2007 Chateauneuf du Pape

An amazing effort, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape eclipses what I wrote about it last year. Every time I went back to it, the wine revealed more nuances as well as greater depth. Full-bodied and powerful, it exhibits a compelling bouquet of creme de cassis, ground pepper, incense, seaweed, garrigue, and licorice. The knock-out aromatics are followed by a wine with colossal richness, a multilayered texture, no sense of heaviness, an incredibly deep, penetrating palate feel, and a finish that goes on for 50+ seconds. Philippe Bravay is one of the most modest and serious Chateauneuf du Pape vignerons, and it is a thrill to see him hit a home run in this vintage. For statisticians, it is made from 80- to 85+-year-old vines from two of the great sectors of Chateauneuf du Pape, La Gardiole and Cabrieres. It is composed of 90% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. Moreover, it is the quintessential traditional Chateauneuf du Pape aged 12-14 months in tank before being bottled without filtration. The dense purple-colored 2007 will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and last for 20-25 years. Bravo! ||This small estate, producing just over 1,200 cases, is run by Philippe Bravay, who took over from his father, Charles, a few years ago. They own 14 acres of vines, all located in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. Until 1995, everything was sold to negociants, but Bravay has gone from strength to strength since he began estate bottling, with the 2007 the greatest wine he has yet made. He also made one of the top wines of the difficult 2008 vintage. Wine Advocate.October, 2009