I've been raving about the 2007 vintage Châteauneufs since I attended a tasting in January.  Robert Parker put it well when he said " 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted....Think of 2007 as a hypothetical blend of an opulent, powerful, sumptuous year such as 1990, and a cooler drought vintage such as 2001. The cool weather and the remarkable three weeks of Mistral in September that concentrated the grapes without any spikes of high heat appears to have given the 2007s an aromatic dimension and freshness that I have rarely witnessed. Combine that with wines that are substantial, powerful, and relatively high in alcohol, with super depth of fruit! These are very aromatic wines of great concentration, freshness, laser-like focus, and amazing purity as well as depth. It is the vintage of my lifetime for this region, and I don’t say that lightly. These 2007s will also be very long-lived given their extraordinary balance."


Well, the first of the fabulous 2007 vintage Châteauneufs have arrived, and this month, you have a choice of three cuvées from Paul Autard.

• Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe Cuvée Juline ($95) A blend of barrel-aged Grenache and Syrah, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Juline is fabulous. My first note was “wow!,” and that was after tasting some truly great 2007s. Inky/ruby/purple-tinged with a rich, sumptuous bouquet of blackberries, kirsch, incense, licorice, and subtle smoke, this is a powerful, multilayered Châteauneuf boasting admirable purity, stunning intensity, and a finish that lasts over a minute. A remarkable cuvee, it should be one of the monumental wines of the vintage after sufficient time in the bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+.95-97
  
• Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe La Côte Ronde ($55). Inky/ruby/purple to the rim with a beautiful perfume of cassis, kirsch, charcoal, and graphite, this wine is powerful, rich, and full-bodied with a subtle hint of toasty oak in the aromatics, and no hard edges. The vintage’s hallmark purity, and gorgeous texture as well as length are present in this excellent 2007. It should hit its stride in 3-4 years, and last for 20-25. (Parker 92-94)
  
• Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe ($39) Opaque ruby/purple-colored... offers up beautiful, sweet black raspberry and kirsch fruit, tremendous opulence, and a sexy, gamy character. Layered, sumptuous, and long in the mouth with excellent purity and freshness, it should drink effortlessly for 10-15 years.  (Parker 90-93)

Jean-Paul Autard carries on the tradition established by Paul Autard when he founded the domaine in the village of Courthezon in the 1970's. Autard’s vineyard practice aims to achieve a perfect balance between the soil and the vine. No pesticides, or chemical anti-rot products or fertilizers are used. He is guided by the method known as lutte raisonnée. The health of the vineyard is ensured by meticulous work by hand, such as the removal in May and June of unessential shoots and leaves that would block the proper aeration of the vines. By not allowing moisture to remain on the grapes and leaves, the possibility of problems such as rot and mildew is eliminated. Autard has 26 hectares of vines, of which 12 are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 14 in Côtes-du-Rhône (located at the border of the Châteauneuf appellation in Courthezon.) The aging cellar is a massive, vaulted cave cut into sandstone rock, housing the domaine’s barriques. The Autards feel privileged to have inherited a domaine in which the plantations of different cépages are perfectly adapted to the soil types -- ranging from gallets roulets, pebble and clay, and sandy-clay -- in their various parcels. They aim to get the most out of each variety by vinifying separately and then blending judiciously. The grapes are destemmed and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. After the malolactic fermentation, the wines are transferred to French barriques for aging, about one third of which are new. The Autards have attained international acclaim for their high quality wines and were selected for inclusion by Eric Mancio, sommelier at Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris, in his book on the finest domaines of the Rhone valley.

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Recipe provided by Michael Lemaire

Recipe: Beef stew with Black Olives  Serves 6

Note: Adapted from Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food." The stew can be cooked on the stovetop or in the oven.

• 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 onions, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs savory
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• A few peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 1 3/4 cups red wine
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (fresh or canned)
• 8 cloves coarsely chopped garlic and 2 cloves finely chopped garlic, divided
• 1 thin strip orange zest
• 2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup small black olives, such as niçoise or small kalamata
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

1. Season the beef with generous amounts of salt and pepper at least 1 hour, or up to a day, before preparing. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook until it is lightly brown but not crisp. Remove the bacon and save it for another use. Add the meat to the pan, browning well on all sides, in as many batches as necessary. As the meat is browned, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a heavy pot or braising dish.

3. When all of the meat is browned, pour off most of the fat and lower the heat to medium. Stick the cloves in one of the onion quarters and add the onions to the heated sauté pan along with the carrots. Tie a bouquet garni of thyme, savory, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns in a small cheesecloth bundle (a tea ball works well too), and add it to the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, then remove the pan from heat and add the vegetables to the beef in the stew pot. If using the oven, heat it to 325 degrees.

4. To the sauté pan in which the vegetables were cooked, add the brandy and red wine. Place the pan over high heat and cook until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the reduced wine over the beef and vegetables.

5. Gently stir in the tomatoes, coarsely-chopped garlic, orange zest, broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Check the level of the liquid; it should be at least three-quarters of the way up the cubes of beef. Add more broth if needed.

6. Cover the pot tightly and cook at a bare simmer on the stovetop or in the oven for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is almost tender. Check the stew occasionally to make sure that it is not boiling (lower the heat if necessary) and that there is enough liquid. When the meat is almost tender, add the olives for the final 30 minutes.

7. When the meat is tender, turn off the heat and let the stew settle for a few minutes. Skim off the fat. Discard the bouquet garni. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Stir in the finely chopped garlic cloves. Serve with the chopped parsley sprinkled over.

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