2007 Rhône Offer – Not All About the South!

The South

Fountain and trees in the square in Gigondas

This is the big one: a vintage that has been attracting the sort of praise levelled – a few years ago – at the 2005 Bordeaux harvest. And there is good reason to speak well of these wines. Even among the stellar vintages experienced (save for 2002) since 1998, 2007 is a stand out.

So what sets it apart? What prompted Robert M Parker Jnr to state, “Throughout the southern Rhône, 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in my thirty years working in that region”?

During my week of tastings in the region, I had the opportunity to examine these wines in detail – stopping regularly for high-fat meals featuring the more obscure parts of domestic animals – and to form a good idea of where their strengths lie.

And what strengths! Châteauneuf-du-Pape could never be accused of being a shrinking violet. With the appellation law stipulating a minimum alcohol level of 12.5%, these are wines that display very big hearts on the sort of sleeves that would not look out of place on a 1970s prog rock guitarist.

The 2007 harvest is a sort of culmination of its immediate predecessors, all of which display fascinatingly divergent characters (an excellent reason for buying examples from each vintage). It takes something of the style of each year and then steps forward into a different dimension again.

And the thing that really strikes one about these wines is not their towering abvs (we tasted wines up to 17.2% natural alcohol!). What blew me away was their precision, their elegance, focus and, well, beauty.

If one could imagine Audrey Hepburn after a course of steroids and a couple of years of pumping iron, yet managing to retain her salient gorgeousness, one comes some way to understanding the extraordinary nature of 2007 as a vintage in the southern Rhône Valley.

The Growers

Château Saint Cosme and Domaine Santa Duc

There are less than a handful of estates in Gigondas that regularly compete, toe-to-toe, with the best that Châteauneuf-du-Pape can offer. The two estates listed here are the best of that grouping.

Robert Parker says of the wines of Domaine Santa Duc, “They set reference points for what Gigondas can be,“ and goes on to state, “Only Louis Barroul at St.-Cosme achieves the same quality”.

Stop, Robert! You’re making us look too good.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Gigondas, Château de Saint Cosme, Southern Rhône, France Notes: Fabulous purity of black cherry fruit here on both nose and palate. In the mouth, it shows a perfectly linear profile and finely integrated, nutty tannins. A very long wine and a subtle one. Complete, fresh and floral notes add to its appeal. Hard to believe that this is and entry level wine!   91-93/100 - Robert Parker	2011-2018	12x75cl	£144.00
2007	Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues, Domaine Santa Duc, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 3% Syrah and 2% Cinsault This has the vintage stamped all over it in its outstanding purity and vast concentration. The fruit is clear-voiced black cherry and bramble wound 'round with freshly ground pepper. Minerals soak the palate and combine with the ripest, rich tannins to form a spine of focus that carries one's interest through to the vastly long finish. a) massively concentrated, b) cool as Cherryade, c) delicious. Voilà!   94-96/100 - Robert Parker	2013-2022	12x75cl	£252.00
	Return to online list format

Domaine Giraud

Marie Giraud and the happy tasters

In 1998 a generational change took place here, Marie and her brother François taking over from their father, Pierre. François is the viticulteur, working in the vineyard to produce the best possible fruit. Marie is the wine maker, ably assisted by the mighty talent of Philippe Cambie, a larger-than-life character who consults at some of the top properties of Châteauneuf, including Saint Préfert (see below), Pegau (ditto), Clos du Mont Olivet, Vieux Donjon and Clos St Jean.

The wines here are going from strength to strength. Three red cuvées, none less than superb.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition , Domaine Giraud, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre In the glass, this is a deep, bluish, ruby mulberry colour. Very rich and creamy on the nose, a touch meaty. The fruit aromas are very dark and very ripe. There are tarry notes to the blueberries and brambles. This is like an essence of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; a sort of idiomatic liqueur. It is very creamy; the tannins are mild and utterly integrated. Length is very good and there is a rise of juice at the end that cleans everything up nicely. Unashamedly lush, even proud of the fact that it's a wine of sheer pleasure, rather than complication. Try it soon and enjoy!	2010-2016	12x75cl	£201.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Gallimardes, Domaine Giraud, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah This is a touch closed at the moment, although there are aromas of smoky black damsons along with hints of sweet cake spice. The fruit is a cream of black pepper, blueberry and bramble nuanced with classic Châteauneuf dried herbs. The palate reveals a creamy-but-peppery, bramble fruited, very spicy wine with lots of glassy minerals. There's great length here and profound grip. The fruit is all about red and black cherries punctuated by grippy, upright tannin. As ever, the Giraud wines lie somewhere between traditional and modern. This is a fine success.   91-94/100 - Robert Parker	2011-2020	12x75cl	£312.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache de Pierre, Domaine Giraud, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. Unsurprisingly, this is all Grenache and very old vine Grenache at that. Parker describes it was "…an outstanding clone of Rayas". The nose is all about spice and creamy cherry fruit, largely red. Above all is a very fresh note and then wisps of smoky bacon combine with further fruit aromas, this time suggesting blueberries. Up front, one is faced with very pure, creamy fruit of myrtles. The shape is beautifully linear in the mouth. Support is lent by sandy-textured minerals and rich, integrated, paste-like tannins. Very long, with great tension and juice at the back. Cool and lovely.   94-96/100 - Robert Parker	2012-2022	6x75cl	£219.00
	Return to online list format

Domaine Saint Préfert

Where dreams are realised, both for the taster and Isobel Ferrando

It is a cause for excitement that in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – the oldest appellation contrôlée in France – one regularly finds new players who are intent on pushing themselves and their wines to the furthest heights possible. Isobel Ferrando is one such newcomer. These wines are exceptionally good. The white is now among the finest in the appellation.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Auguste Favier, Domaine St Préfert, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This had been bottled 3 weeks before we tasted it, so (supposedly) shouldn't have been showing at its best. N.B. x2 This is 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault. Lovely colour: a very deep purple. There are animal notes overlaying the nose of very black fruit aromas, including some dried fruits. A clove-like spice note adds complexity. The palate is very rich; cool and creamy, with hints of liquorice. The tannins are present, yet ripe, and fresh acidity has tucked itself under the concentrated fruit. The palate starts creamy, then picked up structure. Fabulous blueberry and plum fruit of the freshest sort interweave with fine minerals at the very end. This is a juicy wine and a big one.   93-95/100 - Robert Parker	2013-2023	12x75cl	£306.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud, Domaine St Préfert, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre. There's already great complexity to the nose of this wine. I found aromas of flowers, charred and dried meat, cocoa and chestnuts. There's also a delicious purity of bramble fruit. There's such a richness of fruit here. The entry's very supple; at the other end, on the finish the grip is all about freshness. Between lies hugely concentrated and very, very pure fruit. What sexy stuff, without being facile in any way. The structure is almost invisible beneath the fruit concentration. Lovely wine.   94-97/100 - Robert Parker	2010-2025	12x75cl	£324.00
2008	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Domaine St Préfert, Southern Rhône, France Notes: There are complex herbal notes like fennel to the very ripe nose of yellow fruits. There are spice notes and aromas of fresh apples and pears, even star fruit. I could also smell a little dried fruit (of the sort that gives one's digestion a work-out). This has a rich, ripe and concentrated palate underpinned by minerals that come across like crushed rock. There's a fabulous density at the end. Altogther, this is very long, very fresh and exceedingly fabulous.	2010-2018	12x75cl	£306.00
	Return to online list format

Domaine Pierre Usseglio

Tasting in the spotless cellar at Domaine Pierre Usseglio with Thierry

Thierry has a barrel of Grenache. Well, he has quite a few actually, but one in particular he was keen for us to taste. I was mystified when he went on to tell us that it wasn’t for sale; wouldn’t be included in any of his blends; was to remain réserve de la famille . He had intended to use it in his top cuvée, the Deux Frères, but he cannot bring himself to part with it. Tasting it, I could see why. I guessed that the alcohol was 15%, perhaps 15.5%. Thierry smiled almost sheepishly. 17.2%! And he couldn’t get it to ferment dry, so there are 5 grams per litre of unfermented sugar in it! How a wine can be such a body builder, yet remain so light on its feet, I have no idea. Super-heavyweight boxer with flyweight legs!

“2007 is another stunning success from brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio.” Robert Parker

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition, Pierre Usseglio, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault. A classic nose, just crying out Châteauneuf. I found gamy notes and aromas of garrigue. The fruit is a liqueur, red and black. A dense nose and a rather peppery one. Bramble meets meat and saddle leather. This goes in the mouth creamy and cool, with flavours of blueberry and plum and bramble. There's that meaty note again, before structure kicks in in the way of rich and integrated tannins that are upright, yet not stern. This is very long, very mineral. What a busy, complete wine, intense and full of grip. If this is a "basic" cuvée, one needs to adjust one's expectation of the extraordinary heights to come!   90-93/100 - Robert Parker	2012-2020	12x75cl	£261.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Mon Aïeul, Pierre Usseglio, Southern Rhône, France Notes: This smells rich and spicy (pepper and some of the sweeter spices, including liquorice). There's a creaminess about a nose that is choc-full of bramble fruit and complex aromas of dried herbs. In the mouth, this starts very rich - even quite sweet - and very creamy. There's a hint of unexpected cassis, then a great deal of bramble fruit dotted with pepper. At the back comes the intensity: high grip and a very, very long finish that simply bristles like a loo brush (a new one that's only just had the wrapping taken off). Black cherry collides with blackberry. The tannins are very rich, upright, yet integrated. Perhaps too wild to be called "great", yet an altogether profound experience....man.   96-99/100 - Robert Parker	2014-2030	12x75cl	£711.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Deux Frères, Pierre Usseglio, Southern Rhône, France Notes: Seriously broad, creamy, very ripe liqueur of a nose meets the taster. The fruit is of spiced black plums, bramble and sweet spice. Smoky, with a note of andouillettes meatiness; dried herbs and piercing red fruit. Facetted and fascinating nose. This goes into the mouth and spreads out in an extraordinarily rich concentrated wave of red and black cherry, bramble and blueberry fruit. There's real pepperiness to the great linear thrust through the palate, dusted with sandy minerals. Long doesn't begin to describe this wine. The finish has been removed several dimensions in a tardis. Liquorice. Mouthcoating and beautifully fresh. It's silly to talk about perfect wine, but…	2015-2035	6x75cl	£552.00
	Return to online list format

Domaine du Pegau

Tasting in the cellars at Pegau with M Feraud

Pegau’s wine is among the most traditional of the appellation; that is to say that it displays all those characteristics that come to mind when one thinks of classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape: that gamy, meaty wildness tinged with the scents of the Provencal landscape: herbs and dried soil.

2007 is a vintage that fits the style here like a glove. The exuberant wildness has been partly tamed, lending 2007 Pegau a beauty and purity I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen at this estate before. I was, frankly, gobsmacked.

Something odd occurred after our visit. M Feraud told us that his daughter, Laurence, and her English husband were in town at a huge blind tasting the purpose of which was to select wines of the region to be sent to Paris for the annual wine competition. M Feraud persuaded us to go up there for a nose ‘round. Indeed, there were two vast floors of small tables at which hundreds of vigneronswere sipping and spitting their way through thousands of wines.

We were directed upstairs, ushered to a table by a small man with a large beard. There we were presented with a flight of white wines to judge. I spotted Laurence across the room. She was at a table tasting some top Châteauneufs, so I went over there instead.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, Domaine de Pégau, Southern Rhône, France Notes: This is a stunning colour in the glass, glinting limpidly under the dim lights of the cellar. It's deep-hued. The nose here is very black and a touch animal, with complex notes of meat, smoke and black rubber (!) facetting the fruit of black cherry. There are mineral  aromas to this very fresh smelling wine, plus a little white pepper. Very cool, very pure black cherry creamy fruit meets the taster. This is shot through with strong liquorice notes and high, very fine minerals. Very long and fresh wine, superbly balanced. One busy mouthful. Like Doric architecture. Gorgeous and fascinating.   94-96/100 - Robert Parker	2014-2023	12x75cl	£426.00
	Return to online list format

Château de Beaucastel

A stroll through the vats in Beaucastel’s cellars

I felt more than a frisson of excitement on our last morning in Châteauneuf. This was to be the morning that I visited Beaucastel for the first time.

Of course, I have known the wines for years. I clearly remember being present at a vertical tasting of 10 or 12 vintages not long after I joined the trade and, yes, I remember it being love at first sight.

Shortly thereafter, I overlooked a case of 1990 Hermitage La Chapelle and a case of 1990 Château Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarosse to take a lot of 3 dozen 1989 Beaucastel at Sotheby’s one day when I attended the saleroom with a dreadful cold. I still have a single bottle of that wine remaining.

This is a pilgrimage site in the appellation, for years producing among the greatest wines of France, both red and white.

“This is a marvellous portfolio of wines, from the extraordinary values, to the top-end world classics.” Robert Parker

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. (And if you have the time/interest!) This is 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Counoise, 7% Syrah, 4% Cinsault, plus 10% mixed white grapes. There maybe a little more Grenache and Syrah; probably is, as those listed above don't amount to 100%. The nose here is very broad, very ripe and studded with pepper - both white and black - notes. On the nose, the fruit is slightly closed, but... This goes in the mouth cool and supple: a fabulous wave of beautiful blueberry and plum fruit. The easiness quickly soaks away into a medly of high minerals and very rich, integrated, upright tannin. This is very long, very young, with very cool fruit. It is delicious with it. There's almost a note of super-ripe, flowery red apples. The length is silly. This is great Beaucastel and very fine red wine by any standards.     93-95+/100 - Robert Parker	2014-2025	12x75cl	£444.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. (And if you have the time/interest!) This is 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Counoise, 7% Syrah, 4% Cinsault, plus 10% mixed white grapes. There maybe a little more Grenache and Syrah; probably is, as those listed above don't amount to 100%. The nose here is very broad, very ripe and studded with pepper - both white and black - notes. On the nose, the fruit is slightly closed, but... This goes in the mouth cool and supple: a fabulous wave of beautiful blueberry and plum fruit. The easiness quickly soaks away into a medly of high minerals and very rich, integrated, upright tannin. This is very long, very young, with very cool fruit. It is delicious with it. There's almost a note of super-ripe, flowery red apples. The length is silly. This is great Beaucastel and very fine red wine by any standards.   93-95+/100 - Robert Parker	2016-2030	6x150cl	£450.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. This is 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc and 10% all other white Ch9 grapes N.B.x2 I would drink this before its 4th birthday, or wait until it's aged for over a decade. White Ch9 can close down completely for a while, giving rise to some moments of pour panic. After a decade, the wine returns metamorphosed into something quite different: nutty, weird and wonderful. Fabulous nose here of crystallised fruits. I found aromas of fennel, angelica, star fruit, green pineapple and green mango. The entry here is plush, very supple and rich. The flavours are all about liquorice, sweet pear and minerals. There's fine, elegant grip to the finish. Quince and powedered rock. Divine nectar!   "The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc tastes like a prodigious Montrachet...95/100." Robert Parker	2010-2022	12x75cl	£480.00
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: Aromas here are dense and redolent of honey and oranges nuanced by herbal notes and scents of smoky minerals. This goes in the mouth in a super-concentrated, plush wave. This is a very mienral mouthful, yet those minerals are completely smothered by the fruit concentration. There are herbal, angelica notes amd serious, persistent grip. This is rich and cool and controlled, bristling with intensity and very, very long. A brilliant example.   "...a wine that is almost off the charts in terms of intensity. 97+/100." Robert Parker	2010-2025	6x75cl	£369.00
2007	Coudoulet de Beaucastel Rouge, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: This already offers up a lovely, complex, rich and creamy nose that includes aromas of liquid black pepper that compliment the pure fruit of black plum and bramble. Liquorice. Straightaway the palate is concentrated and creamy; cool and peppery. There are a wealth of minerals too. The frui has a velvet texture at first, then the palate exhibits those rich, glassy minerals. The tannins are rich, ripe and welded to the fruit. There are spicy flavours and fine grip to this long, long wine. Is there a better Côtes-du-Rhône this year?   "...may be Beaucastel’s finest example of this wine since they first introduced it in 1978. 91-93/100." Robert Parker	2012-2018	12x75cl	£126.00
2007	Coudoulet de Beaucastel Rouge, Beaucastel, Southern Rhône, France Notes: This already offers up a lovely, complex, rich and creamy nose that includes aromas of liquid black pepper that compliment the pure fruit of black plum and bramble. Liquorice. Straightaway the palate is concentrated and creamy; cool and peppery. There are a wealth of minerals too. The frui has a velvet texture at first, then the palate exhibits those rich, glassy minerals. The tannins are rich, ripe and welded to the fruit. There are spicy flavours and fine grip to this long, long wine. Is there a better Côtes-du-Rhône this year?   "...may be Beaucastel’s finest example of this wine since they first introduced it in 1978. 91-93/100." Robert Parker	2013-2020	6x150cl	£126.00
	Return to online list format

Clos des Papes

Talking to Vincent Avril about his lovely, lovely wine

Look. I’m really going to say nothing about this save that we had a very fine visit and tasted a great many wines, all of which will be blended to form the final cuvées. We have a very little of the red, so you can ask. You never know…

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2007	Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Clos des Papes, Avril, Southern Rhône, France Notes: N.B. Again, this is a wine to drink in the first 4 years before putting it away for the next 6 whilst it shuts up tight like cocoon. Thereafter it will emerge like a nutty butterfly. The nose is simply beautiful, giving off scents of crystallised fruits, including small oranges, lemon and lime, pear, peach and those kernelly notes like almonds. This is rich but very cool in the mouth, going forward in a wave of pear, white peach and almond fruit. There's a distinct stoniness here: minerals. Very juicy wine. I also found a spice flavours like fresh ginger. Very fresh; very concentrated; very elegant; very mineral. Grippy and very, very long. The minerals at the finish have the texture of talcum powder. Utterly beguiling.	2010-2020	12x75cl	£354.00
	Return to online list format