All of the professional wine critics agree: 2007 is an amazing year for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Actually they said the same thing for 2005.
my case of 2007 CdP Clos de Brusquieres pre-arrivals is finally here!
The ‘05’s were just being released when I first got the wine collecting bug. I didn’t really know that much about Châteauneuf-du-Pape except that Hegui and I like it. But I knew how to read. I ordered a lot of 2005 CdPs without really tasting them at all, just based on what professional reviewers wrote or how they scored the wines. I was really excited about it and have no regrets. Looking back with a bit more experience, maybe I was a little naïve; particularly after I’ve opened one bottle of six (or God forbid, one of twelve) and heard the discouraging news that Hegui does not like the particular wine in question. This has happened more than once. My only consolation is that these wines are popular with my friends and that supposedly they all change as they age, so perhaps Hegui will warm up to them in time.
Don’t worry about me! It’s not all gloom and doom in my wine cellar: many of the wines Hegui and I do enjoy; most of them, actually. It’s just been a learning experience. We loved several 2007 Cote du Rhones, though not all of them. But since they were inexpensive and meant for drinking right away, it wasn’t a big deal trying and rejecting lots of them. This poses more of an obstacle for wines “built for the cellar.” How are you supposed to know what you’ll like if you haven’t tried the wine in past vintages, it’s undrinkable now due to heavy tannins, and you’re sort of a newbie in fine wine collecting and drinking?
This year, I tried to be a bit smarter. In late March Hegui and I went to a 2007 CdP wine tasting at our favorite local wine merchant, K&L. There were only three wines in stock and the remaining eight were “pre-arrivals.” Apparently K&L managed to snag some of these bottles before their release to offer the tasting. It was an eye opener! Of the eleven presented from this stellar vintage, Hegui and I only liked five of them. Of the five, Hegui really only liked about three (he’s a bit more demanding than I am in the taste department.)
So to avoid unnecessary super negativity, I’m going to list the five that we liked with our tasting notes:
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château Fortia “Cuvee Baron”
We liked the smooth chewy tannins and the plum, cherry and fruity flavors.
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Olivier Hillaire “Cuvee Classique”
This was fruity. I liked it. Hegui found it “a little thick” and concluded “I’m not sure.”
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos de Brusquieres
This wine we both thought was “delish!” It was juicy and delightful. I ordered a case as a pre-arrival over the summer. It came in late September.
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bosquet des Papes “Chante le Merle”
We thought that this had more depth of flavor with a longer finish compared to their “Tradition” label. So far I‘ve ordered six bottles of this wine. It’s pushing my budget at $54.99 each. And with the water heater bursting and other unexpected financial issues, that may unfortunately be all I can afford to get.
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Cote l’Ange Vieilles Vignes
This is very dark, almost black with lots of berry flavors. Hegui does not like this wine though I put two stars by it and circled it as one to get.
I was excited by the 2007 CdP Vieux Donjon too. Hegui thought that it was too tannic and chalky. Though isn’t that something that you look for in a wine that you hope to age for ten or twenty years? That’s part of my problem right now and I don’t completely trust the wine critics on this. How can you know if the wine is right for you if it’s super tannic (which it needs to be) to the point that it’s almost all you taste? How do those wine critics do it? Can they read the future? I cannot. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that our particular tastes don’t always match with what the critics say. Let’s face it: a “94” is not a “94” is not a “94” when you’re comparing bottles of wine. But you’ll sure be asked to pay for that number.
In the spring, when I felt rich after a good tax return, I ordered a pre-arrival case of 2007 CdP Château Beaucastel from K&L and a pre-arrival case of 2007 CdP Vieux Telegraph from Kermit Lynch in Berkeley. It’s a lot less expensive ordering pre-arrivals. The Vieux Telegraph arrived a week or two ago. I’m still waiting on the Beaucastel. But what do I really know about these wines? I’ve tried the 2005 secondary wine, Telegramme, and really liked it a lot (though Hegui did not). But does that mean that I’ll like the VT when it’s time to taste it? I’ve read that Kermit Lynch recommends waiting about ten years before opening the wine. That’s a long time to be on tender hooks!
For now my advice is this: taste the wine before you invest, if you can. If you have access to earlier vintages, they might be a better guide than others’ tasting notes and reviews. After that, you need to use the guides, particularly reviewers that you agree with, to the best of your ability. Right now I’m doing a mixture of all three for my wine buying. And don’t forget, there will always be other “great vintages” down the road, so no need to panic. I’ll get back to you about the Vieux Telegraph.