Ch Beaucastel CNdP '07

[Peter Creasey]

A few years ago, a friend offered me some of the Ch Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape '07 and I politely declined. But then I checked my inventory and discovered that I somehow didn't have any of the 2007; thus, I accepted his kind offer.

I popped a bottle tonight, wondering what to expect from this exalted vintage.

First impression was a bit disappointing; however, over the next hour or so, it opened up and became a really exceptional sampling. Not much sediment, very dark color, effusive bouquet with lots of fruit and berries, quite round on palate, a solid core of fruit, wonderful medley of complex flavor nuances, plenty of structure for the long haul.

Really a nice complement for a lamb shoulder chop and roasted parmesan zucchini, then Roth Grand Cru cheese with pear.

. . . . . Pete

 

[robert ames]

if your gospel comes from The Guy Who Loves Cough Syrup you may think that 2007 is an exalted vintage, but if you read someone who actually makes the rhone his world you might find. . . .

"2007 is a contradictory vintage at Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape - one that surprised growers. On the surface I find it textured and very agreeable, but structurally I find issues. One is the lack of acidity, the other is the extreme ripeness of the tannins. Sugar levels were very high in the grapes: one domaine did not show me its 2007 in March 2009 because it still has unfermented sugar in the vat, and elsewhere this is something of a feature in some 2007s, especially for those following organic or biodynamic routes."

-john livingston, drinkrhone.com

 

[Peter Creasey]

The 2007 CNdP vintage per one source (Toronto Vintners) among numerous...

This vintage has received many, many accolades not just from the wine critics such as Parker and Jancis Robinson, but from the winemakers themselves from such esteemed producers as Rasteau, Perrin, and Guigal.

It's fair to say, though, there have been outspoken naysayers.

. . . . . Pete

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

The vintage is very controversial, just as the 03 was, only moreso. Parker, of course, declared it the best vintage for any wine in any region ever. And then he suggested drinking magnums of it with sushi. No vintage could survive that kind of praise. But I know more than one winemaker who is not high on it. The wines, even from the best and most unspoofed domaines are heavier and more concentrated than usual to say the least. And, for the last couple of years, at least, I would far prefer an 08 from Charvin, Pegau or Ferrand than an 07.

On the other hand, as with 03, you can find declarations that all wines from the vintage are an abomination on the face of the earth and I think this is equally silly. In my experience, though the wines did age quite awkwardly, and I can't believe any of them will make old bones, as with the 03, at age 10, a lot of them are maturing into acceptable older versions of themselves. It will never be my But then I tend to follow domaines and not vintages, so I'm the wrong person to ask. I have no views about Beaucastel since I stopped buying the stuff after 01 when I realized that it changed in the late 90s and I no longer thought it was the wine it had been (information says they cleaned up the cellars in 98; I do like the 99, but after 00, my palate agrees with the information).