2007 Domaine de Villeneuve "Vieilles Vignes" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Pre-Arrival)

91-94 points Robert Parker: "The 2007 is loaded. Densely dark ruby/purple with a glorious nose of spring flowers, black raspberries, and sweet cherries, the wine is full-bodied, flamboyant, opulent, and tremendously pure and fresh, which is so much in keeping with the juiciness and freshness of this great vintage. It is long, layered, and textured, and will no doubt put on even more weight before it goes into bottle. This is a superb example, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it score even higher 2-3 years from now. I always find myself admiring these wines even more after they have had a few years in bottle than my initial reviews might suggest. The wines, which are aged 80% in tank and 20% in old barrels, tend to come from a mixture of soils in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, including red clay and, of course, the rocky plateau as well as some of the sandier portions. It is all old-vine material, some of it even from ancient vines close to 100 years of age, and the blend is 70% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, and the rest Syrah, Cinsault, and Clairette (the latter being a white wine grape but only representing 2% of the final blend)." (10/08) Deep intensity. Full bodied with red cherry, hibiscus, mineral notes and bergamont. Very nice integration of structural components, with fine tannins, very good acidity to balance the sweet fruit. Profound, should age very well. Biodynamic. I like this very much. (Mulan Chan, K&L Wine Merchants)