, and minerals. full bodied and medium plus tannins. very long finish and very balanced. this wine will no doubt near perfection with 10 years or more of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose; black pepper, cigar tobacco, blackberry jam, and tar. palate; blueberries, spice, bacon fat, and minerals. full bodied and medium plus tannins. very long finish and very balanced. this wine will no doubt near perfection with 10 years or more of cellaring. the best chateauneuf du pape i have had to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially, on Day 1, a similar impression to my previous tasting in March, although this did not have the same unusually high VA and slight carbonation as the previous bottle. This wine is bracing and extreme in its strength, density and angularity. Lots of minerals, tar, graphite, and even a rubbery note -the combination of which is almost overwhelming in its funkiness. The fruit is almost completely overwhelmed by these other elements. It is a unique experience, but not particularly pleasant to drink after a few sips. Decanted through a Vinturi into a decanter and let sit for 1-2 hours before drinking. A few friends who also enjoy CdP had similar impressions and also found it unpleasant about halfway through a glass.
MUCH IMPROVED on Day 2. Dark fruit/kirsch is showing much better underneath a layer of minerality. Tar, leather, sandalwood notes add complexity and are no longer completely overshadowed by the heavy minerality/rubbery funk. The wine seems much more round and approachable. Lengthy fiinish is now much more pleasant.
I would not be surprised if it shows even better on Days 3-4, if it lasts that long. This wine clearly needs some serious aging to show off its full potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A few 2007 Chateauneuf du Papes in Highlands: I thought this wine was excellent. I love the heavy to grenache 2007's that see almost no wood at all. This was large and expressive fresh dark red fruits, natural sweetness, and a fine white stone mineral envelope. There was also some nice slight earthiness, and hints of aromatic plants. I was also pleasantly surprised by the structure... this baby will develop for years and has a terrific future. Had with Scott and Harry who shared a Favier and Charvin... both worthy opponents.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a wine in a style I do not enjoy. This is pure candy - a confection and not a table wine. In a blind tasting, I'm pretty sure I would guess this as a "bargain priced" Spanish grenache. This is not why I buy CNdP. At present, the wine has no sense of place at all. For all the surmature fruit, I was pleasantly surprised that the wine did not show excessive heat/alcohol. That kept the wine from scoring lower with me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very funky and strange. Possibly even corked in some way - very slightly carbonated sting early on the palate and unusually high VA. Very dark in color. Nose was bizarre and initially unappealing - did have some characteristic tar notes. Palate was also unusual with lots of spice and funk, but had some fruitiness. Very strong flavors, but hard to place. Seemed to open up with air. Truly a bizarre wine experience. Need to open another bottle soon to see if this is par for the course (and/or if I got a corked half case).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pork Tenderloin and French Wines (Ann's, Avondale, PA): A step up from the Coudoulet de Beaucastel in structure and body. However at this stage I don't think it is as complex. This showed candied fruits and as James Moleworths review said smoked apple wood. This also has some spice and the 15.5%abv was poking through. Still it is very solid and a crowd pleaser - this was the first bottle to be emptied. I will wait a while on the rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Une touche de modernité, le nez fait plutôt bonbon, presque kool-aid, raisin et mûres, avec aussi un aspect un peu viande/animal. Beaucoup de concentration en bouche, le fruit est mûr, sucré, il y a même un peu de surmaturité. La texture est soyeuse et la finale est très longue et savoureuse, avec quand même de la finesse malgré la puissance du vin. Beaucoup de fruit et de matière, un vin pour les amateurs de gourmandises, avec un coté ferrugineux, un peu comme de la mélasse.
Difficile de prédire l'évolution d'un tel vin que je connais peu, avec un registre auquel je ne suis pas habitué. Mais j’ai l’impression qu’il sera splendide à huit ou dix ans d’âge et plus prêt des notes ronflantes accordées unanimement par les critiques européens et américains. Ma note semblera alors conservatrice. 92-93 + pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateauneauf du Pape does Australia, and well, but "pas typique" and I, for one, am not convinced. This bottle is a textbook example of a wine that was made from overripe fruit. Nearly black, powerful nose (complex, already showing musk, meat, and spice aromas) and palate (black fruits, kirsch), yet alcohol is too high, the wine doesn't knit together very well, aggressive and a bit harsh. People who love power for its own sake will love this wine. The impression is relatively positive -- satin on the mouth, and interesting. Yet raw intensity can be a flaw, and in that sense, this is a flawed wine. Not bad; I enjoyed drinking it, but not a wine I would buy more of.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby color in the glass. Nose is very explosive with numerous red fruit profiles but on the darker side of things. Lots of concentration. Among the fruit there are also layers of spice and earth. On the palate very sexy and voluptuous, the fruit is layered on the palate and the finish is long. This wine just keeps coming back around. An absolute can't-miss if you like traditionally styled wines with extra oomph. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WOTN for me and the group. Intoxicating nose. Penetrating on the palate. Layers and layers of flavor. Modern in style. Finishes long. Superb balance. Just an incredible wine that drew raves around the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good CDP especailly for the price. Good nose. balanced and fruity right out of the bottle. Very little descernible tannin and length a bit lacking, but a very enjoyable wine and great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red color with a purple hue. Very concentrated, warm nose with loads of pure raspberry fruit, plums and licorice. Similar on the palate with black cherries and raspberries, lots of fruit sweetness, but picking up some meaty notes on the midpalate and finish. Interesting wine with enough stuffing to be a powerhouse, yet enough acidity to balance it, making it appear elegant and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/23/2024 - rm97 wrote: 96 Points
This is so good. I may be under-scoring it. Wow.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2024 - rm97 wrote: 95 Points
Wow.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2023 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blind Dinner (The Chef's Table in Café Capriccio, Albany, NY): [2 hours in a decanter, then open for 45 minutes.] Muted nose. Big and rich. Similar to the previous wine [2006], but much more backward. Needs at least another 5 years. 93-??
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2022 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 93 Points
In my opinion Whitemanholt nailed it with one exception. I believe there is still some life left in this wine and I found the finish to be velvet like and lingers for the correct amount of time
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 89 Points
The bouquet is at first shoe polish, strawberry, peppery, and smoked herbs with brown sugar cubes. Slightly subdued and tricky to tease out the whole notes. There is also a slight volatility lurking.
The palate entry is medium-bodied with sweet fruits especially marinated strawberries sprinkled with muscovado sugar. There is a tarry note and generous alcohol with a mid-palate of dried candied orange and cayenne spice. The sweet and chill spice works quite well, whilst the tannins are granular but juicy. More pepper on the finish, and the length is dry and relatively long. The VA remains slightly challenging but seems to work with this wine, adding a balsamic twist on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2022 - whitmanlholt wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured; left some of the wine in the bottle, refrigerated, and finished the following day. This is a solid ruby wine. There is a bit of tongue-staining particulate matter in the wine, but only a light sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get plum sauce, cherries, smoke, and fig. The mouth is very full, displaying frankly sweet red fruits combined with some pure 100% cacao chocolate. The finish is chewy, although some heat and raisin elements creep in. Overall, this is a heady wine that is perhaps a tad too much. I suspect this is past peak and among the “burning the candle at both ends” class of 2007 CdPs (but certainly not the worst example of that I’ve had). I found this to be much more enjoyable with a chill on it, which held back some of the excesses of heat, stewed fruit, etc. I don’t see a lot of upside and suspect the unfavorable aspects of this wine will only get further amplified with time. It’s a fading rockstar, so enjoy it while there’s still some vitality left. 90 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2022 - ataraxy wrote: 92 Points
It actually needs another ten years. Still very tannic and closed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2022 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
It's excellent, but seems at or near peak. Full bodied, smooth, still lots of fruit, alcohol is in the background giving a slight medicinal taste on the finish, otherwise very pleasant and interesting. I doubt this will improve, but great now. Have one left, which I plan to drink by 2025.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2022 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
EAB dinner. This bottle was impressive if you like the style. Loads of fruit, lots of earth (with a tiny bit of barnyard) and garrigue. Complex and interesting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2022 - rm97 wrote: 93 Points
small glass likely reduced score
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2021 - jdinkin1 wrote: 92 Points
Time to drink
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2021 - dougsmith wrote: flawed
Some hints of effervescence, odd off flavors.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 80 Points
Not sure what all the critics were raving about. Third bottle and consistently unenjoyable. Effervescent hints after opening, cooked fruit, no hint of typicity. Flushed it down the drain.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
9/1/2021 - rm97 wrote: 94 Points
Waves of flavor
Long finish
Surprisingly fruit forward given age
Delicious
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2021 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium to light ruby in appearance. Definitely some lightening at the rim.
Pronounced and evolved nose of candied red fruit- raspberry and cherry, kirsch, baking spice and even some smoked meats. In spite of the age of the age of wine the aromas are totally fresh. One of the more unevolved 2007s I have tasted recently.
The palate is where this wine really shines. Medium plus acidity and present but fully evolved tannins frame just a delicious palate which oozes class and flavor concentration. It just begs sip after sip..... The finish is long and palate staining.
Overall very well done. This seems like it will hold for several more years, but with Grenache, who really knows.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2021 - pawine wrote: flawed
Ok but nothing great
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2021 - rm97 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted two hours. Wow
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - LARich wrote: 92 Points
Delicious and subtle CDP woth full flavor and fresh nose. Medium long finish. Much better than last bottle and still seems to be evolving.
Try again in 2 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2021 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Columbia Group - Back Together Again (Our Place): The third of four Rhone Blends tasted blind with a dinner of Lamb Tagine. Notes were taken and the four wines were revealed after dinner. Group rank #2.
Decanted this bottle for 2 hours, with a good amount of sediment. This wine was a very pleasant surprise.
The color was a deep violet to a faded rim. On the nose there was a good dose of red fruit (mostly cherry) -- evidence of the 85% Grenache in the blend, along with 15% Cinsault -- with notes of earth and garrigue. The medium to plus bodied palate showed lots of this red fruit, along with some darker red fruit, some earth/garrigue, and a fair amount of spice. The acidity was juicy and nicely balanced with the fruit, and there was no hint of the 15.5% abv. A really nice wine that should hold for several years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 88 Points
Over the top and over extracted. Prunes and chocolate with some black cherries. Noticeable alcohol on the finish. Some leather and perhaps a hint of complexity but it’s overshadowed by the heavy dark fruit. Tannins are fine grained and structure is OK despite the weight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2021 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted. Took 30 minutes to one hour to fully open up and all the fruit to emerge. Unlike the previous review no stewed notes. What I would expect from a mature CDP. Very smooth with no heat. Lingering finish. I am happy where this wine is so will likely drink my last bottle this year.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2021 - isbjoern wrote: 89 Points
Much better than our last bottle in 2014, but this is again slightly too ripe for my palate. It shows lots of sweet stewed fruit, kirsch and licorice flavors, it is very alcoholic and sweet, there seems to be a hint of residual sugar in here, concentration is excellent and I really like the spicy notes. A wine for a cold winter evening. I clearly prefer the classier vintage 2010. Ready for drinking but can hold another 5 years. - 89 points
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2021 - drmarclevine wrote: 88 Points
Short decant to remove sediment. Sweet blue fruits dominate the nose. Some black pepper and musty funk emerge with coaxing. More stewed blue fruit in the mouth with flashes of underbrush and menthol. Sweet, round, jammy flavors drown-out the mineral elements. Not what I'm looking for in CdP but if you like the more forward, modern style this is for you.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2020 - rm97 wrote: 94 Points
Sadly we drank this after the Charles Giraud 2007 so tough to assess.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 93 Points
85% Grenache, 15% old vine Cinsault. Decanted for sediment. Med (+) ruby with a garnet hue. Med (+) aromas of ripe black cherry, dried prunes, raspberry, fig, smoky herbs. Dry, but very fruit-forward for an Old World wine. Med acidity, med tannins, high alcohol (15.5%), but it does not seem hot. Gains in complexity with air. Med (+) body, flavor intensity and length. It is at its peak or possibly slightly past. It's developed and not likely to improve with further aging, but also not likely to fall apart any time soon.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2020 - LB88 wrote: 92 Points
Well resolved tannins and floral nose but a little too sweet for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2020 - rm97 wrote: 95 Points
After an hour and a half this was wonderful. So rich, so balanced and so long. Finish is over a minute. Need to buy mor
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2020 - bobbylion wrote: 88 Points
CORAVIN PnP.
Very sweet and jammy.
WS Shows 75 Euro price Tag. Tastes more like Insoglio for 18 Euros. 2 points less for QPR. Good CdR would also be similar.
Absolutely not worth it IMO.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2020 - Outplaying wrote:
This is one of the better 07 CdP's I've had. It is big, ripe and fruity, for sure, but somehow it doesn't come across over the top for me. I have one bottle left that I will try to hold for at least several years to see if develops more complexity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2020 - KPB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purple, this wine is all about sweet, very ripe fruit: on the nose, raspberry syrup, toffee, garrigue, violet pastilles. Once you sip it that impression of very sweet fruit dominates, but gradually fades to reveal satiny tannins and a very persistent finish. Quite good, and in fact if you love wines that are unabashedly sweet, sensational. Now obviously, this is a dry red, yet if you told me it was a young vintage port I might actually believe you! Still, who doesn't love candy? I have to admit: I like this wine, even if normally I prefer wine to be a bit less exuberant!
Probably reaching its peak but no hurry here -- if the wine is this good at age 13, it will still be rocking at age 18.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2020 - Markzittman Likes this wine:
Would order more. Liked. Give it an 8
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2020 - nywine68 wrote: 89 Points
Lots of dark chocolate. Full bodied round and voluptuous wine. No discerning heat. Somewhat mono-dimensional and not much nunance. Also not much sense of place or "tipicity". Just lots of chocolate, not bad for dessert ;-)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2020 - rm97 wrote: 94 Points
Huge wine. Beautifully balanced. Rich mouth feel. Will try to hold off drinking any more for a few more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2020 - stoneb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet color. Bright red and blue fruit on open, revealing earth and subtle baking spice with air. Should hold for years, but delicious wine now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2019 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better than my last bottle. The wine has filled out. Now very smooth with lots of dark fruit/berry flavours. Not too sweet. Good finish. Very enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/18/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium/dark ruby. Initial ham, smoked meat nose, opening into sweet dark fruit, light garrigue. Similar on the palate. Smooth, good balance, still young, perhaps a little bit sweet for my taste. With a few hours to breathe, savoury soy sauce notes. 89-91.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2019 - RDHudak wrote: 93 Points
Still drinking young and with plenty of life. Loads of dark fruit, grape juice and some earth. Mild acidity and long finish. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2019 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Third bottle from a six pack purchased on release. This wine showed extremely well this time around and has developed considerable complexity and weight since a bottle tasted about 18 months ago.
Lots of candied red and black fruit, herbs, smoked meats , tobacco and spice on the nose with similar flavor characteristics on the palate. Wow!
Medium plus to full bodied with medium tannins and enough acidity to keep fresh. The finish is long and impressive.
Drinking well now, may keep longer but why wait!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2019 - thalver wrote:
This bottle opened without the funk of some of the previous bottles. Big. not a lot going on aromatically. guests polished off quickly
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2019 - LARich wrote: 89 Points
A bit challenging. At open was funky and strong vegetal finish. After an hour decant mostly blew off and better. Still lacked structure but flavor was there. Might just be in a weird place. Will try again in a year or so.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2019 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Un style moderne, certes, mais le vin est franchement délicieux, très charmeur.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
I dislike most '07 CDP's finding them too ripe and alcoholic but this wine pulls it off. Quite ripe dark raspberry fruit with a hint of heat but showing excellent concentration and complexity with notes of garrigue spice and lavender on the long, smoky finish. Very ready now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2018 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet, very small meniscus and perhaps a touch of orange around the rim. Intriguing nose, grilled bread, herb, cassis, alcohol, black fruit. In the mouth, the tannins and acidity are added to the flavors from the nose, with the dried herbs, tannins, and black fruit dominating the long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
3rd of 4. This was a bit reduced which detracted from its showing in a lineup of 14 2007 CdPs. 13th out of 14.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2018 - ELH wrote: 97 Points
I weep, for this was my last bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2018 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 92 Points
Du Vallée du Rhône concentré ! Mmmm, quelle densité !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Nez animal, avec des parfums de liqueur de cassis noir. Le vin est très mur, sur le fruit noir, avec une texture ronde et sucreuse. C’est savoureux, avec une finale suave, mais c’est plutôt "over-the-top", en surmaturité. Un vin qui diviserait les amateurs (très "Parker"), mais c’est franchement bon, certainement pas pour palais bourguignons. 91+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2018 - ELH wrote: 96 Points
Oh my what a lovely wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2018 - duchamp wrote: 92 Points
Dark crimson, big nose of alcohol, black currant, kirsch, black cherry, and garrigue, palate is rich and sweet with red and black fruit, dried fruits and juicy but subtle acidity, finish is long and sweet with tangy acidity, kirsch, pomegranate and dried herbs
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. This opened very tight, kind of reduced. Anyway, it got lots of swirling to get it to open up. Big and powerful with sweet cherry Grenache fruit. Acids are soft. Still has some tannic grip. Some garrigue, but almost new world in its taste profile. Good wine for a cold and snowy night!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2018 - drmarclevine Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Big miss for me. Sweet black cherry with maybe a hint of underbrush on the nose. Chewy and syrupy in the mouth. Overwhelmingly sweet, one-note, and port-like. Cloying and way over-baked. Very disappointing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2018 - Tuvan wrote: 89 Points
Aged..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2017 - thalver wrote:
Much better showing than a funky bottle of this on release. Big, but balanced, enough so that I'm inclined to give it a few more years. No significant heat.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
PHMG WAG: the '07 Chateauneufs (Old Home of the Lyon): WOTN. Better than 3 years ago, this is all about depth, complexity, and length. Black fruit, Grenache underbrush, tar, pepper / spice, leather, and kelp going on and on. First and only bottle drained by this group of tasters. 95+, now-2020.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2017 - drgrape Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice. I'don't rate it at least as high (93) as the Cellartracker community.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2017 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 92 Points
Puissance et parfum dans une chorégraphie parfaite !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2017 - Capt Cutlass wrote: 89 Points
Port-like. Smooth and creamy from too much oak influence for my preference but a real crowd pleaser and the 15.5% alcohol, although present seems lower on the palate. I can see this concentration lasting a while longer but since there is no acidity nor tannins it would need the dash of residual sugar which seems also present to help keep it afloat.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2017 - Vinovelo wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2017 - 309VEB wrote: 90 Points
I found this wine quite sweet and lacking in acidity Fruit forward but flabby in my opinion.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Deep, rich, lush, concentrated, and with a purity of fruit, you find sweet, ripe kirsch, black plum, thyme, jam, spice and peppery aromatics. There is weight and density that emanates from old vine Grenache, but everything is in balance and harmony. At 10 years of age, this is showing really great today.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2017 - cardsandwine wrote:
Isabel Ferrando dinner at Tribecca Grill. 85% Grenache and 15% Cincault. This was a big, California like wine. More power than elegance here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2017 - wurzel68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Was für ein Bouquet! Bitterschokolade, rauchige Barbecuenoten, Heidelbeere, Kirsche und Garriguekräuter; am Gaumen mittlerer bis fetter Körper, reichlich feines Tannin, langer Abgang mit leicht herb-bitterer Kräuternote, leider leicht zehrendes Tannin; sollte eher etwas kühler getrunken werden - dann ist es trotz der 15,5 % Alkohol ein fast perfekter CdP!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2017 - winemaker wrote:
Boy is this ripe! Smells of Kirsch and alcohol with a whiff of VA. Underneath the VA there is lovely ripe rich kirsch/cherry fruit. No Brett whatsoever. The richness of the fruit here does a pretty good job of masking the 15.5% abv.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2016 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark Ruby appearance. Almost opaque , with very little lightening at the rim. Atypical for an 07 CDP.
Youthful but pronounced nose of confected fruit- blueberry, plum, raspberry. Also savory elements- smoked meats, herbs.
Full bodied with lots of that dark fruit and savory flavor on the palate. Medium acidity and tannin. The finish is long and exhilarating.
Great wine that is surprisingly un- evolved for an 07. Will easily keep for a dozen more years in a cold cellar and I think this is a rare examples of an 07 that will be drinking better in 2020 than today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2016 - mhensel wrote: 93 Points
Deep red, bluish, black core --- Nose cardboard, wet grass, dark fruit, red fruit, sour tone, chestnut --- Palate smooth, then acidity coming through, plum, some red fruit, bacon, meaty, nutty, overall vivid, deep, black fruit. Yesterday is was a little fresher, more on the red fruit side with lots of cherries. However, this is a wonderful 07 CdP, deep and rich while showing no heat at all. Very nice vine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Huileux, concentré, il faisait presque Nouveau Monde! Encore très jeune, je l'ai trouvé trop massif ce soir, surtout après un Bourgogne. Attendre quelques années avant la prochaine. Décevant à ce stade.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2016 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape tasting (at my home): excellent CDP
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A good wine, but my experience was a little underwhelming as I had high hopes based on recent CTs and Jeb's note. I got dried meats, cherry and dark berries after the slight reduction blew off. Still a good wine, but I expected more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2016 - geppetto Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consumed along side a 2012 Two Hands Bella's Garden. Both we stunning. We were having a chef's dinner with beef tenderloin, stuffed chicken breasts, roasted duck breast, and gnocchi in a tomato sauce.
One of my table mates summed it up as follows: The CDP is like a really hot, classy older woman. She can work a room and hold her own against anyone. Confidence exudes but never is so bold as to overcome her classy demeanor.
Bella is an equally hot, but younger woman. She is fresh and lively, but is threatened by the older woman's grace and elegance. Bella fits in to the party, in her little black dress, but she is just tries just a little too hard, ultimately displaying her inexperience.
Both were beautiful, and any man would be a fool to walk away.
This wine had zero barnyard funk that I often find with CDP. It was open for business with florals, berries and subtle spices. Amazing wine that is drinking really well right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2016 - miker02 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and aired for about 30 minutes. Deep ruby color. Powerful and refined grenache-dominated CdP, lots of fruit. Seems ready now and will age will for the next 5-10 years as well. Great!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2015 - stofken wrote: 90 Points
double decanted, broad shouldered, cherries, somehow this didn't seem very well balanced for me, rich flavoured in the mouth, might come around with 5 additional years in the cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2015 - Vancouver wrote: 93 Points
Medium ruby appearance.
Pronounced nose of red fruits (raspberry , candied cherry) , some baking spice.
Full bodied. Medium acidity and tannin. Palate dominated by the grenache- rich mouth filling red fruit . Long finish and very satisfying.
Drink now and for the next 5 years. Lovely example a warm vintage CDP.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2015 - oldcorke wrote: 94 Points
Initially promising scorched earth, bramble, & dark blue/black fruits when decanted, the nose & palate later seemed very extracted, perhaps too much so for the evident acid. The structure is there, only time will tell if the fruit is excessive or just this bottle seemed so. From this datapoint, I'll wait 3-5 more years before the next.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2015 - RDHudak wrote: 94 Points
Informal notes, but this was an excellent bottle. Pristine cork. Initially, this was a bit tight, but really started showing with and hour+ decant. Loads of dark fruit, earth, fresh soil and tobacco. Medium+ body with perfect acidity and velvety tannin. Long finish. This was definitely a young bottle, but showed very, very well. No hurry here. 94-95
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2015 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine Tasting Group: 2007's from around the world (Our house): This was was polarizing for our group. Folks with new world preferences did not like it at all. It is very earthy/dirty/funky on both the nose and the palate. Considerable notes of garrigue also. But there is also high quality fruit here and lots of complexity. This is very well made CdP and would probably have scored a lot better among folks with inclinations toward old world wines. I did not find this to change much over the course of the evening, but I think it has considerable upside with additional aging. I will leave my other bottles to sit for at least a few years. Karen really disliked this, as she often does with french wines that are very dirty/earthy. This would probably be much better with the right food. My #3. Group's #4.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2015 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coravin taste. On the nose, lots of red fruit, along with garrigue, earth, and a hint of lavendar (?). On the palate, lively red and blue fruits, fruitcake, garrigue, and lots of earth/mineral on the long (but somewhat dirty tasting) finish. Some heat from the 15.5% alc, but got a bit better with air. It mellowed out a bit with 20-30 min of air and became a bit more accessible. This seems to be in its drinking window but with plenty of life left. Quite good, especially if you like the style. Note for future: K would probably NOT like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - gregbohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
A touch sweet but otherwise great.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2015 - Pour Boy wrote: 93 Points
Ah, me, what was I thinking opening this? Yes, the 07 CDP vintage is supposed to be "early maturing and accessible," but this wine is far too young to liberate. Anyone opening this should decant for at least 60 min. Lots of potential here, though; potentially a 95 point wine. The last glasses from this bottle were amazing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2014 - isbjoern wrote: 87 Points
Despite almost everyone loving this wine on CT, I have to say this is absolutely not my style of wine nor is it a classic Chateuneuf-du-Pape as I understand it. Blatantly sweet, stewed overripe fruit, candy like taste, cherry liqueur, smoke flavors, the alcohol way over the top of what I can bear. This is not a wine I would want to pair with food. Maybe one could pair this with a cigar on a cold winter evening. Not a wine style I can fully enjoy drinking. - 87 points
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/20/2014 - geppetto wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely stunning wine. Huge nose matched by an amazing palate of deep rich black fruit, spice, and a tiny bit of that funk that I love (let's call it mushroom/forest). Drinking really well now, but I imagine it will continue to improve. This wine rivals the best that I have tasted in my cellar. Please find some if you can...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and drank over a 3 hour timeframe. While this started off fresh and almost Cali like the wine quickly transformed to reveal a serious CdP. The wine starts off with an explosive nose of blackberry, plum, fig and stone along with an infusion of potpourri which leads way to a dark fruited palate with tobacco notes and a spiciness that lingers on the finish that is fresh and lively. This is very good now but I have a strong feeling that it is only going to get better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2014 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Voluptuous and intense. It has matured well in the cellar and the integration of the blends has introduced an intriguing complexity, with a subtle, sometimes striking mix of fruit and structure. It is is a fine drinking window now but clearly has the potential to evolve further. From a great vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
WCC 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reds Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Double-decanted around 10am.] Very rich and long. Tastes very Californian, like an Alban or Saxum. A big rich complex appealing wine. My #2 WOTN by a narrow margin.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2014 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with MS3: Nick and Lauren (The Lyon's Tree House): WOTN. After a 3.5 hour decant this was open for business. Very ripe black fruit, underbrush, tar, mocha/oak, spices/pepper, leather, and a touch of iodine all wrapped in velvet. Mouth-filling without being heavy. Alcohol well hidden. Next (can't wait to try again) in 2017!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2013 - Frommen wrote: 94 Points
Quite heavy, with "classic" modern profile of ch9. Has some freshnes. Was really appreciated by the parents!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2013 - WDK wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. Dark ruby, sweet cherry and plum on the palate. Long finish with sweet tannin and ample acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2013 - Winekrupt wrote: 92 Points
Bright raspberry and cassis on the nose, but also giving off a very medicinal note to it, perhaps a little minty. The mouth was very intense, and I would have said finesseful if the 15.5 percent alc. wasn't always getting in my way. Some spicey notes coming through with the berry, and little cocoa in the mix. Enjoyable. Not at all cooked, and not at all tired. The finish is long... but also a little burning.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2013 - PlanetX Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderfully aromatic nose with a fascinating smokey element. The smokiness continues on the palate which accents the ripe, dense dark and red fruits that linger impressively. Still very young this should age very nicely. Will revisit in 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2013 - Winekrupt wrote: 92 Points
Bright raspberry and cassis on the nose, but also giving off a very medicinal note to it, perhaps a little minty. The mouth was very intense, and I would have said finesseful if the 15.5 percent alc. wasn't always getting in my way. Some spicey notes coming through with the berry, a little cocoa. Enjoyable. Not at all cooked, and not at all tired. The finish is long... but also a little burning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - Sijan wrote: flawed
Took a bottle to a knowledgeable friend's NYE party and there was universal agreement there was something wrong with it, although the exact flaw was hard to describe. My friend thought it smelled like solvent. I thought it had high VA.
This is my third bottle of this that has had these issues. I have given up hope on the remainder. Can VA issues like this develop from poor storage? I suspect the wine shop that sold me this did not store it well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/21/2012 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
Rich, dark and full bodied...nicley balanced with still just a touch of alcohol on the finish...maybe not as complex as some other 07's...but a great representative of the 2007 vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2012 - Outplaying wrote:
This was opened by my wife and her sister yesterday so this note comes from a small glass that was left over. The wine sat on the counter overnight with a cork in it. Aromas of fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. Ripe black and dark fruits, fig, almost a raisin note, some spice and black pepper. Modern in style but tasty. Ill wait a couple more years before opening another unless my wife beats me to it. She loved it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2012 - Niagara wrote: 94 Points
Excellent and well crafted. Smooth as silk.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2011 - ELH wrote: 91 Points
The fruit is less intense. Entering a quite phase? Time to let this be in the cellar?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2011 - dhammer53 wrote: 94 Points
Forgot to rate this wine. A candidate for wine of the year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2011 - dhammer53 wrote:
Sorry that I didn't buy more than one bottle of my new favorite varietal. This is a very dark wine. Unfiltered, which at one time was a big deal. On Pop 'n pour, this was rich and full bodied. The nose was just incredible! There was a hint of sweetness. Smooth and silky going down. It was my wine of the night (WOTN) at a Flyertalk wine dinner at Morgans Fish House in Rye. I purchased this in May 2009 for $48. I wish that I could buy more at that price. This is a red rhone blend. FYI, I enjoyed this with grilled salmon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2011 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
Quite impressive. Black/ruby. Nose dominated by black raspberries, leather, Herbs de Provence, fresh hay. Rich, structured, ripe but not sweet. Some hints of brett here? Mineral touch on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2011 - MPM29 wrote: 95 Points
Took the bottle to a blind tasting where each brought a bottle and no one knew what the other brought. All 4 of the others, who are astute wine collectors, geussed wrong. Surprise! Balanced with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2011 - WDK wrote: 95 Points
Drinking Beautifully. Rich, ripe and balanced with more acidity that I expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2011 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 97 Points
nose; black pepper, cigar tobacco, blackberry jam, and tar.
palate; blueberries, spice, bacon fat, and minerals.
full bodied and medium plus tannins.
very long finish and very balanced.
this wine will no doubt near perfection with 10 years or more of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2010 - Frommen wrote: 92 Points
Heady, portlike, with raisin and plum flavours. Probably best on its own or with cheese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2010 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 97 Points
nose; black pepper, cigar tobacco, blackberry jam, and tar.
palate; blueberries, spice, bacon fat, and minerals.
full bodied and medium plus tannins.
very long finish and very balanced.
this wine will no doubt near perfection with 10 years or more of cellaring.
the best chateauneuf du pape i have had to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2010 - Sijan wrote:
Initially, on Day 1, a similar impression to my previous tasting in March, although this did not have the same unusually high VA and slight carbonation as the previous bottle. This wine is bracing and extreme in its strength, density and angularity. Lots of minerals, tar, graphite, and even a rubbery note -the combination of which is almost overwhelming in its funkiness. The fruit is almost completely overwhelmed by these other elements. It is a unique experience, but not particularly pleasant to drink after a few sips. Decanted through a Vinturi into a decanter and let sit for 1-2 hours before drinking. A few friends who also enjoy CdP had similar impressions and also found it unpleasant about halfway through a glass.
MUCH IMPROVED on Day 2. Dark fruit/kirsch is showing much better underneath a layer of minerality. Tar, leather, sandalwood notes add complexity and are no longer completely overshadowed by the heavy minerality/rubbery funk. The wine seems much more round and approachable. Lengthy fiinish is now much more pleasant.
I would not be surprised if it shows even better on Days 3-4, if it lasts that long. This wine clearly needs some serious aging to show off its full potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2010 - misterclean wrote: 92 Points
Elegant intensity. Blueberries, Creme de violette and a touch of earth. A little heavy on the alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2010 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 93 Points
A few 2007 Chateauneuf du Papes in Highlands: I thought this wine was excellent. I love the heavy to grenache 2007's that see almost no wood at all. This was large and expressive fresh dark red fruits, natural sweetness, and a fine white stone mineral envelope. There was also some nice slight earthiness, and hints of aromatic plants. I was also pleasantly surprised by the structure... this baby will develop for years and has a terrific future. Had with Scott and Harry who shared a Favier and Charvin... both worthy opponents.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2010 - Blair Curtis wrote: 87 Points
This is a wine in a style I do not enjoy. This is pure candy - a confection and not a table wine. In a blind tasting, I'm pretty sure I would guess this as a "bargain priced" Spanish grenache. This is not why I buy CNdP. At present, the wine has no sense of place at all. For all the surmature fruit, I was pleasantly surprised that the wine did not show excessive heat/alcohol. That kept the wine from scoring lower with me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2010 - Sijan wrote:
Very funky and strange. Possibly even corked in some way - very slightly carbonated sting early on the palate and unusually high VA. Very dark in color. Nose was bizarre and initially unappealing - did have some characteristic tar notes. Palate was also unusual with lots of spice and funk, but had some fruitiness. Very strong flavors, but hard to place. Seemed to open up with air. Truly a bizarre wine experience. Need to open another bottle soon to see if this is par for the course (and/or if I got a corked half case).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2010 - Outplaying wrote: 91 Points
Pork Tenderloin and French Wines (Ann's, Avondale, PA): A step up from the Coudoulet de Beaucastel in structure and body. However at this stage I don't think it is as complex. This showed candied fruits and as James Moleworths review said smoked apple wood. This also has some spice and the 15.5%abv was poking through. Still it is very solid and a crowd pleaser - this was the first bottle to be emptied. I will wait a while on the rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2009 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Very nice stuff; Great nose
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Une touche de modernité, le nez fait plutôt bonbon, presque kool-aid, raisin et mûres, avec aussi un aspect un peu viande/animal.
Beaucoup de concentration en bouche, le fruit est mûr, sucré, il y a même un peu de surmaturité. La texture est soyeuse et la finale est très longue et savoureuse, avec quand même de la finesse malgré la puissance du vin. Beaucoup de fruit et de matière, un vin pour les amateurs de gourmandises, avec un coté ferrugineux, un peu comme de la mélasse.
Difficile de prédire l'évolution d'un tel vin que je connais peu, avec un registre auquel je ne suis pas habitué. Mais j’ai l’impression qu’il sera splendide à huit ou dix ans d’âge et plus prêt des notes ronflantes accordées unanimement par les critiques européens et américains. Ma note semblera alors conservatrice. 92-93 + pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2009 - ELH wrote: 93 Points
Explosive, brooding, complex dark fruit on a bed of terroir. Majestic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2009 - KPB wrote: 90 Points
Chateauneauf du Pape does Australia, and well, but "pas typique" and I, for one, am not convinced. This bottle is a textbook example of a wine that was made from overripe fruit. Nearly black, powerful nose (complex, already showing musk, meat, and spice aromas) and palate (black fruits, kirsch), yet alcohol is too high, the wine doesn't knit together very well, aggressive and a bit harsh. People who love power for its own sake will love this wine. The impression is relatively positive -- satin on the mouth, and interesting. Yet raw intensity can be a flaw, and in that sense, this is a flawed wine. Not bad; I enjoyed drinking it, but not a wine I would buy more of.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2009 - bikerkayaker wrote:
More Burgundian than I had expected. Fruity and sensual. Will need some more time to reach its peak. Best on day 2.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Salon RASPIPAV. Nez animal. Superbe texture veloutée, fruit opulent et d'une belle pureté, superbe. 93-94 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2009 - bigwineguy420 wrote:
Dark ruby color in the glass. Nose is very explosive with numerous red fruit profiles but on the darker side of things. Lots of concentration. Among the fruit there are also layers of spice and earth. On the palate very sexy and voluptuous, the fruit is layered on the palate and the finish is long. This wine just keeps coming back around. An absolute can't-miss if you like traditionally styled wines with extra oomph. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 96 Points
WOTN for me and the group. Intoxicating nose. Penetrating on the palate. Layers and layers of flavor. Modern in style. Finishes long. Superb balance. Just an incredible wine that drew raves around the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2009 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Great interest on the nose; Dark; Juicy; Shrunken fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2009 - plhew wrote: 93 Points
Very good CDP especailly for the price. Good nose. balanced and fruity right out of the bottle. Very little descernible tannin and length a bit lacking, but a very enjoyable wine and great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2009 - bundydavis wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful CDP! Fruity and well balanced. Needed 2+ hours to open up, but it was stunning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2009 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Dark red color with a purple hue. Very concentrated, warm nose with loads of pure raspberry fruit, plums and licorice. Similar on the palate with black cherries and raspberries, lots of fruit sweetness, but picking up some meaty notes on the midpalate and finish. Interesting wine with enough stuffing to be a powerhouse, yet enough acidity to balance it, making it appear elegant and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2009 - pdf wrote:
Dégustation avec Philippe Lubineau. Pas mal du tout. A attendre 5 ans minimum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment