Domaine Galévan
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Courthezon, France
2007
14.5%
$24.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX
Color: Deep purple
Nose: Cassis, raspberry jam, black olives
Body: Medium to full
Front: Sour cherry, blackberry pie
Middle: Thyme, burning engine oil
Back: Leather, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork
Secretly, furtively, I have been drinking 2007 southern Rhone wines. With a friend in Bryan, Texas, I had a Châteauneuf. Then a few nights later, inspired by the experience, I had the same house's Cotes-du-Rhone. Both were stunning. I had a glass of something that almost made me fall down at a wine bar--another '07 CDP, as the wine nerds say. Only once have I put pen to paper (ha!) about these matters.
But there's no point in hiding it anymore: every damn '07 southern Rhone wine I've had has been good. Most of them have been sensational. They are not charming. They are not balanced. They are grippy, in-your-face, shockingly talented monsters. Do they pair well with food? They don't care. Do they cost lots of money? They STILL DON'T CARE. Will they sleep with cocktail waitresses? Yes; and they will not go to sex therapy afterwards. More importantly (perhaps), will they cost a lot of money?
That is an interesting question. A few years ago I had an '03 CDP that laid me out: it was awesome. Flowery, elegant, yet beefy, and with presence. The '03s are expensive (as the wine nerds say), but not compared to what has happened to '05 Bordeaux or every single Pinot produced by a marginally reputable house in California. So I don't know. I hope the answer is no.
