2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Up there with the 2010 in terms of quality, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape dishes out loads of plum, lavender, ground pepper and licorice in its full-bodied, ripe and layered profile. Possessing a rock-star texture, no hard edges and beautiful concentration, it’s drinking nicely now, and should continue to evolve gracefully for another decade. Another bastillion of traditional Chateauneuf du Pape, Vieux Donjon is owned by Lucien and Marie Jose Michel, with the winemaking now firmly in the hands of their talented daughter, Claire Michel. They produce a single red and white Chateauneuf du Pape, with the red always a rough blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and the balance a mix of other permitted varieties. They started partial destemming in 1993, pulling out the green stems and keeping the more lignified stems. Aging occurs all in concrete tanks and older foudre. This was a fabulous tasting with both Claire and her brother Francois, and as I hope the notes show, the wines have classic Chateauneuf du Pape character and broad drink windows. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

Still open and ready to go, this continues a steady stream of brilliant bottles of the 2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Incredibly perfumed and complex, with copious kirsch, lavender, candied garrigue, roasted meats, pepper, and seaweed like qualities on the nose, this full-bodied, straight-up decadent ’07 takes time to unwind, and shows the most depth, layers, and richness a full day after opening. At maturity, this may actually eclipse the brilliant ’98. It will age beautifully for 20+ years.

Glass-staining ruby. Highly expressive, exotically perfumed bouquet of black raspberry, potpourri, smoky minerals and anise. A smooth, silky midweight with flavors of sweet red and dark berries complicated by notes of candied flowers and zesty minerals. Really clings on the finish, with the red fruit flavors refusing to let up.