Wine Spectator: 92 Points Sleek and primal now, with a beam of glistening raspberry and red currant fruit running over well-integrated iron, black tea and roasted vanilla bean notes. Stays well-focused on the finish.

Wine Advocate: 91 Points Frey's first vintage with full control, the ruby-colored 2007 Hermitage la Chapelle offers a forward, supple and sexy feel to go with plenty of cassis, black raspberry, jam-covered toast, honeysuckle and vanilla bean. Medium to full-bodied, open knit and ready to go, it shows the charming nature of the vintage and should be drunk up over the coming decade or so. Comparing the 2006 and 2007 to subsequent vintages where Frey had more and more control over the farming are night and day.

Vinous: 94 Points Opaque purple. Captivating aromas of boysenberry, dark cherry, pepper, spices, cocoa powder and smoky minerality. Then intense and penetrating in the mouth, with brilliantly fresh dark berry and kirsch flavors lifted by notes of cinnamon and star anise. Finishes pungent and impressively long, with a palate-saturating whiplash of dark berry and spice flavors. This wine calls for at least decade of aging. Only 900 bottles were slated to be sent to the American importer.