The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Romaine, a custom cuvee for importer Eric Solomon made from 60 to 90-year old vines, is a joint project of Solomon and the Bernard family that owns the wonderful Gigondas restaurant, Les Florets, and the brilliant oenologist, Philippe Cambie. A sensational blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah, it boasts a dense purple color along with a gorgeous nose of creosote, kirsch, blackberries, licorice, and hints of smoked herbs and roasted meats. The wine possesses fabulous ripeness, fresh acidity, full body, and layers of both flavor and depth. It is a remarkable effort, but readers who purchase it should be sure it has the Eric Solomon strip label as the same wine, bottled much later, is sold in other markets. In my opinion, those wines have lost a lot of their freshness.Readers should note that these cuvees are selected by the American importer, Eric Solomon, and are bottled earlier than those sold elsewhere in the world. Owned by the Bernard family, this is one of the largest (nearly 145 acres) and finest estates in Vacqueyras, so it is not surprising that both the 2006 and 2007 vintages performed well.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565