See previous notes. Kirsch, Lavender, garrigue, and minerality. Medium acidity and tannins. Medium plus finish. Still a little tight. Good showing. Out of a 375 ml.
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Shared bottle with my wife at TORC in Napa, which has a lot of mushroom & truffle dishes. Full bodied for a Beaucastel with beautiful fruit & depth. Paired wonderfully with everything, including dark chocolate ice cream
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"Lions Share" tasting note is a great descriptor of this wine, my score was less but the tasting note is on point. These wines to me need 10-15 years to get that secodnary profile. This was still primary but the value of this wine is off the charts
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Either in a protracted reduction phase or simply punching above its (current) weight, this very pricey bottle left us unimpressed. Shy notes of cassis, blackberries, liquorice, garrigue pencilshave and earthy notes in the finish. To be revisited in some years.
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My first taste of the 2016. Another luscious Beaucastel triumph. A wine like this one makes the waiting worth it. This leads with cassis, then layers of fruit, both red and black. The core is fully integrated with notes of licorice, cedar, and garrigue. Wonderfully polished. Very focused.
I decanted for an hour before serving. The wine develops considerably in the glass. A serving drank slowly offers an interesting evolution with the various elements of the core taking turns playing the leading role.
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My first look at this. Opens with a nice nose of cherry, red berries, floral and herbal notes. Medium body, ripe fruit, nice balance, very clean… I miss the old Beaucastel funk. But this is one of the few Châteauneufs that haven’t gone over-the-top ripe. Medium finish. Too young for any aged complexity yet but drinking well as it is. Gets richer and deeper over the course of 2 hours. Excellent.
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Medium dark Ruby color; umami-laden nose. Dark and integrated blue/black fruit. Rich and balanced. This is an outstanding Beaucastel that is just beginning to hit its stride. It’s wonderful right now, and it still has some upside.
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Wonderful fruity nose. Really delicious and jammy on the tongue. Very complex. Very smooth tannins. This is really something special. I’m glad I have 5 more. Decanted to get the sediment out (very little) and consumed immediately over the next 2 hours or so.
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Bouquet of ripe blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, jam, mint. Fantastic palate, smooth, lush, ripe berries, more jam, minty and fresh elements, a bit of grip, tingling with sweet and fresh impressions for quite a while. Great wine, already in a good place to drink.
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Short (1/2 hour) decant. Nose: chocolate, cinnamon, clove. Taste: boysenberry, orange, plenty of fruit. Some acids & tanins remain. Should be even better in a couple of years. Very nice!
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Smooth but powerful, rich but fresh. Love the balanced power kick and the way it works soo well with the freshness. Noticeable tannins and a little bit warmth from the alcohol (14,5%), quite a nice pickmeup wine:) 2016 was also a very good vintage for it.
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Strikingly purple-fruited and piercing next to the red-fruited, open-knit 2015.
Bouquet of violets, blackberry, boysenberry, red and purple root vegetables, 'sweet' herbs, pipe tobacco, backed by impressions of semi-precious stone hardness, schist, and metallic ores. These qualities put the mind to high quality Gigondas offerings, which oftentimes rival or exceed CdP, for notably lower prices. The mythical warrior goddess's perfume (per my note of 2019) entices and enthralls.
The wine tastes like it smells...wondrously so. Precise and expansive. Seductive and bracing textures throughout. Long, evocative finish.
Balanced, unique, deeply satisfying. For all its intensity, it delivers riveting pleasure as a standalone sipper (tanninphobes, however, should approach this cautiously...or not at all...for five to seven years). All elements point to maturity after 2036. 96-97.
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Youthful looking medium to dark ruby with purple. Smells like ripe, jammier purple/blue fruit. Quite an entry on the palate. Approachable but fresh, juicy, very fruit primary, quite nice. Will be interesting to try this again in 5, 10 years. Primary now, hopefully some upside as complexity develops.
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This is probably the best Beaucastel I have ever tasted. Deep dark, almost black/blue all the way to the rim. The nose is beginning to mature: deep blueberry and blackberry tones dominate, but is also complemented with tones of leather, fresh meat, vanilla, pepper and tar. Complex? Yes!! Full bodied and smooth attack, lots of fruit up front, very fine grained tannins, impressive breadth and depth in the mouth, beautiful balance between sweet fruit, acidity, and fine grained tannins on the finish. Very long, very fresh, and at the same time sweet and welcoming. The fruit reemerges on the long finish, and the main impression is sweet and fresh, lifted. Approachable now, but will improve for at least five more years. Wow!
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Stunning might be an overstatement, but close. Beautiful bouquet gives a prelude of the taste of raspberry coulis, blueberry, lavender and red licorice. Soft tannins but with enough grip to balance the fruit. Drinking very nicely now, but still vibrant and youthful.
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Needs a 6 hour decant at this point. Perfume of smoke and medicinal aromas. Taste of black pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits, leather, and a little licorice. Very earthy. Great with steak, BBQ, and bleu cheese.
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Had it with a lovely, fatty chistorras and the match was superb. After a couple of hours it was good without as well. Today, 94 with food and after a couple of hours. Hold or air it.
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First of a half case bought En Primeur. Double decanted for 3 hrs. Deep purple color, Beautiful nose of raspberries, blackberries and wild flowers. . Lush and rich with cherries, raspberries, plum and herbs. One of the best vintages of this wine and up there with the 2010, 2009 and 2001. This is still young and given time will be a point or two better.
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Sampled side-by-side from Syrah glass stems and std cab-shaped plastic pool stems ; profile and finish definitely longer and more complete from a standard Cabernet stem.
After five hours in the decanter there's still ton of tannins front to mid palate. Charcoal, stone and clay
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First bottle from a five bottle lot purchased at auction in 2020. Pristine condition, gently decanted four hours in advance to soften the tannins and slightly open up the aromatic profile. It's a marvellous wine, some say the best since 1989 and 1990 and maybe even better. Beautifully crafted, everything in the right place, elegant and intense, youthful and energetic but already giving so much, sensual and structured, ripe (14.5% ABV) but refreshing, polished and harmonious, complex aromas, perfectly integrated firm structure of sandy tannins, convincing and expansive finish. Drink now - 2036.
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From a half bottle. Nice dark magenta-ruby colour. On the nose upon opening, it is rather timid with garrigue, red fruit and kirsch aromas. With a few hours, raspberry, plums, liquorice, leather, Swiss kirsch, smoke, herbs and anis. On the palate, the attack is frank, still tight with the aromas as found on the nose, with a good lift, and a very good length on the red fruit and herbs. In my book this is still closed and I wouldn't touch the next half bottle till about 2026. 92 today with upwards potential.
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Ch Beaucastel CdP 2016 is really in a good phase right now. Very high quality which also needs 3 - 4 hours before it really opens. There is a little stall in the aroma, but a lovely dark fruit. 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 30% of grapes that are permitted according to current regulations. Have several bottles left that will be even better in 3-5 years.
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See previous notes. A little muted initially. Opened up in an hour. Medium ruby with garnet rims. Medium intensity on the nose. Lavender, garrigue and raspberries. Medium plus tannins and finish. Hold or decant.
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Muted. Soft. Tannic. Acidic. Vaguely fragrant and some oak and spice. My ruling: Closed down. I’m not touching for another 6 years at least. It’s a crime to open it now. Looks like we missed our windows, chaps.
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Same as the 3/21 review... not the big banger we remember. It has a reputation for being very overweight on the Morvedre, so it has never been the classic CDP. We much prefer the CA versions of GSM.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): In the bouquet ripe red berries and cherries as well as fresh garrigue. On the palate red and dark berries, some laurel, a bit pleasantly rustic, leather, chocolate, elegant acidity and round tannin with a pleasant bite. With a little more air time this was the most beautiful wine of the flight. 94++
Saturday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): Definitely one of the better editions of this wine in recent memory. This is a lot more dialled back than others, and shows some nice red fruit on the nose and palate. Not as heavy-handed as I would expect for a contemporary Châteauneuf-du-Pape but at the end of the day, this is still a wine of relatively low acidity and high alcohol.
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Perfect cork. Decanted off a minor amount of silty sediment. Very pure, dark red, ripe plum colour. Luxurious and voluptuous nose! Loads of spicy red fruits, garrigue, especially fresh bay leaf and fennel, new leather, cedar and more. Lots going on here! Medium-full bodied, gobs of sweet fruit extract, sandy tannins, perfect acidity and warming alcohol on the finish. Flavours in line with the nose and include ripe and juicy red and black fruits, fennel, cedar (lots), cured tobacco, black olive and dark minerals. Lovely long and nicely dry finish that really lingers with fruit replays. Special stuff! Started as a 94; ended up as a 95!
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Special treat for New Year's Eve after dinner as alternative to Champagne. Way too young but like all 2016 CDP, a wonderful showing. This one is less open and forward than the other '16 CDP's I've tasted but with plenty of time in the decanter, it opens up to have some wonderful aromas of sweet red fruit and some spice. Great mouthfeel with a palate that is loaded with fig and garrigue. I think this has enormous potential and while I don't regret opening this for a special occasion, it needs time. Likely to be one that will age very well. REC: HOLD at least a few more years or LONG DECANT IF DRINK SOON. 94++
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Stingy after even a 2 hour decant. Excellent after 4 fo 5 hours of air. Remains an excellent wine, similar to my last tasting note, but with less youthful exuberance and the beginnings of more complexity.
Will improve with age.
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Certainly young but oh so delicious with dark fruits including cherry and great, rounded structure, very fruit driven now, but many glories await this beauty.
Minimal decant , drank over ensuing 2 hours. Just a beautiful southern Rhône blend. Sweet and tart red cherries and strawberries, bit of pepper, super fine tannins, some cedar. High ETOH in this one but good balance .
Beautiful wine this evening. Splash decant and paired with BBQ chicken thighs. Soft velvety tannins. Great nose of red berries. Noticed it was my last bottle but drank well so no regrets not cellaring longer.
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Tasty but not ready to drink imo. Bright red fruit, some black fruit, pencil shavings and toasted marshmallow. 92+ today but I'm confident this will achieve 94 pts in 3-5 years.
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This is not a wine that delivers every vintage, I remember the 2014 to be lacking in terms of fruit and structure. However 2016 was a vintage which Beaucastel excelled. A big, powerful yet well balanced CdP. Notes of dark cherries, kirsch, forest floor, cayenne pepper, all-spice espresso bean and dark chocolate. The palate is rich, lush and spicy, with dark forest berries interwoven with dark bitter chocolate, black pepper and velvety tannins which leads to a medium powerful and slightly hot finish. I am lucky to have a couple of bottles of this vintage, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming years, after a couple of hours decant this was ready to go, yet I feel another couple of years will help integrate the Al a little more, the bottle says 14% but I doubt that, this is knocking on the 15% door. 96 potential
Fabulous. Deep, complex, but perfect balance of acid and tannins. Cherries, tobacco, garrague. Perfect with Sunday dinner-pot roast, potatoes, haricot verts with toasted almonds. Had wine tasting of three—this wine, Caliza Syrah, and Groth CS. This won the award by nearly all who attended. Wish we had more!
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After seeing all the tasting notes on the youthful drinking of this wine, I finally broke down and drank one. What a surprise - Beaucastel, usually primary for 10 years, was indeed still primary but a pleasure to drink. Bursting with luscious fruit, well balanced, perhaps a touch acidic, but that fit well with its youthful exuberance. I loved the bottle, so don’t hesitate to crack one early if you’ve got a few. This was from a half so might be a little more advanced than a 750.
I was really worried I was opening this too early, but I was really happy with the result. Peppery sweet fruit, cassis, and violet that has the cleanest warm stone minerality at the finish. This is drinking quite well on day one after a couple of hours in the glass.
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Perrin Family (By JdB): Deep bouquet with beautifully ripe fruits, leather, chocolate and garrigue. On the palate juicy and full bodied, pleasant acidity and round tannin. Good garrigue. Still too young. Great wine.
I increasingly enjoy CdPs at this age (with appropriate decant of course) and this 2016 from Beaucastel was excellent. Nice nose on pulling the cork, swirl decant let sit for 1 hr, drank over the next 1.5 hours. There was vibrant red fruit and CdP complexity of flavor - very very close to the ‘07 and ‘10 vintages magic. Fruit led the way, spice and Prov. market were secondary. The wine was really singing at the 2 hr mark, so I’d decant at least that long.
Beautiful ruby in glass. Pronounced intensity on the nose. Ripe cranberry, plum, violets and garrigue on the nose. Medium acidity and medium plus tannins with a faint hint of alcohol. Nice finish. Hold.
Did not write a note on this at the time of drinking last summer but boy was this good. First day this was quite reduced but second day it opened up so beautifully. Grand cru burgundy concenteation and feel but with a differentiating herbal sage/eucalyptus finish.
Much more balanced today. I feel a lot of cabernet vibes and I don't think it's any in it. Chocolate, liqourice, burnt, blueberries/sloeberries and some leathery notes as well. Much better than a year ago. Today it's 92-93.
Nothing exceptional here as we broke out the magnum for our second wine of the night with Stone Crabs & lobster. Nearly black in color lots of lighter fruits, figs, cherries, with no big finish. Slightly tannic on the end. OK but better value out there.
We liked it but like WINEGUYFL found it a little disappointing... a bit weak in flavor. We haven't had Beaucastel in a long time but we drank a lot of it in the 1990s. It was always big and powerful and had a ton of sediment. Heavy sediment was a characteristic, this one had very little. Have they started filtering it? We have another bottle and a magnum, let's hope they are better.
I had my first bottle of this one a little over a year ago and was disappointed......particularly in relation to other cellartracker.com tasters. This bottle was fully up to the other ratings. Classic CNdP.
30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise + resten av tillåtna druvor. Det öppnades förra helgen men var så knutet att jag hällde av lite vin för att se om det öppnar upp sig. Det hade det absolut gjort, men fortfarande alldeles för ungt. Medelstor doft av mörkröd körsbärsfrukt, garriguekryddor, lakrits, mocha/rostade toner I munnen fräscht mörkrödfruktig, bra koncentration och djup, initialt mjuka tanniner men de kommer igen som lite riviga i den medellånga finishen. Här finns massor som ännu ej är förlöst. Blir kul att följa hur det utvecklas.. Har fler flaskor kvar.
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; we each brought 2 or 3 bottles (@ RW): In the bouquet cherries and red as well as dark berries, good garrigue and some pleasant rustic impressions. Same on the palate. Laurel, good acidity and tannin which promises a future of more than another decade. Great wine! For now 93 – 94+
Opened for 2 hours. Color is very dark red/purple. On the nose: Plum, vanilla, Strawberry, pepper. Cassis and violets. On the palate: Strawberry, dark chocolate , vanilla, baking spices, plum. A lot of very pretty flavors in the mix. Finish is a bit short. Mouthfeel is sensuous.
Jan 9 2021 tasting: A medium bodied silky CDP - blackberry jam aroma w dark fruit, white pepper, meaty flavors - very smooth and pleasant but not the longest finish...94. March 19-20, 2021 tasting: Wow. Tasted over 2 days. What a difference a few months and a different bottle makes. This wine explodes on the nose w mixed dark berry jam. It is silky on the palate with red licorice, kirsch, and a touch of white pepper. Solid 45 second finish. Not getting the meatiness previously tasted, not that that’s a good or bad thing. Absolutely lovely! Glad I have 8 more - 97+
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From dbMG. Smooth, rich, open, juicy with plenty of 2016-richesse. Balance is perfect here, local feel - but polished at that. Will it close down? I don't really think so, the times (have been) a' changin' for Beaucastel ... #X-Mas Eve #Gilleleje
Drinking great right now. Atypical Beaucastel but perhaps with a longer and fruitful finish which it definitely benefits from. 2016 is going to be a great vintage to track. Hoping to hold off on next bottle until end of 2021
Decanted for 3 hours. Rich, smooth, espresso, fig/date. Nose a little closed but what a great wine. Needs time of course. A friend gifted me one so it gave me an excuse to drink one early and age the rest.
Nose: Blueberry, damson, smoked bacon, pepper, some eucalyptus
Palate: full bodied, plum, morello cherry, clove, black tea, anis, cut through with good acidity but a little bit bitter on the finish
This was excellent and the bitterness mellowed when revisiting the bottle the next day. I think I’ll have to try some more but sadly this was a singleton
The acidity is the first thing I notice. This has a lot. Smooth in the mouth. A small bitterness. I don't know but I expected some funk but there is none. Some alcohole. I think this probably should get some more time. 90 for now.
Very rich, yet elegant - quite cool fruit for the vintage, silky exteriour, almost polished, certainly dressed up to go to town. Will gain more local feel with time, I think - wait for this. #Nimb
Decanted for 2.5 hrs. Clear, medium dark, ruby plum red. Very enticing nose! Mashed, ripe red and black fruits, herbs (bay and fennel) and spices (nutmeg), and soft leather dominate. Full bodied and super smooth in the mouth with elevated acidity, lots of fruit extract and a warming finish from the alcohol. The flavours are again mixed dark red and black fruits (blackberry, boysenberry) with a backdrop of sweetened black tea, shredded bark and spicy oak. Pretty high tannins keep things in check. The finish is long, tangy and spicy with huge amounts of fruit and a final blast of spice and fennel seed. All the elements are starting to knit together nicely. Powerful and delectable! Easy 95 points!
Nez de fleur et rosier. Bouche timide au départ. Belle longueur au départ, mais les amers sont légèrement dominant avec fruits rouges. Après 3-4h le vin s’ouvre magnifiquement avec une bouche ample et longue. Fruits noirs, épices douces, cannelle. C’est super bon. Sera au top dans 10 ans.
Excellent as always. This was drinking very well out of the gate and picked up steam after an hour decant. Loads of red fruit and a silky mouthfeel. I left a half glass in the decanter to try the next day, and surprisingly was not at all good. Very candied. However, the drinkability on day 1 was fabulous.
Pop and pour... wow this thing is packed and in balance. Super clean, long finish. Silky tannins. The slightest hint of heat that might meld into the wine over the next year. Otherwise crack one open, in its prime for my taste.
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This is a spectacular bottle of wine even so young. After a six hour decant the wine begins to open with a powerful nose of pronounced blackberry, plum, cassis, vanilla, cigar box and spice. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced even with the currently gripping tannins. Flavours of blackberry, plum and chocolate with a hint of earthiness. Finish of black fruit and chocolate lasts and lasts.
This wins the contest for most varieties in a wine. The one thing this doesn't have - heat. Delicious vintage for this. BlackBerry and honey, mineral and earth. Something for everyone in this bottle. High mourvedre and it tastes like it. Overall, is it worth the upcharge though? Maybe a few bottles yes.
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Granate de buena capa con ribete algo abierto. Nariz intensa, seductora, perfumada, con matices licorosos, monte bajo, toques de caja de puros, toques especiados, fruta roja. En boca tiene buen ataque, bastante cuerpo, contundente pero muy fino, fresco, tanino intenso aún falto de pulirse, notable estructura y bastante longitud. Un vinazo que aún estás creciendo en botella.
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Drinking one now with another resting peacefully for another three or more years. Definitely needs time to open, but worth the wait. Blackberry, cherry and lightly herbaceous. Long finish. Grippy.
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Had it at Bin 54 Feb 15 - absolutely delicious. BlackBerry, cherry, with slight earth and pepper. Wonderfully smooth and still held up well to both wakkoqu steak as well as the fish dish we had. Very versatile.
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Consistently shut down hard across several bottles at a group dinner unfortunately. Deep, concentrated, and structured with lots of potential. I can see why this received so much hype early on. Will wait another five years before opening one again.
This is just incredible! So precise, full of structure. today 95+. But wait for the years ahead, this will be perfect. Its a CdP+++ never had one like this before. Be carefull by opening in the next 3-4 years, its hedonistic time will be over soon and enters in a kind of more closed period. Give it time and decand for sure!
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Opend the day after thanksgiving and followed all day. This is a full throttle effort with endless layers of jammy blackberry, raspberry, cassis, blueberry and strawberry fruit. Elegant and complex with mineral, rock, garrigue, fall leaves and grilled herb notes underneaath the fruit. Evolved a lot over 8+ hours.
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Pre-Thanksgiving Family Wine Night: Wow! There’s a lot to unpack here. Exsquisite nose followed by a very jammy palate that’s like biting into a fruit basket. Lots of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. The acid and tannins suggest this has the potential to age for decades. She’s got a lot going on right now and needs to settle down; I can’t wait to crack open another one in 2026. The future can’t come fast enough!
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I decided to taste this via Coravin after reading the TN from Motz. Wonderfully “refreshing” wine. Don’t think I ever used that word in a note but it captures the bold ripe fruit that cleanses the palate without any drying tannins. I’m liking this young but many Beaucastel fans always suggest holding for additional development so back to the cellar for this bottle!
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Tasted over three days, alongside the same vintage Coudoulet, which proved a fascinating experience. This wine offers a concentrated bouquet of herbs, spices, and exotic oils, along with deep floral perfume, and the essences of all lovely things crimson and purple. In a word: Gorgeous! The bouquet hints at striking profundity, in the form of layered rock and mineral substance. The expansive palate gives ample testament to the depth suggested by the bouquet. Red and purple fruited, noteworthy grit and grip, complex finish of exceptional length. Framed by high acid and medium tannin, deftly balanced. It deserves a long rest. As it sits, 96 points, 97 in time.
Next to the Coudoulet, this featured a reticence in line with, and indicative of, its latent substance, which allows the Coudoulet show better now. That substance is comprised of, among too many other elements to list, lightly sweetened dark chocolate, iodine, hot desert rocks, and powdery metallic ores. This puts the mind to wondering how beautifully this wine will show after 2027-2028.
Unlike the stately, seductive, and ethereal 2015, which offers red-fruited silk and velvet textures that glide across the palate, this puts the mind to the figurative equivalent of a mythical warrior goddess, who has bedded many lovers and vanquished even more.
If you like young Beaucastel (I do) this is in the perfect drinking window right now. No decant. Medium red fruits, explosive nose, long finish, fresh, vibrant and silky. None of the herbacuousness of more mature Beaucastel.
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Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 7 *shared* bottles] from 09/27/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): "Cinsault: 5%, Counoise: 10%, Grenache: 30%, Mourvèdre: 30%, Syrah: 15%, & Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne: 10%; Each variety is harvested separately and manually. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre, Syrah), and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the Oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled." 6,250 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.
N: Flowers, iron, spice (in no particular order) SLIGHTLY beneath garrigue? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly evolves into quite a LONG, *impeccably* BALANCED™™ finish which is already showing an elegance to the tangy/swt, dusty tannins. More restrained than I might have anticipated™, but a blockbuster nonetheless. NEEDS through '22, then CERTAINLY making its 15th, & based upon the track record of this bottling, who knows for "sure" how MUCH longer thereafter. My EXC/EXC+, even the higher quite poss ULT being "low". 99 pts Suckling + his #19/Top 100 for '18, 98 Jeff Leve, 97 ea WS & WA (Czerwinski), 96+ Dunnuck, 96 ea Vinous (Raynolds) & Decanter (Walls), 93, 94, & 95 (2x) winealign.com , 18.5/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 18/20 Jancis Robinson (Hemming), and 4*(*)/5 (barrels) drinkrhone.com ! [This vendor's $79.95 puts it towards the top of the lower 1/2 of wine-searcher's large field.]
™I found the '15 notably more flamboyant, & was expecting that here. Yes, I did taste the '15 on 12/30/17, roughly 9 mos EARLIER in its evolution than today's '16. Nonetheless, I *suspect* the difference was the result of the '16 having > acidity/structure.
™™I read/scanned over a peck of TNs/"pro" reviews while entering this. 2 particularly stuck with me. 1st, someone commented as to how the balance of this came across as "effortless." 2nd, at least 1 person remarked how this MIGHT *never* undergo the "shutdown" period for which Beaucastels are known. While #2 would buck a LONG, documented history, IF, in fact, it winds up being true, me thinks the B-A-L-A-N-C-E of this may well be the PRIMARY reason. :)
(tasted from 375; score is for now, will likely be higher in a few years)
I wanted to get a sense of what to look forward to in a few years from my full bottles, so I decided to open my half bottle. Right away, I got pure red and purple fruit. But it was wrapped in an elegant, but strong tannic layer. The tannins were long lasting, introducing tastes of herbs, iron, maybe a pinch of olives?
After an hour open, the tannins settled down enough to let the fruit open up, which is already so pure and delicious.
As others have said, a few more years in bottle should bring the wine into balance, and it will be truly fantastic then.
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It's all in there. Plum, herbs, smoke, tannins, nice acidity, balance. Alcohol shines through a bit, and I miss the funky tones that earlier vintages could display. It feels very modern, don't know if that's the 2016 hype/favourable growing season shining through...
The style shift Beaucastel began last vintage continues, with juicy vibrancy and punch, overflowing with cassis, woodsmoke, and garrigue. Plush palate, lively, very good.
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Le vin n'est pas très éclatant , un nez un peu fumé , pas très aromatique pour avoir goûter à quelques beaucastel au court des dernières années ce n'est pas un style qui me plaît ça fait générique et même avec l'âge c'est rien d'excitant , je ne comprend pas le prix et surtout les notes sur ce vin , assez décevant
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En mode semi-aveugle, c’est super fermé et le niveau aromatique est très bas comparé aux 2 autres vins (même traitement). La bouteille n’a pas de défaut, mais j’ai l’impression que nous n’avons pas eu une top bouteille. Si ce n’est pas le cas, c’est vraiment une déception, car elle n’est pas du même niveau que Clos ou Charvin en ce moment!
Absolutely terrific! So giving at this young stage. Full and intense, yet graceful and still light on its feet. Best young Beaucastel I have tasted in years. This should blossom with time.
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Day 1: Popped and poured. Consumed 1/3 bottle over two hours. Minimal aromas and flavors. A bit astringent. Not much to enjoy here now or in the near term. I’m not convinced there is long term upside. Replaced cork. Day 30: Fell apart, whereas I’ve seen other wines blossom with this much time.
Not blown away and not my favourite 2016 Rhone. The 2015 was a wow wine, but this was not for me. I remember being more impressed with the 2016 Coudoulet. But didn't try them side by side.
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Probably the most enjoyable young Beaucastel I have had. It is so vibrant and punchy, with notes of raspberry, plum, violets and wild herbs. It is deep and intense, but light on its feet, like great Grand Cru Burgundy. Tannins simply occupy a space and it builds through the palate, fanning out on the finish. I love the breezy acidity and sneaky persistence.
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Potential 100-point wine. The harmony and integration exceed any Chateauneuf ever tasted, including classic vintages of Beaucastel. Maybe if drunk beside the Hommage it would be downgraded to 98; we won't know for another decade-plus. Chateauneuf is a "rustic" wine in general, but not this one. And you don't even feel the 14.5% alcohol. As a bonus, it's quite possible the 2016 will never shut down, but just keep gaining complexity as time passes. Superb.
Dark violet with maroon rim; dark nose bordering on brooding, waves of very dark fruit, slight tar, a kiss of saddle leather, and lavender tea, candied violet, and herbs de Provence; palate shows beautiful ripeness and plush wall of substantial tannins, the Mourvèdre stands out with impressive dark fruit, some cooked fig emerges and lower acid yet never feels flabby, layered and rich noble mouthfeel; enjoyed it now but should be fun to follow its evolution.
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2016 CdP (and some other wines over dinner) (NY Racquet and Tennis Club): My general impression of this wine is based a bit more on what I think it will be in the future more than what it is right now. If I was picking among this group for a wine to drink tonight this is definitely not it, but if I'm thinking about a wine I might want to drink in 20 years I could see this standing the test of time. Initially though it starts off with a bit of a sour side. Like unripe red fruit. Almost a touch bitter. Definitely tannin and they lightly coat the mouth. Fast forward a bit and it's starting to open some. Fruit tastes a bit better. Other parts still more closed. I think just a lot more time here.
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Nose: Deep, red cherries, some cranberries, slight carbonic tingle, a subtle barnyard funk, branches, wet soil and a little bit of spiced oak.
Palate: Rich, juicy, sweet red fruits. Earth, branches, some tea.
Clear, medium Ruby. Dry but with a slight bit of enjoyable sweetness with medium amounts of soft, grippy tannins. Light-plus body with medium acidity. Good finish of about 8 seconds. Smooth and enjoyable. The sweetness, along with the acidity, makes it very enjoyable. Everything is working well together and seems well balanced. Good stuff.
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Tried my first ‘16. Powerful wine, let it rest for another year. Similar to the ‘15 but with a little more heat. Super long finish. Bright red fruits. If you can give it a decant and enjoy it over a couple hours. I shared mine with friends, was gone too fast.
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Outstanding with fascinating complexity. Very approachable right now. Can sit on these for 10-20 years but no way I will be able to hold out that long.
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Semi-fruity, medium to full bodied with supple tannins and a long dry finish. Excellent complexity, mid-pallet notes of vanilla, blackberry, Goes well with goat cheese, red meats or drink by itself.
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Nice dark magenta colour that stains the glass when swirling. On the nose, potent aromas of redcurrant, plums, liquorice, leather, Swiss kirsch, tar, blackberry, pomegranate, smoke, herbs and anis. On the palate, the attack is frank, with a fruity, then tannic presence lifted by a good and quite present acidity. Starts off with red fruit and finishes with a bit of black fruit. Nice density, and length finishing raisins, plums and herby smoke. This is my first young Beaucastel (my first Beaucastel was a 2009 a couple of months ago), and though I don't have much of a frame a reference, the sheer number of aromas picked up in it is really fascinating from a complexity perspective and its mouth characteristics like concentration, balance and length are really impressive. This is still a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but it manages to not be heavy, though I can't really say that it is ethereal at this stage. Excellent! Gains from a few hours of air. In an ideal world, I wouldn't taste another till 2024, but I doubt I'll be able to keep my hands off of at least another bottle between now and 2022. 93 today with upwards potential.
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This lives up to all the hype. Might be the best young Beaucastel I have every tasted. Can't wait to see this blossom over the next 20 years. Incredibly light on the palate for a CdP, but so much oomph on the mid palate.
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Lavinia - Dégustation Vallée du Rhône du 27 Mars 2019 (Lavinia, Boulevard Madeleine - Paris): Nez : intensité aromatique normale. Il aurait mérité plus d’aération afin de s’ouvrir davantage mais les conditions de dégustation ne l’ont pas permis. Nez assez profond autour d’arômes de cassis, de framboise noire, de prune, d’olive, de réglisse mais des notes de pierre à fusil apportent cette fraicheur et cet équilibre propre aux 2016 du Rhône sud.
Bouche : l’attaque se montre ronde, riche et franche sur de la prune et de la framboise noire amère. Corps ample, riche mais d’un grand équilibre qui apporte un fruit juteux (prune, cerise noire amère, framboise noire, épices). Le cœur de bouche affiche progressivement une belle structure tout en gardant un toucher de bouche gracieux. Tanins abondants mais d’un grain fin. Bon « kick » en fin de bouche qui vivifie et allonge une finale qui se veut vibrante, de belle intensité aromatique sur un beau fruit (cerise, garrigue, prune, légers amers chocolatés) à la concentration profonde mais restant digeste. Une allonge superlative !
Note : 17-17,5/20 i.e. 94-95/100
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Very nice young wine that will benefit (but does not need) extended holding. Blackberry’s and plum on the nose and pallet with a long finish. Young tannins for sure that will fade
375ml bottle. After 2 hrs decant nose is big blackberry jam, very floral, stone, just opulent. In the palate huge blackberry again, loamy earth, flowers, lavender especially, hints of mint and anise, wet stone, a bit of pepper. Lots of young tannin but perfectly delicious already. 8.4/10 at this stage but will surely be even better in some years.
After 4 hrs nose is full of lavender and other fresh flowers, acai, wet stone. Palate is acai and other berry, stone, earth, lavender. Finish is moderate length and lavender centered. Tannins have softened some. Still improving, 8.7/10 now, can’t wait to try this in 5-10 years.
Tried at same time as Saxum JB Vineyard 2015. Both rated 97 WA. Saxum better cocktail wine-fruitier. Maybe Beaucastel better w/food. Recorked w/o nitrogen or vacuum. About the same day 2, better day 3. My guess is 2025 is a good estimate of peak.
One glass from a PnP'd bottle shared with friends in Florida. Berry, dark cherry & spice flavors. Continued to improve over the 30 minutes it was in my glass. Lots of potential in the future.
Truly exceptional wine, the complexity here has no bounds- Mourvèdre weighs heavy on this blend. I’ve had this twice and it’s amazing now and has decades ahead of it.
Chinese New Year (Gen Hoe): CNY. Clearly too young, but curiosity got the best of me and so we pulled the cork and decanted this for a short while before leaving for the dinner. Deep color. Dark fruit and spice elements with a subtle mineral/rocky component. Tannins are firm but fine. Mixed fruit, herbs, earth and spice tones. Very young, but the fruit is very nice and it's already nicely balanced. This will be a fun one to follow over the coming years. 91-92 pts now, with plenty of upside. Hold until 2026+.
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Opened to breathe for 1-3h, sampling throughout. From a split. Soft nose of graphite, hints of oak, and spice on the nose. The palate has bright red berries, red cherries, with spices, subliminal oak, tannins and acid in the finish. Light, complex, and accessible after opening, but improved integration after 2h of air time. This will be truly gorgeous in another 5-10 years of quiet time in the cellar. Tonight with salmon ceasar salad.
I found my experience with this bottle somewhat restrained when compared to other cellartracker.com tasters. It was good, but not up to what I expected.....was fairly tight. Vinous says to not drink this winefor a good while......I am going to put this one away for a couple of years.
Excellent young Beaucastel. Very clean nose of cherries, fresh Earth and gamey Mourvedre. On the palate the wine was ripe, racy, concentrated and medium to full bodied. Long and bright finish with moderate tannins. Very fresh, no raisined fruit. This will be wonderful in another 4-5 years.
This is really fruit-forward...more so than the 2015 I had a few months ago. I think it's possible I'd even guess this wrong if I tasted it blind. Scents of violets, earth, manure, along with ripe notes of plum, with a hint of fig. The palate is awash in ripe red & blue fruits, tobacco, leather, and clove. Excellent...but I'm going to wait on the remaining bottle I have in the hopes that it calms down with time sideways.
A different animal from the wonderfully concentrated ‘15, this exhibits noir fruit, raspberry, pork shoulder, violets, red lava, stout beer and chocolate orchid. There’s an idealistic purity of fruit, with beauty and precision. Very silky tannnins and the finish is savory, with length. I love the aftertaste of mixed berries and herbs. Decanted for three hours and capable of a long study. The body is paradoxically transparent and suave, yet there’s density and a raciness. Drink 2022 -.
I have several of these in different sizes, and wanted to try one now (Dec 2018) in the wine's youth. My other bottles are stashed away for enjoyment in the medium to far future. This note captures my impressions after a 5.5 hour decant, from a 375 ml bottle, mmimicking what might occur after years in the cellar. Tart red fruit and black fruit on the nose, but not overly aromatic. Complex flavor with cherry, pomegranate, blackberry, vanilla, gravel, eucalyptus, and spices. Full bodied, with a very long finish. Certainly a highlight of the cellar.
This showed far better young than the 2014 I had a few months back. Dark ruby with moderate aromatics, the nose had dark berries, Christmas spice, and bouquet garni. Good concentration along the palate, with a medium-long, balanced finish. The whole package is very classic, not at all modern.
One taster commented that the Grenache was most present early but that earthy Mourvèdre notes began to peek out 20-30 minutes later and I got a sense of that being true. I favor Clos Des Papes for young CNdP, but this will stand the test of time and improve for many years.
Tasted next to 2015 Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Quite restrained in comparison with more depth and complexity on the nose - spices, tobacco, wood smoke, dark fruit, cherries on the nose. On the palate great intensity and power - slightly mineral with great acidity, a firm tannic backbone and loads of fruit underneath. Great balance. Very long and lingering. 94-95+
Had two in the cellar for long term but couldnt wait to try so picked up a third! Expressive, warm dark fruit aromas. Almost a tingling warm raspberry taste when it first hits your mouth, then opens into warm violet notes and on and on. Wonderfully long finish. Tightly balanced tannin and acidity. Paired with seared strip lion with thyme butter and roasted potato wedges. Crowd pleasing!
Gosh, have to agree with the high praise and points of fellow trackers: The wine is intensely aromatic. A huge perfumed bouquet of violets, plum preserve, blackberry, lavender. Some musky aromas lurk in the back add to the complexity to the tingly purple fruit core. There's a huge mouth of impressive fruit and structure on the palate with great precision and finish. This is a monumental wine.
Very nice indeed; Southern Rhone isn't always refreshing but Beaucastel seems to pull it off. Black fruit, pomegranate, grapefruit, a little musk. Vibrant acidity in the mouth. Should come along quite nicely - I like this.
Barely stained cork - this is so young! Crystalline magenta red colour that just sparkles with purity. Tons of black and purple berry fruit on the nose, with licorice, chalk, graphite, tar, that just gets richer and deeper the more you inhale. Not much in the way of garrigue notes at this point - just so much fleshy fruit. So smooth for such a young powerful wine! Perfectly balanced from front to back, and if anything builds on the finish with a huge burst of flavour that lingers and lingers. Great acidity, perfectly ripe sweet fruit to balance the alcohol, almost imperceptable tannins - but they are there in abundance. Keeps on putting on more and more weight in the glass. This is crazy good! Hard not to gulp! But this should smooth out even more, get even richer and more complex in time. Will be amazing in 10 years if you can wait that long! 96 points easy at even this very young age! Wow - what a beautiful wine!
It is easy to get lost in the aromatic complexities here with all the pepper, leaf, wet earth, spice, old wood, dark cherry and plum notes. On the palate, the wine is polished, deep, fresh, concentrated and sweet, Here, there is a purity and symmetry to the wine, along with a clean palate of fruits this year, that makes this a treat to taste, even at this young stage. Marc Perrin thinks this is the best wine produced here since the back to back duo of 1989 and 1990. I am sure this is better than both those pervious vintages. It is a stunning wine that deserves your attention to find a bottle and taste it. This should have the ability to age for decades.
4/22/2024 - Es7e2003 Likes this wine: 93 Points
See previous notes. Kirsch, Lavender, garrigue, and minerality. Medium acidity and tannins. Medium plus finish. Still a little tight. Good showing. Out of a 375 ml.
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4/17/2024 - Winflop wrote: 97 Points
Shared bottle with my wife at TORC in Napa, which has a lot of mushroom & truffle dishes. Full bodied for a Beaucastel with beautiful fruit & depth. Paired wonderfully with everything, including dark chocolate ice cream
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3/30/2024 - JackCali wrote: 94 Points
Drank Remy, wonderful wine with low moderate tannin.
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3/20/2024 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 92 Points
"Lions Share" tasting note is a great descriptor of this wine, my score was less but the tasting note is on point. These wines to me need 10-15 years to get that secodnary profile. This was still primary but the value of this wine is off the charts
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3/14/2024 - CarpeDiem! wrote: 90 Points
Either in a protracted reduction phase or simply punching above its (current) weight, this very pricey bottle left us unimpressed. Shy notes of cassis, blackberries, liquorice, garrigue pencilshave and earthy notes in the finish. To be revisited in some years.
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3/9/2024 - Lion's Share Likes this wine: 98 Points
My first taste of the 2016. Another luscious Beaucastel triumph. A wine like this one makes the waiting worth it. This leads with cassis, then layers of fruit, both red and black. The core is fully integrated with notes of licorice, cedar, and garrigue. Wonderfully polished. Very focused.
I decanted for an hour before serving. The wine develops considerably in the glass. A serving drank slowly offers an interesting evolution with the various elements of the core taking turns playing the leading role.
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2/26/2024 - dbg wrote:
My first look at this. Opens with a nice nose of cherry, red berries, floral and herbal notes. Medium body, ripe fruit, nice balance, very clean… I miss the old Beaucastel funk. But this is one of the few Châteauneufs that haven’t gone over-the-top ripe. Medium finish. Too young for any aged complexity yet but drinking well as it is. Gets richer and deeper over the course of 2 hours. Excellent.
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2/19/2024 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for four hours prior to tasting.
Medium dark Ruby color; umami-laden nose.
Dark and integrated blue/black fruit. Rich and balanced. This is an outstanding Beaucastel that is just beginning to hit its stride. It’s wonderful right now, and it still has some upside.
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2/19/2024 - BrendanMcS wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful fruity nose. Really delicious and jammy on the tongue. Very complex. Very smooth tannins. This is really something special. I’m glad I have 5 more. Decanted to get the sediment out (very little) and consumed immediately over the next 2 hours or so.
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2/17/2024 - Édifice Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bouquet of ripe blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, jam, mint. Fantastic palate, smooth, lush, ripe berries, more jam, minty and fresh elements, a bit of grip, tingling with sweet and fresh impressions for quite a while. Great wine, already in a good place to drink.
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2/16/2024 - Pedroel Likes this wine:
Needs more time.
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1/28/2024 - RickyBobby62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Short (1/2 hour) decant. Nose: chocolate, cinnamon, clove. Taste: boysenberry, orange, plenty of fruit. Some acids & tanins remain. Should be even better in a couple of years. Very nice!
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1/26/2024 - JBroll wrote: 92 Points
Smooth but powerful, rich but fresh. Love the balanced power kick and the way it works soo well with the freshness. Noticeable tannins and a little bit warmth from the alcohol (14,5%), quite a nice pickmeup wine:) 2016 was also a very good vintage for it.
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1/13/2024 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Drank over two days, alongside the 2015.
Strikingly purple-fruited and piercing next to the red-fruited, open-knit 2015.
Bouquet of violets, blackberry, boysenberry, red and purple root vegetables, 'sweet' herbs, pipe tobacco, backed by impressions of semi-precious stone hardness, schist, and metallic ores. These qualities put the mind to high quality Gigondas offerings, which oftentimes rival or exceed CdP, for notably lower prices. The mythical warrior goddess's perfume (per my note of 2019) entices and enthralls.
The wine tastes like it smells...wondrously so. Precise and expansive. Seductive and bracing textures throughout. Long, evocative finish.
Balanced, unique, deeply satisfying. For all its intensity, it delivers riveting pleasure as a standalone sipper (tanninphobes, however, should approach this cautiously...or not at all...for five to seven years). All elements point to maturity after 2036. 96-97.
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12/16/2023 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Youthful looking medium to dark ruby with purple. Smells like ripe, jammier purple/blue fruit. Quite an entry on the palate. Approachable but fresh, juicy, very fruit primary, quite nice. Will be interesting to try this again in 5, 10 years. Primary now, hopefully some upside as complexity develops.
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12/16/2023 - dagij Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is probably the best Beaucastel I have ever tasted. Deep dark, almost black/blue all the way to the rim. The nose is beginning to mature: deep blueberry and blackberry tones dominate, but is also complemented with tones of leather, fresh meat, vanilla, pepper and tar. Complex? Yes!! Full bodied and smooth attack, lots of fruit up front, very fine grained tannins, impressive breadth and depth in the mouth, beautiful balance between sweet fruit, acidity, and fine grained tannins on the finish. Very long, very fresh, and at the same time sweet and welcoming. The fruit reemerges on the long finish, and the main impression is sweet and fresh, lifted. Approachable now, but will improve for at least five more years. Wow!
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12/13/2023 - Scottwhipp Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning might be an overstatement, but close. Beautiful bouquet gives a prelude of the taste of raspberry coulis, blueberry, lavender and red licorice. Soft tannins but with enough grip to balance the fruit. Drinking very nicely now, but still vibrant and youthful.
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11/3/2023 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
This one was a big hit at a restaurant at dinner. It is in a great drink window right now and lives up to the Pro ratings. Classic CNdP.
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10/21/2023 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 93 Points
pretty but young. bright red fruit, plum, minerality. a bit tannic and needs more time but still very enjoyable
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10/16/2023 - TomE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seems to have entered its drinking window. Needed to open for about 30 minutes to be ripe.
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9/2/2023 - happy712 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Needs a 6 hour decant at this point. Perfume of smoke and medicinal aromas. Taste of black pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits, leather, and a little licorice. Very earthy. Great with steak, BBQ, and bleu cheese.
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8/15/2023 - adamanko wrote: 94 Points
Had it with a lovely, fatty chistorras and the match was superb. After a couple of hours it was good without as well. Today, 94 with food and after a couple of hours. Hold or air it.
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7/8/2023 - azscot wrote: 95 Points
First of a half case bought En Primeur. Double decanted for 3 hrs. Deep purple color, Beautiful nose of raspberries, blackberries and wild flowers. . Lush and rich with cherries, raspberries, plum and herbs. One of the best vintages of this wine and up there with the 2010, 2009 and 2001.
This is still young and given time will be a point or two better.
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7/3/2023 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sampled side-by-side from Syrah glass stems and std cab-shaped plastic pool stems ; profile and finish definitely longer and more complete from a standard Cabernet stem.
After five hours in the decanter there's still ton of tannins front to mid palate. Charcoal, stone and clay
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5/2/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
First bottle from a five bottle lot purchased at auction in 2020. Pristine condition, gently decanted four hours in advance to soften the tannins and slightly open up the aromatic profile. It's a marvellous wine, some say the best since 1989 and 1990 and maybe even better. Beautifully crafted, everything in the right place, elegant and intense, youthful and energetic but already giving so much, sensual and structured, ripe (14.5% ABV) but refreshing, polished and harmonious, complex aromas, perfectly integrated firm structure of sandy tannins, convincing and expansive finish. Drink now - 2036.
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4/11/2023 - ChristopherB Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a half bottle. Nice dark magenta-ruby colour. On the nose upon opening, it is rather timid with garrigue, red fruit and kirsch aromas. With a few hours, raspberry, plums, liquorice, leather, Swiss kirsch, smoke, herbs and anis. On the palate, the attack is frank, still tight with the aromas as found on the nose, with a good lift, and a very good length on the red fruit and herbs. In my book this is still closed and I wouldn't touch the next half bottle till about 2026. 92 today with upwards potential.
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4/9/2023 - benjamin96 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beau C9P,
Jeune, mais fort expressif, goumsnd, garrique, pot pourrie, longue finale, leger alcool, la prochaine dans 5 ans.
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4/7/2023 - SirJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ch Beaucastel CdP 2016 is really in a good phase right now. Very high quality which also needs 3 - 4 hours before it really opens. There is a little stall in the aroma, but a lovely dark fruit. 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 30% of grapes that are permitted according to current regulations. Have several bottles left that will be even better in 3-5 years.
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3/6/2023 - Es7e2003 Likes this wine: 92 Points
See previous notes. A little muted initially. Opened up in an hour. Medium ruby with garnet rims. Medium intensity on the nose. Lavender, garrigue and raspberries. Medium plus tannins and finish. Hold or decant.
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2/25/2023 - Order66 wrote:
Muted. Soft. Tannic. Acidic. Vaguely fragrant and some oak and spice. My ruling: Closed down. I’m not touching for another 6 years at least. It’s a crime to open it now. Looks like we missed our windows, chaps.
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2/25/2023 - Rasmussenbrent Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle didn't taste like the other amazing ones of the same vintage. It wasn't bad, but didn't have the same long taste. It was just simple.
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2/19/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as the 3/21 review... not the big banger we remember. It has a reputation for being very overweight on the Morvedre, so it has never been the classic CDP. We much prefer the CA versions of GSM.
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2/19/2023 - PAWS wrote: 90 Points
Bottle was a bit off, nose was clean, but not much fruit and finish had a bite, perhaps this needs to rest longer or this was an outlier.
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2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): In the bouquet ripe red berries and cherries as well as fresh garrigue. On the palate red and dark berries, some laurel, a bit pleasantly rustic, leather, chocolate, elegant acidity and round tannin with a pleasant bite. With a little more air time this was the most beautiful wine of the flight. 94++
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2/6/2023 - Frijole wrote:
deep dark burgundy red, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: blackberries, blueberries, cherry jam, licorice, lavender, ginger cake, wet earth, garrigue, minerals, cedar
Pal: blackberries, blueberries, cherry jam, licorice, tar, spice cake, wet earth, garrigue, minerals, integrated tannins, cedar
Feel: medium, round, minerally, touch acidity
Finish: long
T9 (could be a 10)
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2/4/2023 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Saturday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): Definitely one of the better editions of this wine in recent memory. This is a lot more dialled back than others, and shows some nice red fruit on the nose and palate. Not as heavy-handed as I would expect for a contemporary Châteauneuf-du-Pape but at the end of the day, this is still a wine of relatively low acidity and high alcohol.
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1/7/2023 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfect cork. Decanted off a minor amount of silty sediment. Very pure, dark red, ripe plum colour. Luxurious and voluptuous nose! Loads of spicy red fruits, garrigue, especially fresh bay leaf and fennel, new leather, cedar and more. Lots going on here! Medium-full bodied, gobs of sweet fruit extract, sandy tannins, perfect acidity and warming alcohol on the finish. Flavours in line with the nose and include ripe and juicy red and black fruits, fennel, cedar (lots), cured tobacco, black olive and dark minerals. Lovely long and nicely dry finish that really lingers with fruit replays. Special stuff! Started as a 94; ended up as a 95!
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12/31/2022 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Special treat for New Year's Eve after dinner as alternative to Champagne.
Way too young but like all 2016 CDP, a wonderful showing. This one is less open and forward than the other '16 CDP's I've tasted but with plenty of time in the decanter, it opens up to have some wonderful aromas of sweet red fruit and some spice. Great mouthfeel with a palate that is loaded with fig and garrigue. I think this has enormous potential and while I don't regret opening this for a special occasion, it needs time. Likely to be one that will age very well. REC: HOLD at least a few more years or LONG DECANT IF DRINK SOON. 94++
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12/13/2022 - CabinConnoisseur Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stingy after even a 2 hour decant. Excellent after 4 fo 5 hours of air. Remains an excellent wine, similar to my last tasting note, but with less youthful exuberance and the beginnings of more complexity.
Will improve with age.
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11/21/2022 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious!
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10/9/2022 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 94 Points
Certainly young but oh so delicious with dark fruits including cherry and great, rounded structure, very fruit driven now, but many glories await this beauty.
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9/9/2022 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Minimal decant , drank over ensuing 2 hours. Just a beautiful southern Rhône blend. Sweet and tart red cherries and strawberries, bit of pepper, super fine tannins, some cedar. High ETOH in this one but good balance .
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9/7/2022 - Eiswhine wrote:
Lots of red fruit - great tannins. Young. Delicious
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9/2/2022 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine this evening. Splash decant and paired with BBQ chicken thighs. Soft velvety tannins. Great nose of red berries. Noticed it was my last bottle but drank well so no regrets not cellaring longer.
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8/8/2022 - pakabear Likes this wine:
No formal notes, classic CdP, took a couple hours of air to open and should continue to improve for a decade.
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7/23/2022 - Cholera Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely. Smooth integratd tannins with just enough spice and char to keep it interesting.
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5/20/2022 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasty but not ready to drink imo. Bright red fruit, some black fruit, pencil shavings and toasted marshmallow. 92+ today but I'm confident this will achieve 94 pts in 3-5 years.
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4/17/2022 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is not a wine that delivers every vintage, I remember the 2014 to be lacking in terms of fruit and structure. However 2016 was a vintage which Beaucastel excelled. A big, powerful yet well balanced CdP. Notes of dark cherries, kirsch, forest floor, cayenne pepper, all-spice espresso bean and dark chocolate. The palate is rich, lush and spicy, with dark forest berries interwoven with dark bitter chocolate, black pepper and velvety tannins which leads to a medium powerful and slightly hot finish. I am lucky to have a couple of bottles of this vintage, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming years, after a couple of hours decant this was ready to go, yet I feel another couple of years will help integrate the Al a little more, the bottle says 14% but I doubt that, this is knocking on the 15% door. 96 potential
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3/7/2022 - CASEBIER KENNETH Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fabulous. Deep, complex, but perfect balance of acid and tannins. Cherries, tobacco, garrague. Perfect with Sunday dinner-pot roast, potatoes, haricot verts with toasted almonds. Had wine tasting of three—this wine, Caliza Syrah, and Groth CS. This won the award by nearly all who attended. Wish we had more!
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2/26/2022 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 93 Points
After seeing all the tasting notes on the youthful drinking of this wine, I finally broke down and drank one. What a surprise - Beaucastel, usually primary for 10 years, was indeed still primary but a pleasure to drink. Bursting with luscious fruit, well balanced, perhaps a touch acidic, but that fit well with its youthful exuberance. I loved the bottle, so don’t hesitate to crack one early if you’ve got a few. This was from a half so might be a little more advanced than a 750.
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2/11/2022 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was really worried I was opening this too early, but I was really happy with the result. Peppery sweet fruit, cassis, and violet that has the cleanest warm stone minerality at the finish. This is drinking quite well on day one after a couple of hours in the glass.
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2/9/2022 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Perrin Family (By JdB): Deep bouquet with beautifully ripe fruits, leather, chocolate and garrigue. On the palate juicy and full bodied, pleasant acidity and round tannin. Good garrigue. Still too young. Great wine.
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1/9/2022 - cab_fran Likes this wine: 95 Points
I increasingly enjoy CdPs at this age (with appropriate decant of course) and this 2016 from Beaucastel was excellent. Nice nose on pulling the cork, swirl decant let sit for 1 hr, drank over the next 1.5 hours. There was vibrant red fruit and CdP complexity of flavor - very very close to the ‘07 and ‘10 vintages magic. Fruit led the way, spice and Prov. market were secondary. The wine was really singing at the 2 hr mark, so I’d decant at least that long.
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11/1/2021 - Es7e2003 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful ruby in glass. Pronounced intensity on the nose. Ripe cranberry, plum, violets and garrigue on the nose. Medium acidity and medium plus tannins with a faint hint of alcohol. Nice finish. Hold.
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10/2/2021 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had this blind....This has really shut down here since the last time I had it a year ago... time to sleep for 4/5 years...next not before 2026
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9/14/2021 - Vinolsen wrote:
- Brick color - Ulrik 50 ar
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8/25/2021 - marcus_francois Likes this wine:
Did not write a note on this at the time of drinking last summer but boy was this good. First day this was quite reduced but second day it opened up so beautifully. Grand cru burgundy concenteation and feel but with a differentiating herbal sage/eucalyptus finish.
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8/11/2021 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking very well at the moment.
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8/6/2021 - Cholera Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous. 🤯🤯
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7/23/2021 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 94 Points
A wonderful wine. Will pull out another bottle in a few years.
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5/3/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding, beautiful wine. So pure and alive. It's wonderful to try this young - there is so much potential here.
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5/1/2021 - adamanko wrote: 92 Points
Much more balanced today. I feel a lot of cabernet vibes and I don't think it's any in it. Chocolate, liqourice, burnt, blueberries/sloeberries and some leathery notes as well. Much better than a year ago. Today it's 92-93.
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4/26/2021 - gerard.h Likes this wine: 96 Points
A dark fruit bomb
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4/15/2021 - gamlingman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nothing exceptional here as we broke out the magnum for our second wine of the night with Stone Crabs & lobster. Nearly black in color lots of lighter fruits, figs, cherries, with no big finish. Slightly tannic on the end. OK but better value out there.
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3/2/2021 - seijaro Likes this wine: 92 Points
We liked it but like WINEGUYFL found it a little disappointing... a bit weak in flavor. We haven't had Beaucastel in a long time but we drank a lot of it in the 1990s. It was always big and powerful and had a ton of sediment. Heavy sediment was a characteristic, this one had very little. Have they started filtering it? We have another bottle and a magnum, let's hope they are better.
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2/25/2021 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had my first bottle of this one a little over a year ago and was disappointed......particularly in relation to other cellartracker.com tasters. This bottle was fully up to the other ratings. Classic CNdP.
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2/5/2021 - merlotsmile wrote:
30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise + resten av tillåtna druvor.
Det öppnades förra helgen men var så knutet att jag hällde av lite vin för att se om det öppnar upp sig.
Det hade det absolut gjort, men fortfarande alldeles för ungt.
Medelstor doft av mörkröd körsbärsfrukt, garriguekryddor, lakrits, mocha/rostade toner
I munnen fräscht mörkrödfruktig, bra koncentration och djup, initialt mjuka tanniner men de kommer igen som lite riviga i den medellånga finishen.
Här finns massor som ännu ej är förlöst. Blir kul att följa hur det utvecklas.. Har fler flaskor kvar.
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1/20/2021 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; we each brought 2 or 3 bottles (@ RW): In the bouquet cherries and red as well as dark berries, good garrigue and some pleasant rustic impressions. Same on the palate. Laurel, good acidity and tannin which promises a future of more than another decade. Great wine! For now 93 – 94+
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1/12/2021 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for 2 hours. Color is very dark red/purple. On the nose: Plum, vanilla, Strawberry, pepper. Cassis and violets. On the palate: Strawberry, dark chocolate , vanilla, baking spices, plum. A lot of very pretty flavors in the mix. Finish is a bit short. Mouthfeel is sensuous.
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1/9/2021 - Dough Boy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Jan 9 2021 tasting: A medium bodied silky CDP - blackberry jam aroma w dark fruit, white pepper, meaty flavors - very smooth and pleasant but not the longest finish...94.
March 19-20, 2021 tasting: Wow. Tasted over 2 days. What a difference a few months and a different bottle makes. This wine explodes on the nose w mixed dark berry jam. It is silky on the palate with red licorice, kirsch, and a touch of white pepper. Solid 45 second finish. Not getting the meatiness previously tasted, not that that’s a good or bad thing. Absolutely lovely! Glad I have 8 more - 97+
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12/24/2020 - jm98029 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth, black cherry, softer tannins.
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12/24/2020 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
From dbMG. Smooth, rich, open, juicy with plenty of 2016-richesse. Balance is perfect here, local feel - but polished at that. Will it close down? I don't really think so, the times (have been) a' changin' for Beaucastel ...
#X-Mas Eve #Gilleleje
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12/19/2020 - Red Devils Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking great right now. Atypical Beaucastel but perhaps with a longer and fruitful finish which it definitely benefits from. 2016 is going to be a great vintage to track. Hoping to hold off on next bottle until end of 2021
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12/18/2020 - mvande21 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Superbly balanced Beaucastel CdP. Fresh, smooth with great fruit expression and silky tannins. Excellent. Paired well with meat sauce spahgetti.
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12/13/2020 - twain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Rich, smooth, espresso, fig/date. Nose a little closed but what a great wine. Needs time of course. A friend gifted me one so it gave me an excuse to drink one early and age the rest.
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11/9/2020 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
First time trying this iconic Chateaneuf du Pape
Nose: Blueberry, damson, smoked bacon, pepper, some eucalyptus
Palate: full bodied, plum, morello cherry, clove, black tea, anis, cut through with good acidity but a little bit bitter on the finish
This was excellent and the bitterness mellowed when revisiting the bottle the next day. I think I’ll have to try some more but sadly this was a singleton
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11/6/2020 - tk54 wrote: 92 Points
Needs time
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10/18/2020 - Quimet Likes this wine: 96 Points
Soft elegant but big enough to stand up to fantastic steak
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9/23/2020 - adamanko wrote:
The acidity is the first thing I notice. This has a lot. Smooth in the mouth. A small bitterness. I don't know but I expected some funk but there is none. Some alcohole. I think this probably should get some more time. 90 for now.
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9/22/2020 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Very rich, yet elegant - quite cool fruit for the vintage, silky exteriour, almost polished, certainly dressed up to go to town. Will gain more local feel with time, I think - wait for this.
#Nimb
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9/9/2020 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Super concentrated with nice lift...still mostly on fruits complexity will come .... a potentially very good wine
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9/7/2020 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hrs. Clear, medium dark, ruby plum red. Very enticing nose! Mashed, ripe red and black fruits, herbs (bay and fennel) and spices (nutmeg), and soft leather dominate. Full bodied and super smooth in the mouth with elevated acidity, lots of fruit extract and a warming finish from the alcohol. The flavours are again mixed dark red and black fruits (blackberry, boysenberry) with a backdrop of sweetened black tea, shredded bark and spicy oak. Pretty high tannins keep things in check. The finish is long, tangy and spicy with huge amounts of fruit and a final blast of spice and fennel seed. All the elements are starting to knit together nicely. Powerful and delectable! Easy 95 points!
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9/7/2020 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nez de fleur et rosier. Bouche timide au départ. Belle longueur au départ, mais les amers sont légèrement dominant avec fruits rouges.
Après 3-4h le vin s’ouvre magnifiquement avec une bouche ample et longue. Fruits noirs, épices douces, cannelle. C’est super bon.
Sera au top dans 10 ans.
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8/18/2020 - bablues wrote: 93 Points
Excellent as always. This was drinking very well out of the gate and picked up steam after an hour decant. Loads of red fruit and a silky mouthfeel. I left a half glass in the decanter to try the next day, and surprisingly was not at all good. Very candied. However, the drinkability on day 1 was fabulous.
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7/31/2020 - Adam T 12 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour... wow this thing is packed and in balance. Super clean, long finish. Silky tannins. The slightest hint of heat that might meld into the wine over the next year. Otherwise crack one open, in its prime for my taste.
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7/7/2020 - poppacork wrote:
Dark, tight, and concentrated. Blackberry, garrigue, and crushed stone. Lots of extraction with acidity and structure to match.
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6/11/2020 - MS86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is a spectacular bottle of wine even so young. After a six hour decant the wine begins to open with a powerful nose of pronounced blackberry, plum, cassis, vanilla, cigar box and spice. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced even with the currently gripping tannins. Flavours of blackberry, plum and chocolate with a hint of earthiness. Finish of black fruit and chocolate lasts and lasts.
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4/16/2020 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wins the contest for most varieties in a wine. The one thing this doesn't have - heat. Delicious vintage for this. BlackBerry and honey, mineral and earth. Something for everyone in this bottle. High mourvedre and it tastes like it. Overall, is it worth the upcharge though? Maybe a few bottles yes.
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4/5/2020 - PacoHigon Likes this wine:
Granate de buena capa con ribete algo abierto. Nariz intensa, seductora, perfumada, con matices licorosos, monte bajo, toques de caja de puros, toques especiados, fruta roja. En boca tiene buen ataque, bastante cuerpo, contundente pero muy fino, fresco, tanino intenso aún falto de pulirse, notable estructura y bastante longitud. Un vinazo que aún estás creciendo en botella.
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3/2/2020 - OldHick95 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking one now with another resting peacefully for another three or more years. Definitely needs time to open, but worth the wait. Blackberry, cherry and lightly herbaceous. Long finish. Grippy.
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2/16/2020 - ShellyReams Likes this wine: 96 Points
Had it at Bin 54 Feb 15 - absolutely delicious. BlackBerry, cherry, with slight earth and pepper. Wonderfully smooth and still held up well to both wakkoqu steak as well as the fish dish we had. Very versatile.
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2/8/2020 - D@vidsWine Likes this wine:
Consistently shut down hard across several bottles at a group dinner unfortunately. Deep, concentrated, and structured with lots of potential. I can see why this received so much hype early on. Will wait another five years before opening one again.
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1/21/2020 - onivino33 Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is just incredible! So precise, full of structure. today 95+. But wait for the years ahead, this will be perfect. Its a CdP+++ never had one like this before. Be carefull by opening in the next 3-4 years, its hedonistic time will be over soon and enters in a kind of more closed period. Give it time and decand for sure!
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1/17/2020 - jm98029 wrote:
Still young, but well balanced needs to age to peak.
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1/3/2020 - Vinogan(s) Likes this wine: 92 Points
Complex nose, red and black fruit, refined and mineral, 92+
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12/31/2019 - Capman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great CDP. Let it open for 30 minutes and enjoy. Great color and fruit flavor. Always a great go to for special occasions
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12/27/2019 - vandal16 wrote: 96 Points
Hints of barnyard funk, violets black cherry. Silky tannins for such a young wine. Incredible!
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11/29/2019 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Opend the day after thanksgiving and followed all day. This is a full throttle effort with endless layers of jammy blackberry, raspberry, cassis, blueberry and strawberry fruit. Elegant and complex with mineral, rock, garrigue, fall leaves and grilled herb notes underneaath the fruit. Evolved a lot over 8+ hours.
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11/26/2019 - yaCellar wrote:
This is a scattered toddler showing no signs of the adult it will become. Wait another 7-10 years.
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11/23/2019 - BrendanMcS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pre-Thanksgiving Family Wine Night: Wow! There’s a lot to unpack here. Exsquisite nose followed by a very jammy palate that’s like biting into a fruit basket. Lots of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. The acid and tannins suggest this has the potential to age for decades. She’s got a lot going on right now and needs to settle down; I can’t wait to crack open another one in 2026. The future can’t come fast enough!
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11/9/2019 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I decided to taste this via Coravin after reading the TN from Motz. Wonderfully “refreshing” wine. Don’t think I ever used that word in a note but it captures the bold ripe fruit that cleanses the palate without any drying tannins. I’m liking this young but many Beaucastel fans always suggest holding for additional development so back to the cellar for this bottle!
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11/7/2019 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Tasted over three days, alongside the same vintage Coudoulet, which proved a fascinating experience. This wine offers a concentrated bouquet of herbs, spices, and exotic oils, along with deep floral perfume, and the essences of all lovely things crimson and purple. In a word: Gorgeous! The bouquet hints at striking profundity, in the form of layered rock and mineral substance. The expansive palate gives ample testament to the depth suggested by the bouquet. Red and purple fruited, noteworthy grit and grip, complex finish of exceptional length. Framed by high acid and medium tannin, deftly balanced. It deserves a long rest. As it sits, 96 points, 97 in time.
Next to the Coudoulet, this featured a reticence in line with, and indicative of, its latent substance, which allows the Coudoulet show better now. That substance is comprised of, among too many other elements to list, lightly sweetened dark chocolate, iodine, hot desert rocks, and powdery metallic ores. This puts the mind to wondering how beautifully this wine will show after 2027-2028.
Unlike the stately, seductive, and ethereal 2015, which offers red-fruited silk and velvet textures that glide across the palate, this puts the mind to the figurative equivalent of a mythical warrior goddess, who has bedded many lovers and vanquished even more.
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10/23/2019 - Adam T 12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
If you like young Beaucastel (I do) this is in the perfect drinking window right now. No decant. Medium red fruits, explosive nose, long finish, fresh, vibrant and silky. None of the herbacuousness of more mature Beaucastel.
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9/28/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 7 *shared* bottles] from 09/27/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): "Cinsault: 5%, Counoise: 10%, Grenache: 30%, Mourvèdre: 30%, Syrah: 15%, & Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne: 10%; Each variety is harvested separately and manually. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre, Syrah), and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the Oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled." 6,250 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.
N: Flowers, iron, spice (in no particular order) SLIGHTLY beneath garrigue? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly evolves into quite a LONG, *impeccably* BALANCED™™ finish which is already showing an elegance to the tangy/swt, dusty tannins. More restrained than I might have anticipated™, but a blockbuster nonetheless. NEEDS through '22, then CERTAINLY making its 15th, & based upon the track record of this bottling, who knows for "sure" how MUCH longer thereafter. My EXC/EXC+, even the higher quite poss ULT being "low". 99 pts Suckling + his #19/Top 100 for '18, 98 Jeff Leve, 97 ea WS & WA (Czerwinski), 96+ Dunnuck, 96 ea Vinous (Raynolds) & Decanter (Walls), 93, 94, & 95 (2x) winealign.com , 18.5/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 18/20 Jancis Robinson (Hemming), and 4*(*)/5 (barrels) drinkrhone.com ! [This vendor's $79.95 puts it towards the top of the lower 1/2 of wine-searcher's large field.]
™I found the '15 notably more flamboyant, & was expecting that here. Yes, I did taste the '15 on 12/30/17, roughly 9 mos EARLIER in its evolution than today's '16. Nonetheless, I *suspect* the difference was the result of the '16 having > acidity/structure.
™™I read/scanned over a peck of TNs/"pro" reviews while entering this. 2 particularly stuck with me. 1st, someone commented as to how the balance of this came across as "effortless." 2nd, at least 1 person remarked how this MIGHT *never* undergo the "shutdown" period for which Beaucastels are known. While #2 would buck a LONG, documented history, IF, in fact, it winds up being true, me thinks the B-A-L-A-N-C-E of this may well be the PRIMARY reason. :)
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9/21/2019 - camdawg Likes this wine: 92 Points
(tasted from 375; score is for now, will likely be higher in a few years)
I wanted to get a sense of what to look forward to in a few years from my full bottles, so I decided to open my half bottle. Right away, I got pure red and purple fruit. But it was wrapped in an elegant, but strong tannic layer. The tannins were long lasting, introducing tastes of herbs, iron, maybe a pinch of olives?
After an hour open, the tannins settled down enough to let the fruit open up, which is already so pure and delicious.
As others have said, a few more years in bottle should bring the wine into balance, and it will be truly fantastic then.
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9/20/2019 - KESA Likes this wine: 92 Points
It's all in there. Plum, herbs, smoke, tannins, nice acidity, balance. Alcohol shines through a bit, and I miss the funky tones that earlier vintages could display. It feels very modern, don't know if that's the 2016 hype/favourable growing season shining through...
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9/8/2019 - Neras Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice and easy to enjoy. But I would actually expect some more character.
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9/6/2019 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
The style shift Beaucastel began last vintage continues, with juicy vibrancy and punch, overflowing with cassis, woodsmoke, and garrigue. Plush palate, lively, very good.
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8/28/2019 - Derek Nadon wrote:
Le vin n'est pas très éclatant , un nez un peu fumé , pas très aromatique pour avoir goûter à quelques beaucastel au court des dernières années ce n'est pas un style qui me plaît ça fait générique et même avec l'âge c'est rien d'excitant , je ne comprend pas le prix et surtout les notes sur ce vin , assez décevant
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8/26/2019 - nmichaud1 Likes this wine:
En mode semi-aveugle, c’est super fermé et le niveau aromatique est très bas comparé aux 2 autres vins (même traitement). La bouteille n’a pas de défaut, mais j’ai l’impression que nous n’avons pas eu une top bouteille. Si ce n’est pas le cas, c’est vraiment une déception, car elle n’est pas du même niveau que Clos ou Charvin en ce moment!
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8/25/2019 - Jean-Philippe M wrote:
Hors ligue par rapport aux 2 autres vins, c'est fermé, sans grande arômatique et fade pour l'appelation. Déception, de loin le pire vin de la soirée.
2/5
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8/10/2019 - jonanator wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely terrific! So giving at this young stage. Full and intense, yet graceful and still light on its feet. Best young Beaucastel I have tasted in years. This should blossom with time.
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8/1/2019 - Bathtub58 wrote: 89 Points
Day 1: Popped and poured. Consumed 1/3 bottle over two hours. Minimal aromas and flavors. A bit astringent. Not much to enjoy here now or in the near term. I’m not convinced there is long term upside. Replaced cork.
Day 30: Fell apart, whereas I’ve seen other wines blossom with this much time.
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7/10/2019 - Double-A wrote: 90 Points
Clean, pure fruit and alcohol nose. Dry and full-bodied palate with good fruit extract and spicy tannins for balance; long, smart finish.
4/5
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6/30/2019 - Edeon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not blown away and not my favourite 2016 Rhone. The 2015 was a wow wine, but this was not for me. I remember being more impressed with the 2016 Coudoulet. But didn't try them side by side.
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6/11/2019 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Probably the most enjoyable young Beaucastel I have had. It is so vibrant and punchy, with notes of raspberry, plum, violets and wild herbs. It is deep and intense, but light on its feet, like great Grand Cru Burgundy. Tannins simply occupy a space and it builds through the palate, fanning out on the finish. I love the breezy acidity and sneaky persistence.
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6/11/2019 - Vinomane wrote: 100 Points
Potential 100-point wine. The harmony and integration exceed any Chateauneuf ever tasted, including classic vintages of Beaucastel. Maybe if drunk beside the Hommage it would be downgraded to 98; we won't know for another decade-plus. Chateauneuf is a "rustic" wine in general, but not this one. And you don't even feel the 14.5% alcohol. As a bonus, it's quite possible the 2016 will never shut down, but just keep gaining complexity as time passes. Superb.
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6/2/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! Great dark fruit and earthiness. No "barnyard" tastes. Ready to drink early.
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5/29/2019 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Dark violet with maroon rim; dark nose bordering on brooding, waves of very dark fruit, slight tar, a kiss of saddle leather, and lavender tea, candied violet, and herbs de Provence; palate shows beautiful ripeness and plush wall of substantial tannins, the Mourvèdre stands out with impressive dark fruit, some cooked fig emerges and lower acid yet never feels flabby, layered and rich noble mouthfeel; enjoyed it now but should be fun to follow its evolution.
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5/26/2019 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
A wow bottle. Really nice with so much time left. Had after 3 hr decant and was singing.
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5/23/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
2016 CdP (and some other wines over dinner) (NY Racquet and Tennis Club): My general impression of this wine is based a bit more on what I think it will be in the future more than what it is right now. If I was picking among this group for a wine to drink tonight this is definitely not it, but if I'm thinking about a wine I might want to drink in 20 years I could see this standing the test of time. Initially though it starts off with a bit of a sour side. Like unripe red fruit. Almost a touch bitter. Definitely tannin and they lightly coat the mouth. Fast forward a bit and it's starting to open some. Fruit tastes a bit better. Other parts still more closed. I think just a lot more time here.
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5/12/2019 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose: Deep, red cherries, some cranberries, slight carbonic tingle, a subtle barnyard funk, branches, wet soil and a little bit of spiced oak.
Palate: Rich, juicy, sweet red fruits. Earth, branches, some tea.
Clear, medium Ruby. Dry but with a slight bit of enjoyable sweetness with medium amounts of soft, grippy tannins. Light-plus body with medium acidity. Good finish of about 8 seconds. Smooth and enjoyable. The sweetness, along with the acidity, makes it very enjoyable. Everything is working well together and seems well balanced. Good stuff.
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5/9/2019 - Adam T 12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tried my first ‘16. Powerful wine, let it rest for another year. Similar to the ‘15 but with a little more heat. Super long finish. Bright red fruits. If you can give it a decant and enjoy it over a couple hours. I shared mine with friends, was gone too fast.
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5/5/2019 - r4Cali Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding with fascinating complexity. Very approachable right now. Can sit on these for 10-20 years but no way I will be able to hold out that long.
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5/3/2019 - Capman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fruity, light and smooth. Great CDP and always impresses. 2016-let it open for a few minutes and it will get better as the evening goes on.
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4/24/2019 - Pvaddadi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Semi-fruity, medium to full bodied with supple tannins and a long dry finish. Excellent complexity, mid-pallet notes of vanilla, blackberry, Goes well with goat cheese, red meats or drink by itself.
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4/22/2019 - dmwilsondvm Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted out of 375mL. This is an absolute gem. Bright blue fruit flavor. A touch of oak. Gentle tannin. Beautiful balance.
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4/17/2019 - ChristopherB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice dark magenta colour that stains the glass when swirling. On the nose, potent aromas of redcurrant, plums, liquorice, leather, Swiss kirsch, tar, blackberry, pomegranate, smoke, herbs and anis. On the palate, the attack is frank, with a fruity, then tannic presence lifted by a good and quite present acidity. Starts off with red fruit and finishes with a bit of black fruit. Nice density, and length finishing raisins, plums and herby smoke. This is my first young Beaucastel (my first Beaucastel was a 2009 a couple of months ago), and though I don't have much of a frame a reference, the sheer number of aromas picked up in it is really fascinating from a complexity perspective and its mouth characteristics like concentration, balance and length are really impressive. This is still a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but it manages to not be heavy, though I can't really say that it is ethereal at this stage. Excellent! Gains from a few hours of air. In an ideal world, I wouldn't taste another till 2024, but I doubt I'll be able to keep my hands off of at least another bottle between now and 2022. 93 today with upwards potential.
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4/6/2019 - jonanator wrote: 94 Points
This lives up to all the hype. Might be the best young Beaucastel I have every tasted. Can't wait to see this blossom over the next 20 years. Incredibly light on the palate for a CdP, but so much oomph on the mid palate.
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3/30/2019 - richard.presser Likes this wine: 93 Points
2016 Southern Rhone Tasting (PWS South Melbourne): Beautiful sweet fruit, elegant balance. Could drink now but better in 10 years.
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3/27/2019 - I've Got Bottle (JP Abela) wrote: 95 Points
Lavinia - Dégustation Vallée du Rhône du 27 Mars 2019 (Lavinia, Boulevard Madeleine - Paris): Nez : intensité aromatique normale. Il aurait mérité plus d’aération afin de s’ouvrir davantage mais les conditions de dégustation ne l’ont pas permis. Nez assez profond autour d’arômes de cassis, de framboise noire, de prune, d’olive, de réglisse mais des notes de pierre à fusil apportent cette fraicheur et cet équilibre propre aux 2016 du Rhône sud.
Bouche : l’attaque se montre ronde, riche et franche sur de la prune et de la framboise noire amère.
Corps ample, riche mais d’un grand équilibre qui apporte un fruit juteux (prune, cerise noire amère, framboise noire, épices). Le cœur de bouche affiche progressivement une belle structure tout en gardant un toucher de bouche gracieux. Tanins abondants mais d’un grain fin.
Bon « kick » en fin de bouche qui vivifie et allonge une finale qui se veut vibrante, de belle intensité aromatique sur un beau fruit (cerise, garrigue, prune, légers amers chocolatés) à la concentration profonde mais restant digeste. Une allonge superlative !
Note : 17-17,5/20 i.e. 94-95/100
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3/15/2019 - Wandrewsu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice young wine that will benefit (but does not need) extended holding. Blackberry’s and plum on the nose and pallet with a long finish. Young tannins for sure that will fade
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3/7/2019 - afields Likes this wine:
375ml bottle. After 2 hrs decant nose is big blackberry jam, very floral, stone, just opulent. In the palate huge blackberry again, loamy earth, flowers, lavender especially, hints of mint and anise, wet stone, a bit of pepper. Lots of young tannin but perfectly delicious already. 8.4/10 at this stage but will surely be even better in some years.
After 4 hrs nose is full of lavender and other fresh flowers, acai, wet stone. Palate is acai and other berry, stone, earth, lavender. Finish is moderate length and lavender centered. Tannins have softened some. Still improving, 8.7/10 now, can’t wait to try this in 5-10 years.
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2/23/2019 - jjhsom Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tried at same time as Saxum JB Vineyard 2015. Both rated 97 WA. Saxum better cocktail wine-fruitier. Maybe Beaucastel better w/food. Recorked w/o nitrogen or vacuum. About the same day 2, better day 3. My guess is 2025 is a good estimate of peak.
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2/18/2019 - AAJR Likes this wine: 94 Points
One glass from a PnP'd bottle shared with friends in Florida. Berry, dark cherry & spice flavors. Continued to improve over the 30 minutes it was in my glass. Lots of potential in the future.
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2/15/2019 - Vinum_04 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Truly exceptional wine, the complexity here has no bounds- Mourvèdre weighs heavy on this blend. I’ve had this twice and it’s amazing now and has decades ahead of it.
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2/10/2019 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Chinese New Year (Gen Hoe): CNY. Clearly too young, but curiosity got the best of me and so we pulled the cork and decanted this for a short while before leaving for the dinner. Deep color. Dark fruit and spice elements with a subtle mineral/rocky component. Tannins are firm but fine. Mixed fruit, herbs, earth and spice tones. Very young, but the fruit is very nice and it's already nicely balanced. This will be a fun one to follow over the coming years. 91-92 pts now, with plenty of upside. Hold until 2026+.
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2/4/2019 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for 1-3h, sampling throughout. From a split. Soft nose of graphite, hints of oak, and spice on the nose. The palate has bright red berries, red cherries, with spices, subliminal oak, tannins and acid in the finish. Light, complex, and accessible after opening, but improved integration after 2h of air time. This will be truly gorgeous in another 5-10 years of quiet time in the cellar. Tonight with salmon ceasar salad.
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2/2/2019 - hprphf wrote:
La Tablee 2019: So smooth with plenty of acid and stem.
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2/2/2019 - Heff#1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Young, balanced with a little barnyard
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2/1/2019 - WineGuyFL wrote: 93 Points
I found my experience with this bottle somewhat restrained when compared to other cellartracker.com tasters. It was good, but not up to what I expected.....was fairly tight. Vinous says to not drink this winefor a good while......I am going to put this one away for a couple of years.
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1/19/2019 - WineDuq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent young Beaucastel. Very clean nose of cherries, fresh Earth and gamey Mourvedre. On the palate the wine was ripe, racy, concentrated and medium to full bodied. Long and bright finish with moderate tannins. Very fresh, no raisined fruit. This will be wonderful in another 4-5 years.
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1/7/2019 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This is really fruit-forward...more so than the 2015 I had a few months ago. I think it's possible I'd even guess this wrong if I tasted it blind. Scents of violets, earth, manure, along with ripe notes of plum, with a hint of fig. The palate is awash in ripe red & blue fruits, tobacco, leather, and clove. Excellent...but I'm going to wait on the remaining bottle I have in the hopes that it calms down with time sideways.
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12/28/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 96 Points
A different animal from the wonderfully concentrated ‘15, this exhibits noir fruit, raspberry, pork shoulder, violets, red lava, stout beer and chocolate orchid. There’s an idealistic purity of fruit, with beauty and precision. Very silky tannnins and the finish is savory, with length. I love the aftertaste of mixed berries and herbs. Decanted for three hours and capable of a long study. The body is paradoxically transparent and suave, yet there’s density and a raciness. Drink 2022 -.
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12/26/2018 - CabinConnoisseur Likes this wine: 96 Points
I have several of these in different sizes, and wanted to try one now (Dec 2018) in the wine's youth. My other bottles are stashed away for enjoyment in the medium to far future. This note captures my impressions after a 5.5 hour decant, from a 375 ml bottle, mmimicking what might occur after years in the cellar. Tart red fruit and black fruit on the nose, but not overly aromatic. Complex flavor with cherry, pomegranate, blackberry, vanilla, gravel, eucalyptus, and spices. Full bodied, with a very long finish. Certainly a highlight of the cellar.
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12/25/2018 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
Way primary right now despite critics suggestions. Will leave rest of bottle and re examine in several days.
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12/23/2018 - Durabond72 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing potential. Very, very good for being so young. Need to invent a time machine.
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12/17/2018 - Lord Marc wrote: 92 Points
Very good
Full bodied
Well structured
Good fruit
Tannins a little strong but mellow out with time - needs to decanted 2-3 hrs
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12/12/2018 - yasha Likes this wine: 96 Points
great cdp
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12/8/2018 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
This showed far better young than the 2014 I had a few months back. Dark ruby with moderate aromatics, the nose had dark berries, Christmas spice, and bouquet garni. Good concentration along the palate, with a medium-long, balanced finish. The whole package is very classic, not at all modern.
One taster commented that the Grenache was most present early but that earthy Mourvèdre notes began to peek out 20-30 minutes later and I got a sense of that being true. I favor Clos Des Papes for young CNdP, but this will stand the test of time and improve for many years.
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11/23/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Tasted next to 2015 Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Quite restrained in comparison with more depth and complexity on the nose - spices, tobacco, wood smoke, dark fruit, cherries on the nose. On the palate great intensity and power - slightly mineral with great acidity, a firm tannic backbone and loads of fruit underneath. Great balance. Very long and lingering. 94-95+
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11/23/2018 - loganchambers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had two in the cellar for long term but couldnt wait to try so picked up a third! Expressive, warm dark fruit aromas. Almost a tingling warm raspberry taste when it first hits your mouth, then opens into warm violet notes and on and on. Wonderfully long finish. Tightly balanced tannin and acidity. Paired with seared strip lion with thyme butter and roasted potato wedges. Crowd pleasing!
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11/18/2018 - Rabaja Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gosh, have to agree with the high praise and points of fellow trackers:
The wine is intensely aromatic. A huge perfumed bouquet of violets, plum preserve, blackberry, lavender. Some musky aromas lurk in the back add to the complexity to the tingly purple fruit core. There's a huge mouth of impressive fruit and structure on the palate with great precision and finish. This is a monumental wine.
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11/12/2018 - englishman's claret wrote:
Very nice indeed; Southern Rhone isn't always refreshing but Beaucastel seems to pull it off. Black fruit, pomegranate, grapefruit, a little musk. Vibrant acidity in the mouth. Should come along quite nicely - I like this.
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11/12/2018 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Barely stained cork - this is so young! Crystalline magenta red colour that just sparkles with purity. Tons of black and purple berry fruit on the nose, with licorice, chalk, graphite, tar, that just gets richer and deeper the more you inhale. Not much in the way of garrigue notes at this point - just so much fleshy fruit. So smooth for such a young powerful wine! Perfectly balanced from front to back, and if anything builds on the finish with a huge burst of flavour that lingers and lingers. Great acidity, perfectly ripe sweet fruit to balance the alcohol, almost imperceptable tannins - but they are there in abundance. Keeps on putting on more and more weight in the glass. This is crazy good! Hard not to gulp! But this should smooth out even more, get even richer and more complex in time. Will be amazing in 10 years if you can wait that long! 96 points easy at even this very young age! Wow - what a beautiful wine!
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9/6/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
It is easy to get lost in the aromatic complexities here with all the pepper, leaf, wet earth, spice, old wood, dark cherry and plum notes. On the palate, the wine is polished, deep, fresh, concentrated and sweet, Here, there is a purity and symmetry to the wine, along with a clean palate of fruits this year, that makes this a treat to taste, even at this young stage. Marc Perrin thinks this is the best wine produced here since the back to back duo of 1989 and 1990. I am sure this is better than both those pervious vintages. It is a stunning wine that deserves your attention to find a bottle and taste it. This should have the ability to age for decades.
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