This has been one of my favorites Cotes du Rhone wines for more than a decade, and I still drink the 2005 and 2006 vintages with great pleasure. The 2007 Grand Prieur seems impressive from the first pour and sniff, but it ends up being a bit of a disappointment for a vintage that has received such acclaim.
It's deep and dark for a Cotes du Rhone with some bluish tints (as in the 2005 and 2006) but no sign of new oak aging. It smells and tastes tannic but is still fruit-oriented--black fruits, spice, minerals, black pepper and even some purple flowers a la Gigondas. This is an ambitious Cotes du Rhone but perhaps a little too much so. On the second night, the alcohol (14%) seems to dominate and wipe out the ripe fruit qualities. I may have caught this wine at an awkward stage, but I suspect it will never please me as much as the 2005 does.
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