Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Pierre Usseglio 2007

The 4,400-case blend of 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape boasts a dense plum/purple color as well as a wonderfully sweet nose of fresh black truffles, incense, blue and black fruits, roasted herbs, and earth. The wine is full-bodied and pure with fresh acids, silky tannins, and a voluptuous mouthfeel. Drink this beauty over the next 10-12 years. Brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio have been accomplishing amazing things To reiterate, the 2007s are the most profound wines Thierry and Jean-Pierre have ever produced.in Chateauneuf du Pape as evidenced by the 2007s, the greatest wines they have yet produced.

As readers of this publication know, American importer Peter Weygandt produces an unfiltered cuvee called "Girard" of the traditional Chateauneuf du Pape, which in 2007 is a blend of 80% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre, 6% Syrah, and the rest Counoise and Cinsault. Weygandt's unfiltered Girard cuvee does make a few points worth of difference, as his selection seems to have more texture and richness. However, in 2007, at this stage in their development, it is like splitting hairs. Both wines are muscular and full-bodied, with tremendously powerful aromatic profiles of melted licorice, incense, fig, black cherries, black currant, pepper, and spice. This staunch traditionalist, who ages everything in old barrels for 16 to 18 months, has turned out absolutely sensational 2007s, and his 2006s are certainly among the strongest wines of the vintage.