2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Signature

(60% grenache, 20% mourvedre, 14% syrah and the rest "other ones") Ruby-red. Raspberry and boysenberry aromas are complicated by mocha and anise. Creamy red berry preserve flavors gain weight and richness with air and take a turn to richer blueberry and boysenberry on the back. Rich but energetic, with excellent clarity and florality on the persistent finish.

More structured, backward, and formidably endowed is the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition. Made from a blend of over 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Cinsault, with some very old-vine fruit going into the blend, this wine is also aged in a combination of tank and foudre prior to bottling. Deep plum/ruby-colored with a striking nose of loamy soil scents interwoven with exuberant kirsch liqueur notes, licorice, and roasted Provencal herbs, the wine is backward, dense, full-bodied, and very pure, with a brilliant texture and length. This wine will benefit from another 1-2 years of cellaring and drink well for 15+ years. Julian Barrot would say he has had very little to do with it, and that it is all his magical terroir, which sits just to the east of the great vineyard of Rayas. How long will it last? Certainly 100% Grenache cuvees tend to age faster than those with some Mourvedre or Syrah in the blend, but I would think, assuming anyone of human origin can actually resist this wine, it should evolve for at least 15 or more years. Domaine La Barroche in many ways typifies what has happened in Chateauneuf du Pape over the last decade. Until 2003, the Barrot family (who can trace their origins back to the 1600s in the village) sold all of their wine in bulk to negociants. But then young son Julian was given responsibility and, in a very short period, a succession of brilliant wines has emerged, starting with the 2004 and building on that success with the 2005s, 2006s, and 2007s. This is not a small estate, totaling just under 32 acres, and at present there is the potential for four very different styles of Chateauneuf du Pape to be produced. In 2008 they only produced two cuvees. Importers: The Sorting Table, LLC, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724