I just reviewed the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape la Crau de Ma Mère as part of a retrospective of the estate, and it showed similar on this occasion, with ripe, rounded notes of garrigue, framboise, incense and dried flowers. Full-bodied, supple and soft, drink it over the coming decade.

The finest, most concentrated, and potentially long-lived of this group is the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau de Ma Mere. This beauty exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with ripe black raspberry, blackberry, and kirsch fruit interwoven with notions of camphor, incense, licorice, and graphite. It possesses full-bodied, powerful flavors, high glycerin, silky tannin, and good acids that give the wine a vibrancy as well as laser-like precision. This big Chateauneuf du Pape has the potential to be the finest yet made by the Mayard family. Although drinkable now, it promises to be even better in 2-3 years, and last for 15 or more. All of these wines are produced under the family umbrella of the Mayard family. And, as in many Chateauneuf du Pape estates, women are the dominant factors in the winemaking and production of these wines. In this case, those women are Francoise Mayard and her sister, Beatrice. This 100+-acre estate produces three separate Chateauneuf du Papes. Both the Domaine du Pere Pape and Clos du Calvaire offerings are traditionally made wines from 40- to 50-year-old vines, and are aged in neutral oak foudres and cement tanks. The top cuvee, La Crau de Ma Mere, is aged in foudre and new barrels. It comes from vines well over 100 years of age.Importers: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153 and Vintage ‘59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218