2007 St Emilion Wines & Tasting Notes

The Berrys' Fine Wine team are in Bordeaux sending back regular, comprehensive reviews on the 2007 vintage. The tasting notes below highlight some of the stand-out wines from St Emilion.

Berrys' Points
Wines are scored out of 20. Berrys' points are given regardless of price, value and reputation, and are in absolute terms rather than relative to the vintage.

Drink Dates
By definition these are estimated drink dates only based on our experience of how the wines age. As some of the wines mature these drink dates may not turn out to be different from those originally stated.

It is no wonder owner Hubert de Boüard de Laforest's advice is so sought-after (most notably at Ch. Pichon-Lalande and Ch. Fieuzal) when he produces wines like this sumptuous, well-balanced Angélus. Made with more Merlot than usual (62%) alongside 38% Cabernet Franc, this deep-coloured St Emilion is in perfect tune with the vintage. An attractive, fragrant nose packed full of heady cassis and plum fruit leads on to a stylish palate boasting ripe tannins, intense, generous, creamy blackberries and a long mocha finish. This is a beautifully structured, polished Angélus that will be enormously enjoyable over the next two decades.
BBR Score 16.25/20 Drink 2015-2030

"Dark purplish crimson. Very big-boned but with a hint of green on the nose. This wine tastes like a cross between Troplong Mondot and its fleshiness and the norm of the rest – lots of late-picked aromas but also some astringency and pretty mouth-puckering overall. Like sucking a bit of tarmacadam. Pretty hard work! And a bit of a hole in the middle. Not the charm of Pavie."
Jancis Robinson: 16/20
Drink: 2012-2016 

Proprietor Alain Vauthier has made another virtually perfect wine in 2007. The divinely scented nose is wonderfully complex and expressive, with creamy wild blackberries to the fore. Immensely elegant and vibrant, the dark fruit rolls across the tongue in waves with lovely focused minerality and a straitjacket of acidity from which it will gently ease free as it matures. Made from 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, from 50 year old vines, this wine is all about intensity and balance. With only 1500 cases made, the possession of this elixir will be a rare privilege indeed.
BBR Score 18.5/20 Drink 2017-2040

In a year when Second wines have often disappointed this is definitely the exception that proves the rule. Made from 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc it is one of the rarest wines in Bordeaux with only 750 cases produced in 2007. The aethereal nose is wonderfully rich and complex while on the palate damsons, plums, blackberries and exotic spice melt together, supported by uplifting acidity and crushed velvet tannins. Sharing the panache and elegance of its illustrious sibling, this is a seamless, exquisitely balanced St Emilion.
BBR Score 17/20 Drink 2013-2023

"50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. Mid to dark crimson. Very heady and full. Round and not at all concentrated. A little green on the finish. Pretty angular. Nothing like as good as Petit Cheval. Angular. Maybe very slightly too much new oak?"
Jancis Robinson: 16/20
Drink: 2012-2017 

This is a truly great Cheval Blanc. Just a smidgen below the quality of the 2005 (yes, really) it is a monster of a wine, and utterly complete. Overflowing with dense fruit, huge tannins and balanced acidity it has all the tools to age majestically. The nose is all creamy, rich, intense black fruit while the harmonious palate boasts cool, incredibly concentrated, elegant cassis and plums with an astonishing pure, complex finish that we could still taste 10 minutes after leaving the château. Without a shadow of doubt, the wine of the vintage.
BBR Score 19/20 Drink 2016-2035

"55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. Selection of the grand vin was limited by the amount of good Merlot available. They made only one third of the usual volume. Quite a long harvest. They usually pick early but had to wait to get full ripeness. More complex than Petit Cheval and lovely freshness and minerality but the difference between Petit Cheval and Cheval Blanc seems much less than in some more dramatically successful years. Cool and calm. Malted milk. Maybe not really really dramatic. Quality of the fruit of 2004 but with softer tannins. So mellow! From 1998, Cheval have made significant amounts of a third wine which they bottle and sell within LVMH companies. I’d like to taste it."
Jancis Robinson: 18/20
Drink: 2013-2021 

In a region with a worrying number of characterless, over-extracted, fruit bombs Ch. Figeac stands out like a shining beacon. In 2007 it has made another intellectual, aristocratic St Emilion from a Médoc-like blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. A fine, stylish, Dundee fruitcake nose is followed by a palate with lots of stuffing for the vintage. Boasting rich plum and blackberry fruit, coffee and ginger hints and an attractive streak of minerality, the elegant fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity ensure a glorious future. A real tour-de-force from this illustrious and revitalised estate.
BBR Score 17/20 Drink 2014-2025

"Very deep crimson. Toasty nose with a hint of oak. Very fresh fruit, pretty sleek texture and just a little too much sweet oak in evidence at this point. A hint of green on the finish. Pretty inky and fades fast. More transparent than most with a very nice gentle finish. Very ‘relaxed’. Doubtless it will improve in bottle as Figeac always seems to do so miraculously."
Jancis Robinson: 16.5++/20
Drink: 2012-2019 

Made by the same team as the legendary Ch. Ausone it is hardly surprising that Fonbel's 2007 is so impressive. Made with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% of the rarely seen Carmenère, the wine's pure nose of plums and smoky black fruit leads seamlessly into a dense yet finely textured palate of concentrated, cool blackberries and peppery spice. This classy, succulent wine is easily as good as many St Emilions double the price and will be impossible to resist almost as soon as it is shipped.
BBR Score 15/20 Drink 2010-2015

"Carmenère 3%, Petit Verdot 7%, plus Merlot with Cabernet Franc. Very rich and round. Almost soupy but lots of bang for buck. Inky finish. Very dry. Very flattering. Lively. This could be a good buy."
Jancis Robinson: 16/20
Drink: 2012-2018 

During the 1940s and 1950s Larcis Ducasse was considered one of St Emilion's very top estates, but under Nicolas Thienpont the last few vintages have been better than ever. Biodynamic principles and the famous Côte Pavie terroir have produced a perfumed, Merlot-dominated (89%) St Emilion with generous fruit and supple tannins. There is a wonderfully fresh, citrus edge to the raspberry and blackberry nose, while the initially restrained palate explodes with crunchy blackcurrant and creamy plum towards a pure, mineral, mocha finish. If you have never tried this St Emilion rising star, this is a great place to start.
BBR Score 16/20 Drink 2011-2018

This classic St Emilion from Ch. Ausone's Alain Vauthier is an absolute sexpot in 2007. A wonderfully fragrant, sultry nose of dark plum essence and minerals is matched by an intense, exotic palate bursting with energy. Creamy black fruit with coconut hints, a velvety texture and ripe, harmonious tannins add up to a delicious and brilliant value St Emilion. With only a very limited production, we strongly advise you to stock up on as much of this as you can!
BBR Score 16.75/20 Drink 2012-2020

This is currently one of most exciting estates in Bordeaux, producing wines that combine incredible richness with real St Emilion terroir character. Rightfully promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé status in 2006 this biodynamically-farmed estate has made another highly impressive wine in 2007. The nose is brilliant: elegant, rich and complex with dark chocolate notes; the creamy, supple palate boasts ripe tannins while the black and red fruit builds slowly to an unbelievably long, pure finish. With immense breeding, this is another testament to the magic being worked here by Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt.
BBR Score 16/20 Drink 2013-2020

• Ch. Bellevue
• Ch. Bergat
• Ch. Clos Fourtet
• Grangeneuve de Figeac
• Petit Figeac
• Le Petit Cheval
• Ch. Simard
• Ch. Troplong Mondot
• Ch. Trotte Vieille

For further information on these and other St Emilion wines please contact us.