The brilliant 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition (made from 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and other assorted authorized varieties) is brilliant. Gorgeous notes reminiscent of an open-air Provencal fruit and vegetable market jump from the glass of this deep plum/purple-colored wine. The wine is expansive, savory, very fleshy, and totally disarming in its explosive aromatics and lush, opulent flavors. The better-than-average acids, due to the cool growing year, give it uplift and vibrancy, which nicely buttress the wine’s full-bodied power and substance. This is a beauty to drink over the next 15 or so years. RP
You can think of the red wines of Chateauneuf as being like red Burgundies that are built on a bigger scale, and this wine really fits this description. Concentrated, subtle and silky, it gracefully flows over the palate feeling so much lighter than it really is. There's a hint of chocolate, but the red fruit aromas dominate right the way to the end of the very long finish. JS