More 2007 Southern Rhones

These are amalgamated notes from 2 store tastings today.

• 2007 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Beaumes-de-Venise

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Beaumes-de-Venise

  Deep color. Fruity nose. Attractive entry with black cherry fruit but hollow and short.

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• 2007 Domaine Gallety Côtes du Vivarais

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Vivarais

  Very deep purple. Aromas and flavors of blackberry syrup/confit with some licorice. Hot finish, and overall, too big and clumsy.

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• 2007 Domaine des Escaravailles Rasteau La Ponce

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau

  Second time I've tasted this and a better impression this time. Medium ruby. Fragrant but a slightly rubbery off note. This does not come through on the palate, which has nice concentration, pretty fruit, and good complexity. Unfortunately, I still find it marred by alcohol on the finish.

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• 2007 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée Lopy

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras

  Freakishly inky dark purple. Lush, ripe, sweet black fruit with some graphite, licorice, and tobacco on the finish. Monstrously outsized and impressive in that regard, but too sweet and extracted. Despite this, the balance is not bad here because of a substantial underpinning of tannin.

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• 2007 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas Terrasse du Diable

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Tasted at both tastings with similar results. Very dark. Very aromatic with black fruit, herbs, tobacco, and licorice. Quite dense without seeming heavy, great expansiveness in the mouth, relatively backward at this point. This is excellent, serious stuff which I again preferred to the Les Racines bottling from this producer.

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• 2007 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas Les Racines

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  A shade lighter than the Terrasse du Diable. Much more forward with red fruit and spice on the nose. Lighter than its stablemate, lively acidity, and this seems built for the short term with significantly lower tannins. My only complaint is that some heat intrudes on and shortens the finish.

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• 2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Medium ruby with paler edge. Attractive raspberry fruit. Pleasing lighter texture with a good interplay of the red fruit and mint. Nice finish. Very accessible now. Perfect foil for the Vieux Telegraphe from this vintage; very high quality second wine which should provide plenty of enjoyment while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop.

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• 2007 Domaine de Nalys Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Least saturated wine of the day. Some light brett and lavender on the nose. Lighter weight with late sappy anise appearing. Savory black cherry fruit without any undue sweetness or heat. Fades quickly on the finish. Overall, quite enjoyable.

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• 2007 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Ripe to overripe, hot, blueberry fruit here. The palate is simple and syrupy with a real alcoholic burn. Poorly balanced. I really did not care for this at all.

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• 2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Medium to light ruby. High toned strawberry and menthol; in fact, this had greener aromatics than any wine tasted today. Lovely weight here. Red and black fruits with spice, good acidity, and gentle tannins. Great inner mouth perfume. Not a big wine at all, but elegant with impeccable balance.

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With some time, these wines are sorting themselves out, at least for my taste. Some of them still bowl me over with their alcohol, but others are gorgeous (like the Charvin). I certainly don't think it's a vintage where you can throw a dart and invariably land on a great wine.