An utterly heavenly beauty is the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape la Reserve Secrete, which in 2007 is a blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache. Despite the high percentage of Syrah, you wouldn’t know it from tasting this beauty, and it offers a killer perfume of black currants, graphite, garrigue and camphor. One of the most youthful wines in my tastings, it has the depth and purity to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet it’s 3-4 years away from full maturity and is going to be very long lived. Bravo!

A wine that seems to bridge the gap between a full international style (such as the Barberini) and a traditional style (such as the Cornelia Constanza) is the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Secrete, which was aged in small barrels (65%) and tanks (35%). A blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache, it boasts a deep ruby/purple hue, massive, powerful flavors of black fruits, licorice, acacia flowers, and a hint of toast, full body, and a singular, dense personality. It needs 3-4 years of bottle age, and is meant for 20+ years of cellaring.Brothers Michel and Jean Lancon have one of the appellation’s oldest estates, and as indicated in the fabulous new book on Chateauneuf du Pape by Harry Karis, Domaine de la Solitude first estate bottled their wine in 1815! Quality was fabulous in the sixties and early seventies, then dropped off until about a decade ago. Over the last ten years, these wines have gone from strength to strength, and are now some of the finest of the appellation. They are made in distinctively different styles with the regular cuvee and the Cornelia Constanza very classic interpretations of Chateauneuf du Pape, and the Cuvee Barberini and Reserve Secrete more modern-styled efforts. Essentially, there is something for everyone from Domaine de la Solitude. This large, 100-acre property is one of the few Chateauneuf du Pape estates whose vineyard is situated in one particular sector, the lieu-dit called La Solitude. This was my first look at the 2007s as the estate generally refuses to show unbottled barrel samples, which I totally respect. The proprietors stated that no Cornelia Constanza or Reserve Secrete would be produced in 2008.Importer: David Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900