For lovers of great Chateauneuf du Pape, 2007 promises to be a very exciting vintage.  Called the vintage of his lifetime by Robert Parker, serious collectors will need to make room for these wines!  

Cheers!  Whitney/Kari/Mike, 707-255-3500, sales@benchmarkwine.com, www.benchmarkwine.com  

2007 Vintage: "These are very aromatic wines of great concentration, freshness, laser-like focus, and amazing purity as well as depth. It is the vintage of my lifetime for this region, and I don't say that lightly. These 2007s will also be very long-lived given their extraordinary balance." - Robert Parker (who rated the vintage 98 Points)

2007 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf de Pape Cuvee Reservee @ $79 WA94-96 (Pre-Arrival)

"The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, still aging in foudres, was tasted from different lots. The most promising wine made here since the 2003, it is a full-bodied effort revealing dense, concentrated fruit, and high tannins that still need to be resolved. It will require some bottle age to round into drinking shape. The color is a dense plum/purple, and the wine shows considerable licorice, lavender, roasted herb, and meat juice characteristics, as well as a texture of beef blood – no doubt attributable to the old vines from which it is made. The fruit dominates, and the wine is intense, rich, and full-bodied. It will undoubtedly need 3-4 years of bottle age after its release, and should last 20-25 years based on the fact that their older vintages (i.e., 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1985) are all still in terrific condition." - Wine Advocate, 94-96 Points

2007 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo ~ 12 @ $499 WA98-100 (Pre-Arrival) 

"The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo (the first made since 2003) is a whopper! Slightly less potent alcohol-wise than the 1998 or 2003, Laurence Feraud compares it to the 2000. With just under 16% natural alcohol, it exhibits a dense purple color along with a big, sweet kiss of charcoal, grilled steaks, beef blood, plums, blackberries, smoked herbs, kirsch, and black currants, fabulous concentration, enormous body, and a finish that lasts over a minute. There is a freshness and vibrancy because of the vintage’s crisp acid levels, and the wine should age well for 30+ years. It reminded me more of the 1998 at a similar stage than the 2000, but that’s splitting hairs given the quality level of this offering. Normally there are 500-600 cases produced, most of it being available through the grey market rather than through any authorized importers. Laurence told me the Capo will be bottled in February, 2010." - Wine Advocate, 98-100 Points

Other Pegau Available

Other Rhone Available

Cheers!  Whitney/Kari/Mike, 707-255-3500, sales@benchmarkwine.com