Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Domaine de Beaurenard Cotes du Rhone, 2007

Robert Parker has called 2007 the Southern Rhone vintage of his lifetime, and I continue to disagree. I'll admit that I haven't bought nor tried any of the higher-end Chateauneufs du Pape or Gigondas, but most of the lesser wines, such as this 2007 Beaurenard Cotes du Rhone have suffered from the same problem: they are beautifully ripe and round but lack complexity.

After four years in the bottle, the 2007 Beaurenard is fully mature, as to be expected. Medium crimson with burnished tones. Ripe aromas of wild strawberries and spices and some black pepper on the palate. A pleasant wine, simple and straightforward. That's about all you should expect from a simple Cotes du Rhone, but the fact is that there are many Cotes du Rhone (and even Vin de Pays) wines that are not so simple. And I remember Beaurenard CDRs from 2000 and 2001 that were offering much, much more at the same stage of development.

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