I should also add that customers who hold those vintages in their cellars, which were purchased at opening release prices, covet them as special occasion wines. I and my customers like the 2007.
A couple I’ve had this last year that have been absolutely killer:
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance - Constantia - One of the best dessert wines of all time, especially this vintage.
Rust en Vrede Estate Red and 1694 Classification - Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer - Stellenbosch
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red - Napa Valley
Cayuse Camaspelo - Walla Walla
Porter Family Cabernet Sauvignon - Coombsville, Napa Valley
Overall, pretty disappointing in Piemonte – warm, kind of unfocused wines at many producers.
As Howard said, pretty good in Germany. The producers were very excited about it on release, though it was eclipsed by some later years.
Is anyone taking a contrarian view on 07 Bordeaux? I’m just curious.
Loving the big napas and cdps, can’t say I can get behind any in Bordeaux minus Angelus and Haut Brion. And not much in Burgundy minus Clos de Tart (and I have a total love affair with that wine)… If I cared for Tuscany much I’d probably dig those too, but Had some 07 Caiarossa recently that was a stunner. Granted, I need as much flavor per ounce as possible for me to like something, I got tired of my beloved bland wines a couple years ago.
I like it in Burgundy. Likely it will not be very long lived, but I’ve had quite a few good bottles in the last couple of years.
First, to answer your question, not based on my limited experience. I will say, however, that what I have tasted is better than from such a poor a generation or two ago.
I’ve had quite a few of Merrill’s 2007 and agree that 2007 is a strong vintage for EMH, and this is true more widely in Napa cabs. I don’t see it as particularly outstanding relative to 2004, 2005, and 2008 but they are all very good years. Go California sunshine! Tuscany (especially BdM) can be very good as well, and I’ve had quite a few excellent Chablis and White burgs from that year which generally give me a very positive impression of 2007 there.
I’ll take a contrarian view to your assessment of 2007 Piemonte, at least for Barolo. While it’s not at the age worthy level of the 2006, I found many of them outstanding and will continue to offer great drinking pleasure while continuing to cellar your 2006’s.
2007 Porto arevery good.
Sauternes too
I think the 2007 white burgundies are fantastic. It’s easily my favorite vintage between 1985 an 2010.
I have also been very pleased with many 2007 red burgundies. Based on the general consensus about the vintage at the time of release, I bought a much more limited quantity of 2007 than normal. But I have to admit that I’ve really enjoyed virtually every bottle I’ve opened. Most are really nice to drink right now. And some bottles like the Roumier wines have been fabulous wines.
On the California pinot noir side, it’s a great vintage. Good fruit depth and better than average acidity resulted in some really flavorful and sappy bottles that should age well from my favorite producers like Williams-Selyem and Talley Rosemary’s. Most 2007 California pinot noirs are just starting to come into their own now. I haven’t tried any Rhys yet, so it will be interesting to look at some of those bottlings.
It was also an excellent vintage for California chardonnay with excellent acidity levels as well. Although most of the California chardonnays reached their peaks in 2011-2012, 2007 Ramey Hyde, even today, is probably my all time favorite California chardonnay and that wine went toe to toe with the very top white burgundies from 2007 on two occasions and finished in the top five.
So for the burgundy varietals that I enjoy most, 2007 is an excellent vintage for both reds and whites both in California and France. That almost never happens.
This vintage is the most represented in my cellar. Probably a function of when I started buying a lot. Wines I’ve enjoyed most have come from these regions (in order):
White Burgundy
Tuscany
Sauternes
White Bordeaux
Red Burgundy
California Cabernet (SCM)
California Pinot Noir (SCM)
The reality of most of our drinking, is that we’ll get lucky or unlucky with certain vintages, even accepting palate differences. Few if any of us taste enough to go anywhere near pronouncing the greatness of 2007 or any other vintage, even for a small region. I’ve seen enough dubious pronouncements from critics to recognise the folly of bold over-generalisations.
As for Barolo, the 2007s I’ve tasted have typically been open and quite approachable. I’ve felt they’ve often lacked for the structure to reveal greater potential, but they’ve been regularly pleasing. Maybe the next one I’ll try will be locked up tight with / without potential, or overblown & flabby?
Difficult to think of another region where I’ve even formed an opinion yet.
I agree about 2007 Volnays, especially from Domaine Marquis D’Angerville. I’ve had good luck with some Napa Cabs and Cab blends from 2007–notably Larkmead and Cain Five.
Try the 2007 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia.
I just had a 2007 Chevillon Nuit St. Georges tonight that was awfully tasty. Maybe a little young but plenty of the signature flavors of a Chevillon NSG. Very animal with barnyard over structured fruit. It was perfect with grilled lamb chops.
I have great luck with the following 2007:
Fourrier Aux Moines
Cathiard Murgers
Clavelier Beaux Monts
Chevillon Vaucrains
Chevillon Cailles
Pousse d’Or 60 Ouvrees
Clos de Tart
Just had another delicious 2007 Burgundy- Delarche Pernand-Vergelesses Les Vergelesses. I’m really enjoying the 2007s lately. Based on my recent experiences I’d say to drink these ahead of just about any vintage of the last 15 years!
They said that about 1986; in the last year, I have had a couple of lovely wines.
+1
I am pretty certain the '07 Pousse d’Or 60 Ouvrees will last a long time.
Thank you for saving me the need to write this. Had a very fine Matrot Meursault Blagny 2007 last night (though understandably put somewhat in the shade of the flawless Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2008 that followed).