Lucien et Andre Brunel CDP Les Cailloux, Rhone, France, 2007, 750ml

Outer quote mark I think the finest vintage for the classic cuvee ever, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sensational blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah and the balance other permitted varieties. Aged mostly in tank, it offers a massive array of smoked herbs, lavender, black raspberries, toasted nuts, truffle and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe, decadent and concentrated, it has slightly less structure than the ’09, but has more raw material. This flat-out awesome Chateauneuf will have 20 years of longevity. – 95 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Aged beautifully and starting to show more typicity and complexity, the 2007 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape boasts textbook aromatics of blacker styled Grenache fruit, garrigue, underbrush, licorice, and rolled stone. Full-bodied and rich, with a supple, light texture, beautiful balance, and a classic finish, this gorgeous Châteauneuf-du-Pape should be purchased by the case, and consumed over the coming 15 years. – 93 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Bright ruby. Highly floral bouquet of red and dark berry preserves, potpourri, smoky minerals and white pepper. Tangy red berry flavors give way to deeper cherry and blackberry in the middle palate, with exotic floral pastille and Asian spice qualities adding complexity. Very suave wine with a seamless, silky texture and strong finishing sweetness, not to mention impressive clarity. – 93 points Vinous

Outer quote mark André Brunel is the third generation to work the vines at Les Cailloux, a 45-acre estate covered in the large, round stones that give it its name. This wine, vinified entirely in tank, includes about 65 percent old-vine grenache. It’s wonderfully youthful and fresh, with a cherry juiciness saturating the stony notes that provide the wine’s firm base. It smells of dried herbs and grass, a pleasant reminder on a winter night of warmer days. – 92 points Wine & Spirits

92 points Wine Spectator