2007 Cornas Chante-Perdrix

According to winemaker Jacques Grange, "the 2007 southern Rhone wines are massive, powerful wines like nothing we've ever seen. They can sometimes be almost too much, though. They're easy to understand for sure, so it's kind of a beginner's vintage, I think." He added that he prefers wines that are vivacious and elegant, and that this style was almost impossible to make from the south in 2007." The northern Rhone in 2007 was a different story. "The year was extremely easy, with no surprises during the season or at harvest," he told me. "The wines are nicely expressive already but are also balanced to age. People who don't go for big, rich wines ought to be really pleased with them." (Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA) Also recommended: 2008 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Les Launes (86), 2007 Cotes du Rhone Saint Esprit (85), 2007 Gigondas Les Reignages (85), 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Haute Pierre (85). Other wines tasted: 2007 Vacqueyras Domaine des Genets.

Jacques Grange told me that he prefers the relative elegance of 2007 to 2006. "But I'm a Burgundy man, literally, so I tend to value finesse over power," he explained. I have found that the Delas wines are easy to underestimate when young; a year or so of bottle aging almost inevitably brings more finesse as well as depth so I would be hesitant to open the 2006s when they hit the U. S. market. This is especially true for the 2006s that I tasted in bottle this year. Grange notes that "this is the case for 2006 in general but especially for Hermitage, which is by far the richest appellation of the north, a huge leap above the others. " Grange told me that he would absolutely avoid opening the 2005s, "as they are really just a set of components that need a lot of time to become wine. " He also told me that he thinks that 2007 in the south is the best vintage he's ever seen. "When we saw and tasted the fruit, we wanted to buy everything. " He is particularly fond of Condrieu in 2007, saying that "it's an exceptional vintage, especially for drinking young, with great richness and power. " Delas chose not to release a Cote-Rotie La Landonne from the 2007 vintage "because it just wasn't good enough to risk our clients' confidence," Grange told me. (Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA) Also recommended: 2007 Cotes du Rhone Saint-Esprit (87).