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The 2007 Sassicaia (Cabernet Sauvignon) explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression. The 2007 is more than a worthy follow-up to the profound 2006. While it may lack that wine’s freshness, structure and potential longevity, the 2007 is immensely appealing today, and should drink beautifully pretty much out of the gate. That said, Sassicaia is always the most restrained of Bolgheri’s heavy hitters. This is a superb effort from Tenuta San Guido.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis iconic Italian wine from Bolgheri’s landmark Sassicaia vineyard (characterized by little rocks, or “sassi”) offers an elegant bouquet comprised in equal measure by mineral, fruit and spice nuances. The wine consists of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc and the finish is long, smooth and very fine. This is an ageworthy wine that should not be opened before 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEHere’s a wine of power, determination and confidence—as far as first impressions go. The 2007 Bolgheri Sassicaia leaves little hidden behind the curtain. It presents a frank and straightforward array of bold fruit, spice, leather and tobacco-like aromas that emerge from the bouquet with energy and force. The aromas are complete and genuine. The palate, however, offers more space for interpretation and review. It is finessed and nuanced, thus requiring more time to fully comprehend and appreciate. Silky tannins are followed by fine textural smoothness and a long finish. The outgoing nature of the aromas make for a fascinating contrast against the inward and reticent nature of the mouthfeel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPVery enticing aromas of spices, meat and berries. Full-bodied and juicy, soft and velvety, with a long, succulent finish. Best after 2011. 20,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is classy on the nose with subtle currant, sweet tobacco, cigar box and dried flowers. Cassis too. Full body, with refined tannins and a solid core of fruit. Polished and very pretty. Long and delicious already. But you have to wait on this. It has so much more to give. Try after 2015.James Suckling | 93 JSThere’s tension in this vintage of Sassicaia, its rich, generous fruit held within a tight, lean structure. Fresh scents of flowers and herbs come up from under the ripe fruit, tamped down again by a meaty smokiness that hints at Brett. Youthful and inaccessible, this gains clarity with air, as it will in the cellar. One of Italy’s most sought-after collectibles, this is suited to aging ten years or more. Kobrand, Purchase, NYWine & Spirits | 92 W&SA splash of sweet strawberry purée just slightly indicating the age of this wine, and it is a vintage that is already drinking well. Beautiful, dancing acidity and some attractive red fruits. But it doesn’t have the full complexity of the 2008 vintage. It has a complex array of tertiary aromatics and flavours, with full leather and soft black truffle. Gentle, with softly lingering flavours.Decanter | 91 DEC

I think the Rayas 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will turn out to eclipse the 2005. It is unequivocally the finest wine made here since Emmanuel Reynaud’s uncle, the late Jacques Reynaud, produced his brilliant 1995. This wine was just released this year, with the 2008 coming on the market in the next few months. The 2007 is a relatively dark ruby/purple-tinged wine, more intensely colored than most Rayas Chateauneufs tend to be, since they are made from 100% Grenache and color has never been one of their hallmarks. The extraordinarily youthful and still burgeoning aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles and licorice lead to a full-bodied, powerful Rayas with sweet tannin, adequate acidity, and an ethereal richness and unctuosity that delicately offers a sensual texture. It is full-bodied, concentrated and approachable, but won’t hit its peak for at least another 4-5 years and will last for 25 or more. This is a spectacular Rayas, the likes of which hasn’t existed at this qualitative level since 1995.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis was a brilliant showing by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve from Rayas, the finest bottle I’ve had to date. Offering a classic ruby color as well as gorgeous notes of kirsch liqueur, sappy green herbs, flowers, and rose petals, this beauty hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, yet also fresh and vibrant texture that carries nicely integrated acidity and fine tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in this great vintage and is going to have a long life. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBright ruby. Red berry, cherry and Asian spice aromas are lifted by sexy notes of rose petal and blood orange. Impressively pure and perfumed, with remarkable precision and cut to its concentrated but lively flavors of cherry and black raspberry. The weightless, mineral-driven character of this wine is something else. In a distinctly delicate, feminine style, with superb finishing cut and energy. This will probably cost a fortune when it lands in the U.S. , unfortunately.Vinous Media | 97 VMA very elegant, perfumy style, with shiso leaf and mulled spice notes up front, followed by silky black cherry, linzer torte and kirsch flavors that glide through the incense-tinged finish. There’s good latent depth and fresh acidity without the headiness typical of the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2022. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Good medium-deep red. Classic Barolo aromas of strawberry, underbrush, tar and brown spices. Incredibly rich, plush and smooth, showcasing the sweetness of the year in spades. This remarkably round, thick wine envelops the entire palate but has enough acidity to avoid coming off as heavy. The great, slowly building finish features utterly harmonious ripe tannins and terrific breadth and grip.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2007 Langhe Sperss is beyond impeccable in the way it combines a powerful expression of Serralunga fruit in a round, enveloping style. Make no mistake about it, there is plenty of intensity and muscle here, but in 2007 Sperss is exceptionally harmonious from the start. The fruit is decidedly darker than the red-toned Conteisa, while an array of licorice, smoke and iron – all typical of Serralunga – add further gravitas. Even as the tannins build on the close, here, too, the finish is utterly sublime. The 2007 Sperss will test readers’ patience but it is simply magnificent even today. Readers who can wait will be rewarded with a breathtaking bottle of wine. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2047.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA subtle intensity on the nose of tar, dark fruits and chocolate with hints of wet earth. Full bodied, with super polished tannins that caress the palate. Spices, berries and lightly toasted oak change to hazelnut and dark fruits. Very approachable now but so much more to offer with age. Wonderful length and class. Harmony. Try it in 2014.James Suckling | 95 JS

(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, Red) Good colour. Better than the Richebourg. Lovely nose. Pure and succulent. Ripe and round but fresh and vigorous for a 2007. Fullish body, ample and velvety on the palate. Good grip. This is complex and very elegant. Lovely finish. Very fine. (Drink starting 2016)Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St.-Vivant Grand Cru Red) An ultra elegant, pure and quite delicately fruited and spiced nose that is extremely fresh, floral and expansive that is more layered still as it introduces seductively textured, detailed and gorgeously delineated middle weight flavors that possess laser-like focus if less density than is usually seen with this wine. Indeed, this is rather like a ballerina with limited power and weight but the watch word here is purity, purity and purity. I quite like this but it will strike some as unduly light though I believe the underlying material is present such that it will add weight in bottle as it ages. (Drink starting 2019)Burghound | 94 BH(Romanée- St.-Vivant- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) The 2007 RSV is equally refined and perfumed on the nose, as it soars from the glass in a beautiful blend of raspberries, coffee, cherries, a touch of cocoa, blood orange, great minerality and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, deep and rock solid at the core, with beautiful focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and simply profound intensity and grip on the very long backend. A stellar vintage of Romanée- St.-Vivant. (Drink between 2013-2045)John Gilman | 94 JGVery together, revealing pure floral, strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors. Refined, balanced and harmonious, with the firm structure showing on the lingering mineral finish. I prefer this to the Richebourg today.--Non-blind 2007 DRC tasting (February 2010). Best from 2014 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe Domaine’s 2007 Romanee-St.-Vivant predictably inhabits a different world – not to mention being in a different league of complexity and intrigue – from their Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, or Richebourg of that vintage. Peat, leather, humus, forest floor, and decadent floral perfume are joined by an oceanic saline, alkaline, kelp-tinged aspect, and these surf-and-turf aspects follow on a polished palate that – despite only the slightest nod in the direction of overt fruitiness by way of dark berries – nevertheless displays a mouth-watering juiciness to accompany its myriad mineral and organic complexities. A persistently satisfying and thought-provoking finish points to the likelihood of 12-15 years continuance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Pale to medium gold colored, the 2007 d’Yquem delivers powerful scents of tropical fruits—dried mangoes and pineapple paste—accented by acacia honey, toasted almonds and woodsmoke with hints of chalk dust, kettle corn and lime blossom. The palate reveals one of those vintages that shape-shifts into an apparently drier style than it is, largely thanks to its uber-racy backbone of freshness and layered mineral-inspired flavors, finishing with a regal, satin-textured savoriness. Difficult to resist now, this will be one of those Rip Van Winkle vintages that can be predicted to cellar not just for decades but for generations. For number crunchers: 14.2% alcohol, 137 grams per liter residual sugar, and total acidity is 3.7 grams per liter H2SO4.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP(Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, White) Befitting a glorious Sauternes vintage, the 2007 Yquem stood out in this tasting like a beacon. Sandrine Garbay notes that it was ‘a great year for noble rot and feels that, like 2001, 2007 is a “classic” expression of Yquem.’ Burnished hue in the glass, remarkably powerful and concentrated with endless layers of flavour. Aged in oak for 2.5 years, remarkably this could still benefit from further ageing and integration of oak. Despite the power and weight, the wine remains fresh and vibrant with driving acidity. Should improve for a decade and drink well for 30-40 years. Residual Sugar: 137g/L. (Drink between 2022-2055)Decanter | 98 DECThis has really started to put on weight, with heather and ginger notes emerging from the core of dried pineapple, bergamot, candied grapefruit rind and mango. Long and creamy through the very rich, spicy finish, with lingering golden raisin and frangipane notes. Loads of power in reserve, as this sports the bold, hedonistic profile of the vintage in spades. Best from 2020 through 2050. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(There was only one way to finish: by switching over to Sauternes for the 2007 d’Yquem. This is a vintage I have tasted several times. Lucid amber in color, it has a reticent nose at first, though it blossoms with aeration to reveal captivating aromas of mirabelle, dried honey and beeswax. A subtle adhesive scent loiters backstage. The palate is medium-bodied with vanilla pod and almond on the entry, and very tensile with a seductive viscosity toward the close. Touches of nougat and white chocolate lace the finish of one of the finest Yquems of this decade. Glorious to drink now and doubtless glorious to drink in 50 years’ time!Vinous Media | 95 VM

Balanced and very spicy, with almond paste and apricot. Full-bodied, medium sweet, with a long, fruity, tangy finish. Layered and stylish.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WSBright, pale yellow-gold. Aromas of very ripe peach, honey and vanilla are a bit youthfully disjointed. Sweet, supple and fat, currently showing more spice than fruit. Finishes broad and spicy, with a suggestion of minerality.Vinous Media | 90-93 VMThe 2007 Rieussec is a blend of 87% Semillon, 4.5% Muscadelle and 8.5% Sauvignon Blanc picked between 13 September and 31 October. It has an almost Barsac-like bouquet with barley sugar joining the ginger and honeyed notes, quite powerful although I feel this is just going through a sullen patch at the moment. The palate is very pure and balanced with a wonderful seam of acidity that slices through the viscous botrytis fruit, quite spicy on the finish, although it does not possess the persistence of the 2005 or 2009, just cutting away swiftly. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

A very opulent, yet fresh nose. Perfumed with fresh mushrooms, currants, and blackberries. Full bodied with an amazing density of fruit, and ripe velvety tannins. So big and compacted, with a superb structure. Very 2006 in style but with much more intensity. The fruit amazing and intense. Leave this for another five or six years. 900 cases. Pull the cork after 2016. 15+25+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 98 JSPotentially a candidate for perfection, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest Bryant Family wine since the aforementioned 1997. Striking aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, flowers, smoke, truffles, and sweet berries lead to a wine with profound concentration, a silky, layered mouthfeel, perfect integration of tannin and wood, and remarkable depth, intensity, and balance. The finish lasts nearly a minute. This stunning Cabernet should age nicely for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPAt points rustic and rough-hewn, but also enormously complex and layered, with dense, elegant herb, olive, cedar, blackberry and wild berry fruit that is full-blown and tightly focused, rich and layered, gaining velocity on the finish while retaining a sense of wildness. Best from 2012 through 2024. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(14.9%): Healthy ruby-red. Wild plum, dark berries, musky espresso, mocha and graphite on the varietally expressive nose. Shows wonderful mineral verve but this utterly seamless wine still conveys a musky suggestion of reduction. It's also more red than black fruit in style and shows its site more than the vintage character. Really lovely inner-mouth aromatic perfume here. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely slowly building lift. This wine blew away many of the portier, clunkier examples in my 2007 group tastings but it may need earlier drinking than some vintages of Bryant. The silky, seamless finish features a light touch and terrific spice and mocha lift.Vinous Media | 95 VM