Vinous

• By Josh Raynolds
  January/February 2010, IWC Issue #148 (link)

  (Chateau Simian Chateauneuf du Pape) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  12/2/2009 (link)

  (Chateauneuf du Pape SIMIAN) 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Dear Friends, As the 2007 Rhone pipeline continues to dry up, it's become clear to me that the sub $30 price point on any 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will go the way of the dodo bird before the end of the year. As far as potential enjoyment and secondary value down the road, nearly any of the better 2007s still available in the circa $25-30 range are about as sure of an investment as you can make in wine. Even if you don't care for the specific cuvee, there's someone out there 10 years from now that will. Down the road, as the 2007s become scarce on the auction market, supply/demand pressures will naturally work their way into the equation and that leaves those holding stocks of 2007's in an enviable position (regardless of what 2007 CdP it is - think 1982 Bordeaux and it's impact by association on nearly every wine from the vintage). Unlike Bordeaux where tens of thousands of cases are produced (keeping them in the supply chain for years), with 2007 CdP, most of the better wines were made in very small quantities. That makes makes them excellent candidates for investment ratios more in line with rare Burgundy. With that said (Curb Your Enthusiasm aside), it is quite apparent many of you are curious about Chateau Simian's 2007 Chëteauneuf-du-Pape and it appears to be one of the more desired wines of the fall (if we count up all the email requests and questions about the wine). The 2006 and 2007 Cote du Rhone from Simian have been appreciated but most of you still want to try their Chëteauneuf (not surprising). This leads us to a similar predicament presented with the 2007 Cote du Rhone - the winery just doesn't have any 2007 CdP of appreciable quantity to offer. The 2007 Tradition was fully allocated last winter (based on the vintage hype alone) and they don't make enough to store pallets and pallets of extra stock. They only have 8-10 acres in total and the WA98 for the 2007 CdP GGH has put them in a limelight they are not very comfortable with. I'm not sure where their generosity has come from lately but you are going to get your wish. This allocation is part of their personal stash of wine (just like the 2007 Cotes du Rhone) and it's the bottling most of you have asked to try - the traditionally raised (no oak) CdP cuvee that is the winery's signature. The Simian Tradition was produced with the evening meal in mind - it is a classic 2007 in style with waves of pure fruit in a cement aged, aromatic and unforced style that reminds us why Chëteauneuf-du-Pape became so alluring in the first place. It blends a sense of the exotic with a sense of terroir and it wouldn't surprise me if this was among the more favored examples we will offer from the vintage - it's tough to resist from a texture standpoint but also highly charged with varietal detail and a specific sense of place. If you are into honest and pure wine (from a vintage that elevated Simian's material to almost ridiculous heights), here's your wine at a price that deserves a double-take at this point... 2007 Chateau Simian Chëteauneuf du Pape Rouge (Tradition) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Rhone7609