Community Tasting Note

Paul S wrote:

Friday, August 9, 2013 - National Day Dinner 2013 (Pine Close): This was enjoyable, if not quite the strongest Beaucastel. It was unusually Burgundian; coming blind after two bottles from Burgundy, none of us picked this up as a Southern Rhone, yet alone a Beaucastel - a wine that we normally get spot-on. It certainly had a very Burg-like bouquet on first pour, uncharacteristically red-fruited, high-toned, almost flowery for a Beaucastel. With time, it did open up to show licorice, spice and garrigue scents on a much earthier, meatier base, swinging the wine back towards Provence. We were well-fooled before that though. Same thing on the palate - dark cherries, some berries, only opening up with time into more prune-like notes, a tiny bit of leathery meatiness, and then a whole lot of warm spice on the finish. I liked the flavours and the mellow feel on the wine. However, soft, barely-there tannins and bright, but not completely-integrated acidity made for a rather mushy, slightly disembodied structure, so that the wine felt like it lacked a bit of cut and drive. It was pleasant enough however, and I enjoyed it on the night. I would drink these up soon if I had any though.

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