CDP Cuvee Sanctus Sanctorum, Clos Saint-Jean 2007

This comes from their best old-vine plots, and is organically farmed and aged in neutral containers until being bottled with no fining or filtration. An extraordinary, quintessential expression of old-vine Southern Rhône Grenache, with loads of kirsch and blacker fruits, amazing full body, unctuous texture, incredible purity, depth and richness. This wine clearly hits 16%+ alcohol, but is as delicate and light on its feet as one could hope for, showing how Grenache seemingly can hide its power.

The following three wines are as great as money can buy, and all three represent extraordinary achievements. I never tasted the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum (translated as "Holy of Holies") before this trip, and I ended up purchasing a magnum to enjoy in Paris with friends. There are only 350 magnums produced from a vineyard of old vine Grenache planted in 1905. This wine was aged in one demi-muid for 12 months prior to being bottled with neither fining nor filtration. Much lighter in color (medium dark ruby) than any of the four previous cuvees, and it does not have the texture and pure weight of the Combe des Fous, Vieilles Vignes, or Deus-Ex Machina. It reminded me of the 1990 Rayas when that wine was 2-3 years of age. An extraordinary expression of old vine Grenache, it exhibits classic aromas of licorice and kirsch liqueur that are so intense they could fill a large room. Ethereal in the mouth, this is a profound example of how a wine of extraordinary concentration, multilayers of flavor, and remarkable intensity can be relatively light on its feet, never tasting heavy or tiring. This is an exceptional effort, but given how limited it is, and the fact that there are only magnums available, it will be about as difficult to find as it is getting a personal appointment with the Pope in Rome. The essence of Grenache, it is an elixir of extraordinary proportions, and another tour de force from this remarkable winery that has simply turned Chateauneuf du Pape on its side with the efforts they have produced since 2003. The Sanctum Sanctorum should easily evolve for 25-30+ years.