Pure perfection in a glass, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is up with the tiny handful of truly monumental wines from this hallowed appellation. Deep, concentrated and incredibly balanced, yet packed with character and intensity, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by insanely good notes of black cherries, fruit cake, lavender, garrigue and chocolate. While a blockbuster of a wine, it possesses the telltale elegance, seamlessness and perfume that's the hallmark of this estate and it never puts a foot wrong, with a seamless mid-palate, building, sweet tannin and a great finish. It's a tour de force to drink anytime over the coming decade or more.

The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is still an infant in terms of development. Composed of 98% Grenache from 100- to 110-year-old vines, and made from incredibly tiny yields, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color followed by a sweet kiss of kirsch liqueur, incense, camphor, truffles, and lavender. The wine hits the palate with sensational richness, a full-bodied, multilayered texture, awesome purity, and remarkable freshness as well as vibrancy. The tannins are velvety, the acids provide uplift and delineation to the wine’s enormous richness and depth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. This 2007 is still very young and unevolved, so 2-4 years of cellaring is recommended. It should age for 25 or more years. One of the appellation’s great traditional names as well as one of the many biodynamically farmed vineyards of the area, sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier run this estate with extreme passion and attention to detail. As I have indicated in the past, this family can trace its origins back to the mid-14th century. Domaine de Marcoux owns some very old vines from which they produce nearly 3,000 cases of their regular Chateauneuf du Pape, and about 400-500 cases of the Vieilles Vignes.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565