The 2007 Corbieres Tradition – a tank-raised blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre – smells of ripe, herb-tinged cherries, which then fill the smoothly-textured palate along with nutmeg bitter dark chocolate, and a strong and invigorating sense of their pits. With a delightful saline savor, this is the brightest, freshest, purest-fruited, longest-finishing rendition of this cuvee I can recall, a tribute to both the family’s dedication and to the vintage’s virtues. Enjoy it over the next couple of years. This represents the finest group of wines I have tasted from the Gualco family, and my experience with their wines goes back more than 20 vintages.Christopher Cannan Europvin Selections (various importers), Bordeaux; fax 001-33-5 57-87-43-22