2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee

Component #1: Inky purple. Expressive aromas of black and blue fruits, Asian spices, smoked meat and lavender. Very fresh in the mouth, with lively blackberry and boysenberry flavors, velvety texture and a late note of cracked pepper. The smokiness carries through the long, sweet finish. Component #2: Full purple. More energetic than the first sample, with bright raspberry, cherry and floral aromas. Racy and focused, offering sweet raspberry and strawberry preserve flavors and tangy minerality. Gains weight and a smoky, meaty quality on the broad, sweet finish. The final blend should be exceptional.

Beautifully rich and meaty, yet with a structured edge, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée delivers a textbook Pégaü profile with smoked plums, beef blood, roasted garrigue, lavender, and iron like qualities literally souring from the glass. Full bodied and focused on the palate, with edgy underlying structure, thrilling fruit, and a broad, chewy mid-palate and finish, this brilliant Châteauneuf-du-Pape took the better part of the evening to open up, and was even better on the second day. While delicious now, it will be even better in 3-5 years.