94 Points | International Wine Cellar , November/December 2010

($140; unlikely to be released until September of 2011) Knockout nose melds cassis, blackberry, tobacco, cinnamon and curry powder. Broad and sweet but with strong acidity giving the wine a solid structure. With its huge fruit intensity this wine saturates every square millimeter of the palate with flavor. This aged in 100% new oak but does not seem overly oaky. The dark berry and spice flavors resound on the very long, broad finish. A remarkable wine considering that the vines were planted in 2000 and 2001. (Incidentally, I had the rare treat of retasting the 2006 and 2005 Grand Ciel bottlings following this wine. Both are structured, concentrated beauties, but it was the 2005 that more closely resembled the 2007, with the 2006 a bit less silky and less pliant, and showing an element of fresh herbs that is not currently apparent in the riper 2007.)

92 Points | Wine Spectator

94 Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate