24 x Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007 in Graz
This is a repost from “the other board” - for the information of the visitors here … please reply heavily with your opinions.
On 5 February in the restaurant „Im Fünften“ (On the Fifth Floor) in Graz 18 people (13 filled glasses) tried to verify if the vintage 2007 really is the best since 1998, 1990, 1978 - or ever. We´ll see …
All wines have been “audouzed” for 5 hours - and were decanted 15-20 min in advance …
The points are solely mine …
1st flight:
#1: medium deep full ruby, a lot of kirsch and red berries in the nose, rich and expansive on the palate, slightly alcoholic touch but overall balanced and very enjoyable if primary, long, 93P
#2: a hint darker, plums and darker berries, slightly jammy, but also showing a bit more acidity, very intense, 94P
#3: fully and saturated, slightly cooler aromatics, a bit muted, mouthfilling and long, but not that expressive at the moment, very good grip, 91+P
#4: slightly lighter colour, but very elegant and open nose, spicy and complex, fresh and lively, very well balanced, intense, 93P
Group voting (by raising hands) for the wines: 1/11/0/6
#1: Clos St.Jean CdP
#2: Pierre Usseglio CdP
#3: Les Cailloux CdP
#4: Clos du Mont Olivet CdP
Really great showing for these basic CdPs, confirming the outstanding vintage quality – we never had such an impressive 1st flight …
2nd flight:
#5: full dark ruby, serious nose of mainly darker berries, spicy/peppery with local herbs and a touch of licorice, objectively excellent, but it somewhat left me a bit unmoved (polished), worth 94P
#6: slightly brighter, but very saturated, very sweet palate impression, complex, expansive, really mouthfilling, 95P
#7: slightly brighter still, but showing more structure and acidity, more lively and transparent, sweet cherries with nice minerals and underwood, complex, very elegant, but a bit overpowered by 5 and 6, very enjoyable, will improve, I liked it more than most, 94+P
#8: deep full colour, almost purple, a load of red and black berries and cherries, very deep, structure almost buried by the fruit, very traditional and individualistic, great showing, endless finish, 97+P
Group voting: 9/2/0/8
#5: Roger Sabon Prestige
#6: Marcoux CdP
#7: Charvin CdP
#8: Ferrand CdP
Nothing against the Sabon, I just miss the individual character a bit, which for instance the Charvin has a lot, and in 2007 more so the Ferrand; great classic Marcoux!
3rd flight:
#9: quite bright but full „creamy“ colour, sweet fruit with nice integrated new wood, soft palate, really smooth, very long and balanced, very mouthfilling, 96P
#10: very dark black purple, lots of minerals, black cherries and cassis, toasty with cocoa and coffee, intense minerals, too, modern style, but excellent balance, really sweet and intense, slightly lacking CdP-character, but certainly not overdone, 95+P
#11: quite bright red, sweet with sour cherries in the nose, rosehips, sandlewood, round and chewy but slightly bitter, not totally comfortable, but very concentrated, I think it will come together with time, 94+P
#12: deep medium red, highly expressive nose of cream coffee with tons of different berries, nougat, stony minerals, flowers and lavender, mind-blowing silky texture with great length and perfect balance, not that modern as it sounds, great style, 96+P
Group: 10/0/0/8
#9: Domaine du Caillou Quartz
#10: Mordorée Reine des Bois
#11: Les Cailloux Centenaire
#12: Bois de Boursan Felix
Caillou on top form, bravo to Jean-Paul Versino for a super Felix, and the Mordorée is one of the most enjoyable made so far, the wood is certainly less obtrusive … Centenaire is certainly excellent, but often is difficult to taste in its youth.
Main course: fine roasted beef with vegetables and potatoes - matched perfectly with the wines.
4th flight:
#13: deep colour, but strange nose, volatile and oxidized, good underlying concentrated fruit, but barely drinkable (tastable) in that stage, alcoholic on the palate, a mystery since I bought in directly in the domaines shop in CdP – and the wines have been together with all others ever since … no rating.
#14: full saturated ruby, intense cherry nose with provencal herbs, floral components, fine and complex, nice Grenache-expression, 96P
#15: much brighter, seemed lighter, too, but very intense and long, incredible elegant and deep, without being heavy at all, a sea of ripe sweet Grenache, with intermigled flowers, decent herbs and minerality, experienced tasters recognized it quite soon, really fine typical effort for what it is, 94P
#16: very deep and full ruby, voluptuous, expansive and medium sweet with velvet texture, fine medium dark berries, ripe sweet cherries, hidden structure, very long and intense, not a bit heavy, great showing, 98P
Group: 0/0/12/7
#13: Domaine Hillaire „Les Pieds d´Armand“ (100Gr)
#14: Giraud „Grenaches de Pierre“ (100Gr)
#15: Rayas 2006 (!) – 2007 not yet released
#16: Marcoux Vieilles Vignes
The Hillaire remains a mystery, tasted in the town-shop the wine was fine and impressive (and not cheap), every since in the same case with several others of this tasting.
Great Giraud and Marcoux, and a Rayas that reminds me very much on the fine 1994, certainly lighter in 2006 than many 2007, but the most elegant wine so far, and most tasters loved it.
5th flight:
#17: very saturated colour, intense nose, jammy, but also slightly alcoholic first, integrated better with air, plums, licorice, smoke, spices, very complex, intense palate, but a bit hot, certainly an impressive wine, but not making me completely happy, very long, objectively worth a high rating, but personally I find it somewhat overdone, not really harmonious, hard core stuff, I´d say 94-98P (other might love it)
#18: dark ruby, first a bit reticent, but opened with time, very concentrated if a bit „cool“, sweet Grenache fruit, nothing wrong with it, but the impression of „styled“ comes up again, very long and lingering, objectively 96P
#19: very saturated with almost black center, very dark fruits, cassis, „stony“
minerals, herbs and flowers, the Syrah and Mourvedre show, outstanding
sweet tannins, very high class, if certainly modern style, shows also more individuality than #18, great potential, objectively 97P
#20: very deep ruby purple, forthcoming typical nose, a great coctail of very ripe berries, bloody meat, garrigue, animalic and tobacco components, with masculine structure, very chewy but not hot at all, very youthful but with great life ahead, 96+P (emotionally 99+)
Group: 0/5/5/8
#17: Clos St.Jean „Combe des Fous“
#18: Roger Sabon „Secret de Sabon“
#19: Clos du Caillou „Reserve“
#20: Pégaü „Reservée“
This is a clear issue of preferences: the Pegau is a young clone of the 1990, will
age gracefully for 25+ years; Caillou R is really of very high class, but
completely different; the problems with Sabons lack of individuality is maybe
my personal one – and Combe des Fous is certainly impressive, but I wonder
who can drink more than a glass of it … I think it´s are a bit overdone … e.g. I
liked the 2004 and 05 more.
6th flight:
#21: very deep and full dark ruby, nose first slightly muted, but later revealed loads of plummy fruits with provencial herbs, leather and mushrooms, meaty and mouthfilling, incredible length and intensity, massive, but not alcoholic or hot, very well balanced indeed with very sweet tannins, great future, 98+P
#22: full saturated but not too dark colour, intense port-like nose with lots of
kirsch-liquor, smoke, coffe cream, certainly very complex, but the alcohol comes thru, and – in comparison with e.g. Bonneau – I´m missing supporting structure … this is close to vintage port … I have my problems to properly rate it, for absolute fans 100, for me 95-99 !?
#23: full medium bright ruby, very Grenache, very fine classy nose of sweet
cherries and red berries, flowery, sweet and lively on the palate, very burgundian, excellent balance, great finish, 99P
#24: dark red-purple colour, slightly volatile oxidized nose that got stronger,
„fizzy“ CO2 on the palate, underlying a very „pure“ sweet intense
Grenache fruit, but in that state simply not acceptable. No rating (???)
Group: 10/3/6/0
#21: Pierre Usseglio „Mon Aieul“
#22: Clos St.Jean „Deus ex Machina“
#23: Clos des Papes
#24: Barroche „Pure“
The Pure 07 is a problem! I heard reports before that the wine IS like that – and
see Peters post #12 above. Bought the bottle at Verger des Papes, and shipped
and stored it together with all others.
Clos des Papes and Mon Aieul are as good as CdP gets … different in style – but
the rest is only a matter of taste.
And to the Deus applies the same as above to the Combe des Fous … whoever
likes it more than me … should buy it by the case … I´ll try a bottle now and
then, but it will never be a real favorite of mine.
Dessert wines – brought by participants:
#25: 2001 Riesling Auslese Serriger Schloss Saarstein, Saar/Germany
very fine, medium sweet
#26: 1993 Bouvier Auslese, H.Tschida - Neusiedlersee/Austria,
quite full colour, not too sweet, a bit over the hill
#27: 1995 Ruster Ausbruch – Ernst Triebaumer, Rust/Austria, (0.375),
dark-brown-yellow, sweet, not too fresh, a bit malty, good for the dessert
Dessert a la carte, my almond-parfait was excellent!
#28: after midnight, only for some selected friends, to celebrate the anniversary of a dear friend and participant:
2001 Scheurebe Eiswein – Müller-Catoir, Pfalz/Germany (0.375)
Great sweet wine - without taking notes - but very youthful.****
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