The greatest wine from this estate to date is unquestionably their 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Made from 100% old-vine Grenache that was brought up in a combination of different sized barrels, some of which were new, it offers an incredible bouquet of black raspberries, caramelized cherries, violets, garrigue and lavender. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, voluptuous and decadent, yet always light on its feet, pure and elegant, this is a profound example of old-vine Grenache that should make any Southern Rhone-lover's eyes roll back in their head. It's still an infant and will drink nicely for another 15-20 years.

Absolutely brilliant and my favorite wine of the trio of 2007s is their 100% Grenache cuvee, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Aged completely in small, older oak barrels, this wine displays lavish quantities of blackberry and black cherry fruit, an intriguing floral component, and of course, the tell-tale kirsch, licorice, and lavender. Opulent, even voluptuous, and lavishly rich, with exceptional depth, texture, and a full-bodied finish, this is an enormously endowed, stunning example of old, old-vine Grenache made in an uncompromising fashion from a great terroir. Give it another 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades.

Saturated ruby. Room-filling bouquet of dark berry compote, pipe tobacco, printer's ink and licorice. Broad and impressively deep, with liqueur-like blackberry and boysenberry flavors, velvety texture and slow-building tannins. Seems to be as much a solid as a liquid, with strong echoes of dark berry and cherry preserves on the finish. I'm not sure how this would work with food but there's no ignoring its palate presence.