| Score: |
100 RP.
"The perfect 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères is slightly more evolved and complex than the Cuvée de mon Aïeul, as odd as that seems. Having had it twice out of bottle, this wine (nearly 100% Grenache combined with a few dollops of Syrah) possesses an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling texture and monumental length (the finish lasts over 60 seconds). it's a blockbuster, but everything is in perfect balance, and, remarkably, it comes across as the most accessible Réserve des Deux Frères made to date. This wine's aging is completely different from its siblings. Sixty percent is aged in 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old Burgundy barrels, and the rest in small new oak barrels, but there is not a hint of new oak in the aromatics. The bouquet reveals plenty of blackberry, blueberry, and cassis fruit intertwined with notions of melted licorice, spring flowers, and that classic garrigue note that comes across as the seaweed wrapper used in sushi restaurants, nori. There is a certain smokiness that is probably attributable to the oak, and the wine has incredible depth and richness, as well as a finish that seems endless. This extraordinary Châteauneuf-du-Pape is another prodigious effort in this historic vintage . . . . Brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio have been accomplishing amazing things in Châteauneuf-du-Pape as evidenced by the 2007s, the greatest wines they have yet produced. To reiterate, the 2007s are the most profound wines Thierry and Jean-Pierre have ever produced." Wine Advocate #185, Oct 2009 |