Classification | |
Type | Rouge |
Marque | Clos Saint Jean |
Millésime | 2007 |
Pays | France |
Région | Rhone |
Volume | |
État | Parfait |
Étiquette | Parfait |
Consommable | -2034 |
Stock | 0 |
Like the 2010, the still inky colored 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina is as good as it gets. Both incredibly decadent and elegant at the same time, it offers outrageous aromas of mulled blackberries, cured meats, spring flowers and exotic spices to go with a full bodied, seamless, layered, yet massively constructed profile on the palate. Showing the depth and texture of this phenomenal vintage, it’s a monumental effort that’s still an infant in terms of development. It lives up to the hype (I still remember tasting this on release, in the cellar with Vincent, and leaving with nothing but a crazy smile on my face) and can be consumed anytime over the coming two decades.
Since taking control of the estate in 2002, and bringing on board rock star consultant Philippe Cambie, the Maurel brothers has been knocking it out of the park in literally every vintage. 2004? Gorgeous wines and easily at the top in a recent retrospective. The cooler, rainy 2008? Beautiful ripeness and texture, and again, at the top of the hierarchy. 2011 is the same story, and it’s amazing what this team has accomplished in all of their vintages. Looking at this retrospective, we went through all of their cuvees going back to 2003. Unfortunately, there’s no new information here, and this tasting simply confirmed what myself and Robert Parker have been saying for some time now; Clos Saint Jean is at the top of their game and producing some of the most singular, hedonistic and brilliant wines in the world.
This offers the heady, opulent fig, crushed plum and boysenberry fruit of the vintage, but allies it to a racy graphite and incense-infused structure. Superlong, with black tea, warm fig reduction, chocolate and roasted apple wood notes that really stretch out the finish. Great underlying acidity holds it all together. Very impressive.