Le nez est très expressif, mais la bouche fermée en début de dégustation, vin a besoin de quelques heures pour se développer, mais après ce délai il est excellent.
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At DT's. Really evolved colour and great legs. I was taken aback by how ripe this tasted for a less than stellar vintage. Lovely rich black and red fruits integrating beautifully with those classic tertiary notes of Beaucastel (a bit of Brett?). This really surprised me. Beautiful drinking now and will survive a few more years.
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Amane. My bottle, and while blown out of the water by the Rayas, this was actually quite good for a supposed off vintage. Initially there was quite a bit of menthol on the nose and finish, but then this subsides to a lot of secondary CdP notes with good fruit left and enough tannins to suggest this is at peak. No more than a B+ wine, and clearly lacking the power to stand up next to the Rayas (or the massive Rousseau!), but very pretty, especially with the curious menthol note that never quite went away. Drink up.
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Ditto to what Wine Canuck said....this is way better than more recent bottles of Beaucastel showing that dusty character with higher acid, pure tart cherry, orange rind, herbs and grilled meats.
Very nice.
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Superbe nez évolué sur les fruits rouges légèrement compotés, la prune, l'olive verte, les herbes aromatiques et le tabac blond. On ne s'en lasse pas et le nez a gardé toute sa plénitude malgré les deux jours d'ouverture ! On retrouve cette plénitude en bouche, tout y est de la puissance du moelleux, un très joli toucher, suffisamment de structure pour que le vin ne sombre pas dans la mollesse. Très belle finale, persistante, sur le festival aromatique perçu au nez.
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Pours totally transparent orange tinged ruby with moderate bricking. The complex but only moderately intense nose wafts leather, spiced roast meat, dried orange peel, shrub, herbs, zucchini, dried strawberry and dried red cherry. The palate has just the slightest hint of dusty tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is quite nice, but just a bit clipped with a slightly bitter green and leathery note. I like this way more than what I've had from Beaucastel in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
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Drinking beautifully here. CT people are smoking crack saying end of this drinking window was 2014!! Truly I don’t understand the perspective. This wine is full of fruit and nicely integrated with HdP and terroir, and by “terroir” I mean a deep tar-like flavor that lingers from the late palate to the finish. Some herbaceous qualities.
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This bottle way exceeded my expectations after reading so much about older CDP's like this being well past their prime. This was not. This was an elegant wine, velvet mouth feel with plenty of energy and fruit - but not a fruit bomb by any stretch. Plus a nice long finish. A 30 minute decant helped and it kept getting better until there was no more. As for the wine itself, it was lighter in color. There were notes of cherry, dark raspberry and licorice with a wonderful and delicate nose. Initially I was concerned what would be left, what a very pleasant surprise.
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Very light - completely translucent and almost completely bricked. A brown red throughout. Nose was stemmy, green, and metallic. Decanted for an hour and fruit slowly emerged but was layered considerably. Even after many hours, it was only somewhat balanced because fruit just could not show up relative to the herbaceous underpinning. I have to believe this showed better in its prime, but now may be past. I still have over half a case, so I will be tapping these very soon.
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Of the 7 bottle vertical, this was the lightest in hue-- light garnet. Smelled young, sediment on pour but not cloudy, light dark fruit nose, little grassy, light, this wine changed the most over time. Drink now. Still amazing it is holding its own.
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A lovely, savory Beaucastel. My initial impression was of black olives. I was pleased that my date independently remarked -- without any knowledge of the wine or commentary from me -- that it tasted of black olives. The wine also offers notes of lavender, thyme, and ripe tomato. (How liberating it is to have tomato as a fruit descriptor.)
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DTC Chateauneuf du Pape (@ SS): In the bouquet barnyard, earth, rust and iron as well as still some garrigue (which fades quite quickly). On the palate chocolate, some metal, still ok (old age) acidity and slightly drying tannin. The wine is a bit past its prime, but it could well be we were not so lucky with this particular bottle of which the history is unknown. No score.
Évolué, d'une belle intensité au nez. Très tertiaire, étable, cuir, sous-bois, champignons, éthéré. Soupçons de fruit, cerise. passé son plateau mais impressionnant par sa complexité et son équilibre. Long et impressionnant. A boire maintenant.
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Color: medium-deep ruby core -> garnet/bricked rim. Reticent nose; needed a lot of swirling and aerating and still quite tough coaxing much from this. A little garrigue, earth, medicinal iodine with redcurrants and cherries. Savoury palate of herbs de Provence and minerals with plums and cherries. Definitely on the lighter side of the Beaucastel spectrum of intensity; light-to-medium bodied with no tannins left and a medium to medium/short finish. A 90 but just barely IMO. If you have any, drink now and into next week I'd say . . . .
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Brick red, amber edge. Surprisingly weak colour! Open bq w spices, strawberries, liquorice, Structure nice w good acidity, very rounded tannins. Nice, ripe fruit w cherries, strawberries, garrigue. Long, complex aftertaste w plenty fruit. Still very nice (but if I had more bottles, I'd drink them soon). A not very typical Beaucastel. As someone mentioned, a bit Burgundian. An elegant rather than powerful Beauc, no doubt due to the poor vintage. But again - very good!!
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Pre-National Day 2015 (Pine Close): Tasted blind. Pop and pour and drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, red plums, slight licorice, and soy sauce. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, grippy medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of red plums, dark red cherries, earth, licorice, slight tea leaves. Long finish. Very good quality considering the poor vintage. Started off well but declined in the 2nd hour. Drink up now.
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Light, fruit-led nose. Little raisiny note underneath the red fruits. Noticeable sweet fruits on the entry; redcurrant and raspberry. The weight and texture feels a little lighter than what I recall of the last bottle. The tannins are fully integrated and there’s a nice smoky, ferrous, bloody note on the finish.
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here the nose starts to show some definite maturity. grassy aromas. drinking great, with a wild and wierd complexity. wild red fruit a la luxardo maraschino. palate is dynamite and not nearly as developed as the nose suggests. med tannin.
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Mature, soft, barnyard and strawberry notes on the nose. This is a really strong effort for the for the vintage. But this needs to be enjoyed sooner than later. Some dryness and lack of fruit are found in the finish.
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Decanted and let open for about an hour. Very nice indeed with typical Beaucastel class, richness, purity, and complexity. We found nice fruit in our bottle.
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Popped and let sit in the bottle for 2 hours. Cloudy reddish brown in the glass. Fragrant bouquet. Barnyard and cranberries initially in the palate. Strawberry, apple and black cherry aftertaste. Classic Beaucastel. Drink now!
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I am biased. The complexity is tremendous. It should be consumed now, there is some fruit left but not much. It was not a great vintage but the blending was still top notch. As always, one needs to be a mourvedre fan.
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WES - Château de Beaucastel (LSE Holborn): Medium intense. Slight orange rim. Punchy nose with perfume and angelica. Very pretty. Sweet fruit and quite gentle on the palate. Good acidity and length.
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WineBerserkers Rhone Tasting; 2/26/2014-2/27/2014 (The Palace, Mission, SF): Nose of moderate intensity with meaty, lovely slight brett, red fruits, cranberry; palate has great fruit, good acidic balance, very nice to drink, fresh, balanced; medium finish. A lovely wine to drink now, but needs a lot of time to improve. 91-92
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Aging well, and a nice example of what it is. Ruby red with only the slightest hint of brick on the very edge. Still some brightness and acidity on entry (with cherries), then it's like walking through a cow pasture - just amazing sense of place, tastes precisely like mature CNDP. Some richness and leather on the tail. None of these super-intense, but all precisely in place. All told it's exactly what you'd ask of a well-constructed wine with a clear sense of place from a so-so vintage. Worth it if you get a chance.
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Opened at the Haggis offline last weekend. From magnum. I did not decant this but did not notice any problems with sediment. Typical funky nose at first. Very smooth tannins and restrained. notes of leather, underbrush and plums. This opened up a bit later in the evening. 1997 was a substandard vintage making this an earlier drinking Beaucastel. Drink now. 89 points.
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From magnum. Faded ruby color with aromas of cherry, red currants, earth and worn leather. Light and thin on the palate with flavors of dusty red fruit and cherry with a soft herbal edge. Short on the finish. 87-88 pts.
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Aromas of black fruits and old leather. A nice sweetness to the nose. The fruit feels vibrant and ripe on the entry with a little bit of grip and a nice meaty, leathery note. starts to feel a bit flat after a while with baked raisiny fruit and an almost mint flavour on the finish. Good but worth drinking up now.
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National Day Dinner 2013 (Pine Close): This was enjoyable, if not quite the strongest Beaucastel. It was unusually Burgundian; coming blind after two bottles from Burgundy, none of us picked this up as a Southern Rhone, yet alone a Beaucastel - a wine that we normally get spot-on. It certainly had a very Burg-like bouquet on first pour, uncharacteristically red-fruited, high-toned, almost flowery for a Beaucastel. With time, it did open up to show licorice, spice and garrigue scents on a much earthier, meatier base, swinging the wine back towards Provence. We were well-fooled before that though. Same thing on the palate - dark cherries, some berries, only opening up with time into more prune-like notes, a tiny bit of leathery meatiness, and then a whole lot of warm spice on the finish. I liked the flavours and the mellow feel on the wine. However, soft, barely-there tannins and bright, but not completely-integrated acidity made for a rather mushy, slightly disembodied structure, so that the wine felt like it lacked a bit of cut and drive. It was pleasant enough however, and I enjoyed it on the night. I would drink these up soon if I had any though.
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A disappointing evening of Beaucastel 1995 - 2005. (Snooth.): Shows an interesting nose that's full of red fruit, light spice, pine and green olives. I was never a real fan of this vintage on release and, indeed, the wine is showing some faults such as a bit of a hollow mid-palate and is overall is a bit simple and light, but there's a pretty core of raspberry fruit with nice, spice, herb and smoky wood, but not in a harsh way. More like the smoky warmth from a fireplace. Nicely softened, but a bit drying on the finish. B+.
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Birthday dinner at the Merin's. Nice bottle, silky texture, decent flavors but lacked the complexity and intensity that seem to me, inherent to Beaucastel. Definitely ready to drink; might have been better a couple of years earlier. Decanted about 3 hrs prior to drinking. Opened considerably over that period. Aroma of dried violets. I guess I was looking for those "butcher shop" aromas and flavors that the Perrins typically derive from the Mourvedre in the blend.
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Ruby red with some orange/brown bricking on the rim. Aromas of alcohol, black berry, leather, raspberry, earthiness, smoke, and spice. Medium acidity, dry, and low-med tannins.
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From 3.0L, served at cellar temp with the host removing the cork 4 hours prior to service. Too much wood, that's all I got for the first few glasses; then it moved to tightly wound wood, cherries and freshly cut radishes. It wasn't until the third hour or so that this really began to open up and show its stuff. Still, even at the 6 hour mark (long party) it never really wowed the way I hoped it might. Somewhat reminiscent of the 94 in many regards.
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In a good place now for the year. A somewhat subdued nose of macerated cherries, anise and a hint of leather. A good core of cherry fruit with red raspberry and a distinct anise character. The acidity is starting to show, but still well balanced, drink up.
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From magnum. Beautiful, mature Beaucastel from the old days where the wines were a bit more funky with farmyard flavors and spices. This is good stuff.
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Not too intense ruby color. Layers of red fruit: currant, cherry, strawberry confit, cigars, lots of black pepper, sandal wood. On the palate very balanced, with nice structure, smooth tannins and nice long finish. It can be held in the cellar for some more years!
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I was really looking forward to this and, quite frankly was a tad disappointed (I was praying for a 93+/94 point wine). Though very very good, I think the '97 vintage hurt this. It's lacking the depth and explosiveness of fruit I was hoping for with this producer. However this was still delicious and worth a shot if you can get it at $50. Notes: cloudy, showing its age, but still very fresh and vibrant. Licorice, red fruits, tobacco, fresh leather (think of old refurbished shoes) on the nose and palate...almost like a mature burgundy! Tannins have melted away and this is at its peak. As it spends time in the glass it become more savory and makes me want to eat food. The finish adds at least 1-2 points...so, so long. I started at 90 and this got better with time, so moving to 91+/92. Worth a try... I want to try the 1998.
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After several pretty so so bottles, these last two came back into focus. slightly earthy gamey nose gave way to surprisingoy vibrant fruit on the papate. only medium length but fairly balanced nonetheless.
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Garnet red with a slightly brown rim. Mature bouquet with barnyard, garrigue, leather and tobacco. On the palate refined with garrigue, a touch of sweetness, good acidity and dissolved tannin which is still a bit chewy. The tannin is completely ready and still a bit chewy. Beautiful wine. Drink now. It will not improve anymore.
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Pale garnet, deeper in the core. The nose is bright, ripe and full of bramble fruit. Much sweeter and more primary than previous bottles, the palate is supple, juicy and almost a bit jammy with only a touch of the dusty, leathery notes I expected on the spicy finish. Unexpected and really good.
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Medium dark purple-brown color. Nose of cherry, smoked ham, garrigue, leather jacket, touch of brett. Medium-low tannin, low acidity. Invitingly smooth in texture and full of complex cherry fruit, this is ready to drink. Finishes rich and fruity. Proved a fitting back up bottle to the disappointing Pallieres for shepard's pie and the last of the garden peas on a cool Seattle evening.
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See Mrbuzz end 2010 for tasting notes: I agree. Orange rim at the beginning, but decreasing (!?), beautiful full red glowing. Light, slightly sweet. Lovely wine when you like elegance above power. This is about the first 2 glasses. Lets see.
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this is really very good. it is a little light but develops lovely raisiny characteristics after an hour or so. tannin nicely evolved now so i suspect at its peak. better than i expected for this vintage
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Very nice. This is one of the worst years in the 90's in (southern) France. But this only shows in it being on the light side. But very nicely balanced.
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Dark garnet colour. Plump plummy red berry nose with a touch of cloves. Lovely ripe mature tannins, soft and completely integrated. Medium bodied, round and soft with warm, spicy stewed fruits and a touch of old leather.
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From magnum. Deep, nearly opaque garnet with slightly browning edges. Blast of garrigue, hot rocks and a little brett on the nose. Medium body but mouth-filling; fairly firm acids for a '97, giving the fruit a notably "focused ripeness." Remaining tannins are smooth. Holding up well. Note: Some bottles from the mid-90s (including '93, '94 and '97) can show excessive brett and/or styrene characteristics that may or may not blow off with air. This bottle had neither issue, and was sweet by comparison, although not in an unbalanced way.
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Bij decanteren gesloten. Na 1/2 uur begint hij te openen. Bouquet aards, bos. Begint zoeter te worden. Blijft bij elke slok veranderen. Typisch 2e, 3e aromas. De rest blijft tot morgen in de karaf. Dat blijkt te veel gevraagd. Na 24 uur wat zuur en het mo
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Decanted...lighter red garnet color, slight cloudy....wonderful Rhone nose of leather, herbs, pepper, aged berry fruit. Not the most concentrated wine....but plenty of flavor and actually a pretty nice balance of acidity and fruit, to go along with earth funk. Dried herbs, old saddle leather, truffle funk, black pepper......still drinking well, just not the blockbuster for Beau.
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Typical Beacastel saddle leather x summer fruit combination - drinks v well at the moment. Colour was perfect deep red bottle at perfect level so no madeirisation - I was happily surprised!
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The aromas and flavors of this wine were of brett, scorched earth, spices, tobacco, leather and an unpleasant barnyard. This just isn't for me. I really enjoyed the 07 Beaucastel when I tried it young. I think I just like these before they start to bloom.
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WLTV and others do CdPs (Bellevue Wine Storage): WOTN nose: animal, spicy, a bit musky, but not unappetizing palate: sweet berry, just a lovely palate with perfect presence on the tongue. Savory and sweet at the same time. I loved the completeness of the palate.
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Nose : Leather, autumn forest soil, confit black cherry. In the mouth, tertiary aromas of leather and autumn forest, but not too overwhelming, the confit cherries flavousr are still precise and make a nice balance. Tannins are round and silky. The wine is not extremely concentrated, but it drinks very well now.
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Garnet with a very light bricking. Quite tight on the nose with cherry and polished leather notes. Lighter and more restrained than previous bottles but still with the same velvety texture. The palate shows sweet cherry fruit, tobacco, cream and spicy wood all wrapped in dusty tannins. Good length on the finish with nice leathery notes.
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12/31/09 Decanted an hour and a half, velvet smooth with modest varietal flavor, moderate finish. On the downward side but, still drinking well. 87 pts.
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pale garnet with a slight orange rim. Nose was a lighter version of the standard aged Ch9P-dried herbs, tobacco. Taste was also smooth, light, mellow, dried herbs, pepper galore. I say drink 'em if you have 'em.
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wouldn't have guessed this as a beaucastel blind. nose showed lots of fig paste, some earth, sour cherries and chocolate. the acid is pretty high. i tasted a lot of cranberry, smoke, fig, chocolate and hints of earth. not as funky as most vintages. enjoyable.
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i agree with some of the prior tasting notes that it has lost some of its 'umph' but it is a delicious wine right now. lots of fruit left here but in a much more subtle mellow way. decanted and drank over 1 hour. slightly peppery finish was nice. the wine has harmonized so its hard to pick out the individual wine flavors. drink this now if you have it. it's not going to get better, probably only 1-2 more good years left
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Popped and poured. Evaluated over 3 hours. Eye: ruby-orange hue with clear rim Tongue: smoke, earth and bacon from the get go. It evolved to add more fruit tones and hint of mushroom (presumably a note from the Mouvedre) Palate a bit understated like the nose but grapey-fruit flavor (granache) grew to balance the deep, rich earthiness. reasonably sustained finish. Well made. I dont fel there was a flaw but it lacked the joie de vivre necessary to get into the 90s 5+11+16+7
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Offert par Martin, souper chez Phil. Un coté floral rare qui rappelle Côte Rôtie En bouche aussi. Un équilibre aérien, une finesse étonnante. Quelle magnifique réussite en ce petit millésime. Atypique mais délicieux.
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Popped and poured. Smells of sweet red and black fruits - blackberry, cherry, plum. Some leather, spice - cinnamon. Mature, sweet nose, whiff of alcohol. Nice smooth, round, weighty body, with velvet tannins. Finish is long and savory - tobacco and spice. Has a seamless balance and integration. Definitely approaching/at its peak. Not as robust or peppery as I'm used to from Chateauneuf, but a pleasure to drink and ponder.
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Garnet coloured and quite transparent. Starting to show a little bricking at the rim. Lovely rich mouthfeel with good acidity and smooth integrated tannins. Really complex on the nose and palate with excellent persistence of flavour. Powerful fruity nose with leather and a tiny hint of brett. Sweet cherry fruit on the palate, more rich leathery flavours, thyme and winter spices. Excellent depth of flavour. Superb.
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This wine is in a beautiful place right now. Nose is sweet, almost burgundian, lots of cassis fruit, clean, lacking some of the garrique/brettiness typically asscoaited with Beaucastel. On the plalate, resolved, sweet, round with excellent length and a bit of mouverdre grip at the end that cinches it all togehter. Wonderful experience.
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Février 2008: dégustation verticale du Château Beaucastel (Steaf Frites Saint Paul (avenue Laurier)): Beau nez de fraises, herbes de Provence, magnifique! Bouche d'une belle élégance, avec de la fraicheur, des saveurs de fraises des champs. Un vin extraordinaire pour le millésime. Style atypique pour le domaine, plus proche des autres CNP. Olivier évoque Bois de Boursan, ce qui a du sens. 91-92 pts
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Has hit its stride, and probably its peak, showing a balanced, subdued mix of dark fruits, grapeyness, bark, and leather. Seems a little more like a cool-weather Syrah than is typical, which is fine with me. Silky, sweet tannins on the palate are followed by a refined, mid-length finish. It's a pretty good buy, too, probably because of the "off" vintage.
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For Beaucastel a light bouquet. In the start it is juicy and a little sweet. Unfortunately it disappears quite quickly. The aftertaste is quite short. Not a bad wine, but far below the standards of other vintages.
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New Year's Eve with Friends: Popped and poured. The color is a dark ruby red. The nose is very clean featuring mainly red and black fruit with a sweetness that seemed like oak. The taste was very nice with good balance and plenty of fruit in a very clean style. The flavors are very good, but do not expand on the palate as one would expect in a better vintage. This is drinking well now, but I wouldn't be afraid to wait 5+ years on this.
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Shared with sister and brother-in-law with a comfort food family meal. Wine had typical nose of berries and earth with a hint of wet wood and leather. The tannins were very soft and the primary taste was of dried red fruit with a hint of honeysuckle. Less peppery than the usual Beaucastel. Defintely a nice wine, ready and mature.
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A little bit disappointed with this wine - altogether much lighter than I had expected for a ten year-old Beaucastel. Cherries and blackcurrants on the nose, with peppery overtones and herbal, almost floral notes. Suprisingly lightweight palate, smoothly textured, but lacking clout or complexity. Medium length finish, with more fruit and spice, lightly tannic with well balanced acidity. Pleasant, Burgundian sipping. But then again, if I wanted that, I would have bought a Burgundy...
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Dinner with Mike Grammer (Union @ Seattle, WA): Medium garnet red. The nose is open and expressive giving hints of dark berries, dried cherries, herbs, and leather. Medium weight on the palate. Moderate acidity with a nice tannic structure. Drinking very well right now.
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A private lunch (Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, London): Deliciously farmyardy, deep and spicy, tobacco, lovely crisp fruit, silky texture, juicy and stylish, a civilised wine with smooth tannins, some new oak, supple and fine-boned, playful but with a serious structure.
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Medium garnet red. A little cloudy from sediment as I was delivered this morning by FedEx and I didn't feel like waiting a few days for the sediment to settle. The nose is open and expressive giving hints of dark berries, earth, dried cherries, and leather. Medium weight on the palate. Moderate acidity with a nice tannic structure. Drinking very well right now. It probably won't improve but should continue to drink well for several years. 50 + 4 + 13 + 16 + 7
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Can this already be over the hill? Sickly boiled sweet character, no discernable structure. Would have been a decent as a Cotes du Rhone - as CDP quite medioce 84P
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Beaucastel Offline (Snow on the Green - London): Still youthful, acidic more tannin than the '96, lacking the sweetness to the fruit, but still has the tannin and acid profile, so out of balance, and a bit metallic. ~85 points
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Southern Rhône Offline (Establishment Restaurant, Manchester): A very medicinal nose, with sticking plaster notes, that turn into more gamey notes. There's ripe fruit on the palate, though initially it's really quite spirity. Opens up very nicely in the mouth. There's a touch of spicy tannins. Doesn't have the balance of the 1999, though it might just be that it it's in a dormant, shut-down phase. Very Good Indeed.
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Medium/deep garnet core, medium width mahogany rim. This has a medium intense raspberry fruit nose with hints of caramel and spice. Slightly muted and not overly complex. On then palate this is a medium + bodied wine with medium, soft tannins and low/medium acidity. There is reasonable concentration on the mid-palate with soft raspberry fruit and hints of caramel and spice. The raspberry fruit re-emerges on a good length, if slightly flabby finish. Not as good as I had expected, this has reasonable depth and quite attractive fruit but lacks complexity and balance. On this showing I would not be expecting it to get any better with time.
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Not a blockbuster but no wimp either. Moderately Mourvedre in character but no bret. A very worthwhile wine, to drink or hold for a couple of years (this was a half bottle).
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BYO Rhone Dinner (Cyrano's Bistro): Wow! Sophisticated, mature, elegant, well rounded. I only got a little sip from the glass being shared. THE CDP to have.
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From a 1/2 bottle, this was up to the high praise I have given it before, just a tarry jammy beast that is very elegant at this point. Wow, I am surprised.
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Took it to dinner at Quartier with the guys, and oh boy was this good tonight. It was deep and dark, had the classic B nose with a ton of cherry fruit, just missing on the extreme horse. I agree with others, this is a burgundian Beaucastel. The high marks are as much from the great balance as the glycerin mouthfeel, which I thought would not exist in this 1997, but with some decanting, and at this age, it seems to be in a sweet spot right now. Great with food.
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from 1/2 bottle. opened really quickly without much fanfare. Nose is showong that cherry cough medicine, grenache quality,with tar and is quite intense. Full on the palette, with a strong liquor, cherry profile, good follow through, hints of car tire.. You can taste the sunshine, the wine is complex and bright. Good weight, better than I initially thought at release. Open for business - do not dismiss this one just because of the vintage. Wonderful with steak.
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Very dark, even ruby with no signs of youth. Very sumptuous nose - complex and multi-layered without any particular characteristic that stands out: just all very well integrated. For Beaucastel, this is remarkably lacking brett: maybe some tobacco smoke and leather. On the palate this is fabulous. Immediately attractive with fruit and an excellent underlying structure. Inordinately complex with fruit alternating with a drier structure, though hardly tannic at all. Lovely leathery spice and cigar finish. This is a really excellent wine: completely integrated in all respects, except perhaps the spice on the finish and long after, which becomes more pronounced with time. With time (about an hour), the nose starts to show a certain char-grilled steak note and an elegant pinot noir earthy mushroominess: but still the usual Beaucastel farmyard is absent. A remarkably Burgundian Beaucastel. Excellent. (From a half bottle at Tate Britain)
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I like this wine for what it is, which is a serious, elegant coudolet style wine. It does not have the B concentration. YOu get a lovely pure fruit nose, stewed black fruits, tar, gaguire and truffle flavor, silk smooth palette, with dark still evident tannins. But the concentration is just not as long as a regular year B. Do not touch a reg bottle till 2008. Had it with a rare steak.
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I did not have a chance to give this wine or the 2000 extended decanting since I was at a football game all afternoon. I did decant them at Grossie's house about 1 hour before we drank them. I thought the nose on the 1997 was muted in comparison to the next 2. The palate was also comparitively restrained but still very nice. Black cherry, spice box and an earthy flavor. Fine approachable tannins. 90-91.
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Medium ruby/garnet in appearance with maybe the slightest bit of brick at the edges. Decanted 4 hours. Shows a medium nose somewhat delicate for a CdP. Aromas of spicy blackberry plums licorice earth a hint of barnyard and a hint of cedar. Elegant. Medium to light bodied but very intense. Plums and licorice up front. Builds to midpalate with blackberries wild berries licorice and spice. Very clean supple and in well balanced. Great now and should hold for another 10 years.
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Light in color but not in flavor. Decanted 1 hr. Slow to open but became aromatic and richer as the night progressed. More Grenache than Syrah or Mouvedre driven ( despite having 35% Mouvedre ). No brett or dirtiness. Lots of fruit. Perfect with the smoked meat. Drinking well with at least 5 years potential to go.
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2/27/2024 - stjl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Le nez est très expressif, mais la bouche fermée en début de dégustation, vin a besoin de quelques heures pour se développer, mais après ce délai il est excellent.
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12/16/2021 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 93 Points
At DT's. Really evolved colour and great legs. I was taken aback by how ripe this tasted for a less than stellar vintage. Lovely rich black and red fruits integrating beautifully with those classic tertiary notes of Beaucastel (a bit of Brett?). This really surprised me. Beautiful drinking now and will survive a few more years.
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10/5/2021 - le fouloir Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a very pleasing Beaucastel. Nice depth and medium deep color. Classic Beaucastel notes. Long finish. Had much life left in it.
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10/29/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
Amane. My bottle, and while blown out of the water by the Rayas, this was actually quite good for a supposed off vintage. Initially there was quite a bit of menthol on the nose and finish, but then this subsides to a lot of secondary CdP notes with good fruit left and enough tannins to suggest this is at peak. No more than a B+ wine, and clearly lacking the power to stand up next to the Rayas (or the massive Rousseau!), but very pretty, especially with the curious menthol note that never quite went away. Drink up.
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10/29/2020 - finediningnyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good balance for an off vintage. Really solid bottle and perhaps overperformed for the vintage.
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9/27/2020 - citizen1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still drinking exceedingly well.
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8/19/2020 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
Ditto to what Wine Canuck said....this is way better than more recent bottles of Beaucastel showing that dusty character with higher acid, pure tart cherry, orange rind, herbs and grilled meats.
Very nice.
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7/24/2020 - Marc C Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superbe nez évolué sur les fruits rouges légèrement compotés, la prune, l'olive verte, les herbes aromatiques et le tabac blond. On ne s'en lasse pas et le nez a gardé toute sa plénitude malgré les deux jours d'ouverture !
On retrouve cette plénitude en bouche, tout y est de la puissance du moelleux, un très joli toucher, suffisamment de structure pour que le vin ne sombre pas dans la mollesse.
Très belle finale, persistante, sur le festival aromatique perçu au nez.
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1/18/2020 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Flower” day): Pale ruby to the eyes.
Very nicely acidic indeed. Fine line of minerality driving a very broad spectrum of fruits, floral, herbs and garrigue.
Very pure and transparent unlike many other experiences of slightly more brett than one would enjoy. This is a very refined and elegant effort.
Enjoyable now. 93-94 points
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12/26/2019 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
Pours totally transparent orange tinged ruby with moderate bricking. The complex but only moderately intense nose wafts leather, spiced roast meat, dried orange peel, shrub, herbs, zucchini, dried strawberry and dried red cherry. The palate has just the slightest hint of dusty tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is quite nice, but just a bit clipped with a slightly bitter green and leathery note. I like this way more than what I've had from Beaucastel in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
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1/11/2019 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully here. CT people are smoking crack saying end of this drinking window was 2014!! Truly I don’t understand the perspective. This wine is full of fruit and nicely integrated with HdP and terroir, and by “terroir” I mean a deep tar-like flavor that lingers from the late palate to the finish. Some herbaceous qualities.
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8/25/2018 - afu wrote: 95 Points
This bottle way exceeded my expectations after reading so much about older CDP's like this being well past their prime. This was not. This was an elegant wine, velvet mouth feel with plenty of energy and fruit - but not a fruit bomb by any stretch. Plus a nice long finish. A 30 minute decant helped and it kept getting better until there was no more. As for the wine itself, it was lighter in color. There were notes of cherry, dark raspberry and licorice with a wonderful and delicate nose. Initially I was concerned what would be left, what a very pleasant surprise.
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12/24/2017 - novie1234 wrote: 87 Points
Very light - completely translucent and almost completely bricked. A brown red throughout. Nose was stemmy, green, and metallic. Decanted for an hour and fruit slowly emerged but was layered considerably. Even after many hours, it was only somewhat balanced because fruit just could not show up relative to the herbaceous underpinning. I have to believe this showed better in its prime, but now may be past. I still have over half a case, so I will be tapping these very soon.
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3/6/2017 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Fairly typical Beaucastel green, herbaceous and spicy nose. Fairly soft palate. Very nice!
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2/20/2017 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Of the 7 bottle vertical, this was the lightest in hue-- light garnet. Smelled young, sediment on pour but not cloudy, light dark fruit nose, little grassy, light, this wine changed the most over time. Drink now. Still amazing it is holding its own.
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12/17/2016 - Rnarkiss wrote: 91 Points
still very good
a lot of aromas in the nose, medium body
light fruits, strawberries
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12/16/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lovely, savory Beaucastel. My initial impression was of black olives. I was pleased that my date independently remarked -- without any knowledge of the wine or commentary from me -- that it tasted of black olives. The wine also offers notes of lavender, thyme, and ripe tomato. (How liberating it is to have tomato as a fruit descriptor.)
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12/5/2016 - winemaker Likes this wine: 88 Points
This was a wet year and this wine is a bit rustic, but still tasty. I would drink up as I don't think this one will improve from here.
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10/7/2016 - Peter Z. wrote:
too far
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10/7/2016 - Zweder wrote:
DTC Chateauneuf du Pape (@ SS): In the bouquet barnyard, earth, rust and iron as well as still some garrigue (which fades quite quickly). On the palate chocolate, some metal, still ok (old age) acidity and slightly drying tannin. The wine is a bit past its prime, but it could well be we were not so lucky with this particular bottle of which the history is unknown. No score.
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8/27/2016 - Le Vinophile Likes this wine: 92 Points
Évolué, d'une belle intensité au nez. Très tertiaire, étable, cuir, sous-bois, champignons, éthéré. Soupçons de fruit, cerise. passé son plateau mais impressionnant par sa complexité et son équilibre. Long et impressionnant. A boire maintenant.
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6/12/2016 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Color: medium-deep ruby core -> garnet/bricked rim. Reticent nose; needed a lot of swirling and aerating and still quite tough coaxing much from this. A little garrigue, earth, medicinal iodine with redcurrants and cherries. Savoury palate of herbs de Provence and minerals with plums and cherries. Definitely on the lighter side of the Beaucastel spectrum of intensity; light-to-medium bodied with no tannins left and a medium to medium/short finish. A 90 but just barely IMO. If you have any, drink now and into next week I'd say . . . .
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5/23/2016 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at 67
Rich deep complex. Nose of earth, tobacco, dark fruits, spice and oak. Lovely.
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3/12/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:
Moderate mouthfeel, barnyard. Earthy, hint of menthol. High acid.
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12/12/2015 - Leto South Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brick red, amber edge. Surprisingly weak colour! Open bq w spices, strawberries, liquorice, Structure nice w good acidity, very rounded tannins. Nice, ripe fruit w cherries, strawberries, garrigue. Long, complex aftertaste w plenty fruit. Still very nice (but if I had more bottles, I'd drink them soon). A not very typical Beaucastel. As someone mentioned, a bit Burgundian. An elegant rather than powerful Beauc, no doubt due to the poor vintage. But again - very good!!
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10/31/2015 - philipghall wrote: 89 Points
Passed its best, vinegar notes
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8/8/2015 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 Points
Pre-National Day 2015 (Pine Close): Tasted blind. Pop and pour and drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, red plums, slight licorice, and soy sauce. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, grippy medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of red plums, dark red cherries, earth, licorice, slight tea leaves. Long finish.
Very good quality considering the poor vintage. Started off well but declined in the 2nd hour. Drink up now.
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6/8/2015 - Sennma wrote: 87 Points
this bottle came across as a bit tired, would drink these up.
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6/8/2015 - AWBryce wrote: 91 Points
Still young! Nose of fresh berries, touch of oak, dark liquorice. Good acidity, lean, stale fruit on the palate. good.
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2/4/2015 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Light, fruit-led nose. Little raisiny note underneath the red fruits. Noticeable sweet fruits on the entry; redcurrant and raspberry. The weight and texture feels a little lighter than what I recall of the last bottle. The tannins are fully integrated and there’s a nice smoky, ferrous, bloody note on the finish.
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10/27/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
here the nose starts to show some definite maturity. grassy aromas. drinking great, with a wild and wierd complexity. wild red fruit a la luxardo maraschino. palate is dynamite and not nearly as developed as the nose suggests. med tannin.
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8/6/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Mature, soft, barnyard and strawberry notes on the nose. This is a really strong effort for the for the vintage. But this needs to be enjoyed sooner than later. Some dryness and lack of fruit are found in the finish.
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6/16/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted and let open for about an hour. Very nice indeed with typical Beaucastel class, richness, purity, and complexity. We found nice fruit in our bottle.
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5/5/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and let sit in the bottle for 2 hours. Cloudy reddish brown in the glass. Fragrant bouquet. Barnyard and cranberries initially in the palate. Strawberry, apple and black cherry aftertaste. Classic Beaucastel. Drink now!
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5/2/2014 - kurishin Likes this wine: 92 Points
I am biased. The complexity is tremendous. It should be consumed now, there is some fruit left but not much. It was not a great vintage but the blending was still top notch. As always, one needs to be a mourvedre fan.
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2/27/2014 - hadwin Likes this wine: 89 Points
WES - Château de Beaucastel (LSE Holborn): Medium intense. Slight orange rim. Punchy nose with perfume and angelica. Very pretty. Sweet fruit and quite gentle on the palate. Good acidity and length.
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2/27/2014 - tendring wrote: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - Château de Beaucastel (LSE): Attractively fragrant with vegetal notes and flowery perfume.
A charming wine with some fruit, delicate, balanced, at its zenith.
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2/27/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
WineBerserkers Rhone Tasting; 2/26/2014-2/27/2014 (The Palace, Mission, SF): Nose of moderate intensity with meaty, lovely slight brett, red fruits, cranberry; palate has great fruit, good acidic balance, very nice to drink, fresh, balanced; medium finish. A lovely wine to drink now, but needs a lot of time to improve. 91-92
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12/10/2013 - kingcanute99 wrote: 90 Points
Aging well, and a nice example of what it is. Ruby red with only the slightest hint of brick on the very edge. Still some brightness and acidity on entry (with cherries), then it's like walking through a cow pasture - just amazing sense of place, tastes precisely like mature CNDP. Some richness and leather on the tail. None of these super-intense, but all precisely in place. All told it's exactly what you'd ask of a well-constructed wine with a clear sense of place from a so-so vintage. Worth it if you get a chance.
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12/3/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
Opened at the Haggis offline last weekend. From magnum. I did not decant this but did not notice any problems with sediment. Typical funky nose at first. Very smooth tannins and restrained. notes of leather, underbrush and plums. This opened up a bit later in the evening. 1997 was a substandard vintage making this an earlier drinking Beaucastel. Drink now. 89 points.
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11/30/2013 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
From magnum. Faded ruby color with aromas of cherry, red currants, earth and worn leather. Light and thin on the palate with flavors of dusty red fruit and cherry with a soft herbal edge. Short on the finish. 87-88 pts.
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11/17/2013 - Biggsy wrote: 88 Points
Aromas of black fruits and old leather. A nice sweetness to the nose. The fruit feels vibrant and ripe on the entry with a little bit of grip and a nice meaty, leathery note. starts to feel a bit flat after a while with baked raisiny fruit and an almost mint flavour on the finish. Good but worth drinking up now.
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8/12/2013 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
This really fooled everyone. Leathery barnyardish mushroom cloud of dark boysenberries , dark cherries and blueberries. Grand cru quality here.
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8/9/2013 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
National Day Dinner 2013 (Pine Close): This was enjoyable, if not quite the strongest Beaucastel. It was unusually Burgundian; coming blind after two bottles from Burgundy, none of us picked this up as a Southern Rhone, yet alone a Beaucastel - a wine that we normally get spot-on. It certainly had a very Burg-like bouquet on first pour, uncharacteristically red-fruited, high-toned, almost flowery for a Beaucastel. With time, it did open up to show licorice, spice and garrigue scents on a much earthier, meatier base, swinging the wine back towards Provence. We were well-fooled before that though. Same thing on the palate - dark cherries, some berries, only opening up with time into more prune-like notes, a tiny bit of leathery meatiness, and then a whole lot of warm spice on the finish. I liked the flavours and the mellow feel on the wine. However, soft, barely-there tannins and bright, but not completely-integrated acidity made for a rather mushy, slightly disembodied structure, so that the wine felt like it lacked a bit of cut and drive. It was pleasant enough however, and I enjoyed it on the night. I would drink these up soon if I had any though.
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5/19/2013 - rnellans wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant. Red fruited. Not a lot of substance to the wine. Relatively simple. Easy to drink.
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1/21/2013 - BradKNYC wrote:
A disappointing evening of Beaucastel 1995 - 2005. (Snooth.): Shows an interesting nose that's full of red fruit, light spice, pine and green olives. I was never a real fan of this vintage on release and, indeed, the wine is showing some faults such as a bit of a hollow mid-palate and is overall is a bit simple and light, but there's a pretty core of raspberry fruit with nice, spice, herb and smoky wood, but not in a harsh way. More like the smoky warmth from a fireplace. Nicely softened, but a bit drying on the finish. B+.
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12/25/2012 - msternberg1225 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Birthday dinner at the Merin's. Nice bottle, silky texture, decent flavors but lacked the complexity and intensity that seem to me, inherent to Beaucastel. Definitely ready to drink; might have been better a couple of years earlier. Decanted about 3 hrs prior to drinking. Opened considerably over that period. Aroma of dried violets. I guess I was looking for those "butcher shop" aromas and flavors that the Perrins typically derive from the Mourvedre in the blend.
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11/23/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Boekenhoutskloof Winemakers dinner. (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands): See also my other notes. In the developed bouquet earth and red berries. On the palate juicy red berries, sweet spices, soft and mature tannin. Beautiful wine. Drank from magnum.
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9/9/2012 - sholmesdale Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby red with some orange/brown bricking on the rim. Aromas of alcohol, black berry, leather, raspberry, earthiness, smoke, and spice. Medium acidity, dry, and low-med tannins.
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8/31/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
From 3.0L, served at cellar temp with the host removing the cork 4 hours prior to service. Too much wood, that's all I got for the first few glasses; then it moved to tightly wound wood, cherries and freshly cut radishes. It wasn't until the third hour or so that this really began to open up and show its stuff. Still, even at the 6 hour mark (long party) it never really wowed the way I hoped it might. Somewhat reminiscent of the 94 in many regards.
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8/1/2012 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 90 Points
In a good place now for the year. A somewhat subdued nose of macerated cherries, anise and a hint of leather. A good core of cherry fruit with red raspberry and a distinct anise character. The acidity is starting to show, but still well balanced, drink up.
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7/18/2012 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
nicely aged wine. Very well balanced with goode complexity. nice secondary flavors. Still some fruit. PDQ93
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6/30/2012 - jmht wrote: 91 Points
Restrained nose of cherry and hint of leather. Palate of dense sweet cherry, currant, spice. Many years to go and improve.
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5/8/2012 - pbaek wrote:
From magnum. Beautiful, mature Beaucastel from the old days where the wines were a bit more funky with farmyard flavors and spices. This is good stuff.
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4/25/2012 - Bluespolo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not too intense ruby color. Layers of red fruit: currant, cherry, strawberry confit, cigars, lots of black pepper, sandal wood. On the palate very balanced, with nice structure, smooth tannins and nice long finish. It can be held in the cellar for some more years!
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4/7/2012 - RyanJames wrote: 92 Points
I was really looking forward to this and, quite frankly was a tad disappointed (I was praying for a 93+/94 point wine). Though very very good, I think the '97 vintage hurt this. It's lacking the depth and explosiveness of fruit I was hoping for with this producer. However this was still delicious and worth a shot if you can get it at $50. Notes: cloudy, showing its age, but still very fresh and vibrant. Licorice, red fruits, tobacco, fresh leather (think of old refurbished shoes) on the nose and palate...almost like a mature burgundy! Tannins have melted away and this is at its peak. As it spends time in the glass it become more savory and makes me want to eat food. The finish adds at least 1-2 points...so, so long. I started at 90 and this got better with time, so moving to 91+/92. Worth a try... I want to try the 1998.
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2/12/2012 - Ajnate wrote:
After several pretty so so bottles, these last two came back into focus. slightly earthy gamey nose gave way to surprisingoy vibrant fruit on the papate. only medium length but fairly balanced nonetheless.
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12/18/2011 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Garnet red with a slightly brown rim. Mature bouquet with barnyard, garrigue, leather and tobacco. On the palate refined with garrigue, a touch of sweetness, good acidity and dissolved tannin which is still a bit chewy. The tannin is completely ready and still a bit chewy. Beautiful wine. Drink now. It will not improve anymore.
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8/28/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 91 Points
Pale garnet, deeper in the core. The nose is bright, ripe and full of bramble fruit. Much sweeter and more primary than previous bottles, the palate is supple, juicy and almost a bit jammy with only a touch of the dusty, leathery notes I expected on the spicy finish. Unexpected and really good.
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8/20/2011 - Hodby wrote: 91 Points
Medium dark purple-brown color. Nose of cherry, smoked ham, garrigue, leather jacket, touch of brett. Medium-low tannin, low acidity. Invitingly smooth in texture and full of complex cherry fruit, this is ready to drink. Finishes rich and fruity. Proved a fitting back up bottle to the disappointing Pallieres for shepard's pie and the last of the garden peas on a cool Seattle evening.
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6/26/2011 - mavericksane wrote: 91 Points
Ageing. Decanter shortly before drinking- would benefit from longer. Later glasses better than earlier.
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6/26/2011 - PeterMole wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for >2 hours. Great wine, sweet full bodied, but not thick. Complex. Love this.
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5/24/2011 - PeterMole wrote: 91 Points
See Mrbuzz end 2010 for tasting notes: I agree. Orange rim at the beginning, but decreasing (!?), beautiful full red glowing. Light, slightly sweet. Lovely wine when you like elegance above power. This is about the first 2 glasses. Lets see.
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3/29/2011 - Mari wrote:
Drank with Kerri during visit to Oregon
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3/10/2011 - jcoleman wrote: 88 Points
this is really very good. it is a little light but develops lovely raisiny characteristics after an hour or so. tannin nicely evolved now so i suspect at its peak. better than i expected for this vintage
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2/12/2011 - PeterMole wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. This is one of the worst years in the 90's in (southern) France. But this only shows in it being on the light side. But very nicely balanced.
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2/5/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet colour. Plump plummy red berry nose with a touch of cloves. Lovely ripe mature tannins, soft and completely integrated. Medium bodied, round and soft with warm, spicy stewed fruits and a touch of old leather.
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1/18/2011 - darvid wrote:
From magnum. Deep, nearly opaque garnet with slightly browning edges. Blast of garrigue, hot rocks and a little brett on the nose. Medium body but mouth-filling; fairly firm acids for a '97, giving the fruit a notably "focused ripeness." Remaining tannins are smooth. Holding up well.
Note: Some bottles from the mid-90s (including '93, '94 and '97) can show excessive brett and/or styrene characteristics that may or may not blow off with air. This bottle had neither issue, and was sweet by comparison, although not in an unbalanced way.
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1/10/2011 - joedv8s wrote:
Gone bad, :(
Waited all day before pouring it out hoping for a change that never came
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12/27/2010 - PeterMole wrote:
1x kurk. Andere 2 licht, spannend. Niet veel body. Voor en bij wilde gans. Alleen Jasper vond de (paralelle) Daumas Gassac 1997 lekkerder.
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12/19/2010 - PeterMole wrote:
Bij decanteren gesloten. Na 1/2 uur begint hij te openen. Bouquet aards, bos. Begint zoeter te worden. Blijft bij elke slok veranderen. Typisch 2e, 3e aromas. De rest blijft tot morgen in de karaf. Dat blijkt te veel gevraagd. Na 24 uur wat zuur en het mo
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11/8/2010 - TD2Irish wrote: flawed
corked
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10/11/2010 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted...lighter red garnet color, slight cloudy....wonderful Rhone nose of leather, herbs, pepper, aged berry fruit. Not the most concentrated wine....but plenty of flavor and actually a pretty nice balance of acidity and fruit, to go along with earth funk. Dried herbs, old saddle leather, truffle funk, black pepper......still drinking well, just not the blockbuster for Beau.
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9/9/2010 - roquenroell Likes this wine: 91 Points
Typical Beacastel saddle leather x summer fruit combination - drinks v well at the moment. Colour was perfect deep red bottle at perfect level so no madeirisation - I was happily surprised!
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7/31/2010 - last chance wrote: 84 Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The aromas and flavors of this wine were of brett, scorched earth, spices, tobacco, leather and an unpleasant barnyard. This just isn't for me. I really enjoyed the 07 Beaucastel when I tried it young. I think I just like these before they start to bloom.
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7/31/2010 - tarheel17 wrote: 95 Points
WLTV and others do CdPs (Bellevue Wine Storage): WOTN
nose: animal, spicy, a bit musky, but not unappetizing
palate: sweet berry, just a lovely palate with perfect presence on the tongue. Savory and sweet at the same time. I loved the completeness of the palate.
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7/15/2010 - hadwin Likes this wine: 88 Points
WES - Southern Rhône (Imperial College London): Slightly brownish colour. Aged nose with paraffin and wax. Dry, good acidity with still some freshness. Subtle.
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7/15/2010 - tendring wrote: 86 Points
Wine Education Service - Southern Rhône (Imperial College): An aged, tired nose, quite madeirised.
Wonderfully, rich, devoid of fruit, quite delicate, good length
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6/27/2010 - ludwigbpm wrote: 90 Points
Un peu fermé au départ, belle fraîcheur et équilibre en bouche. Très beau vin, mais qui ne se démarque pas tout à fait du lot.
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3/21/2010 - jpijg wrote: 91 Points
Nose : Leather, autumn forest soil, confit black cherry. In the mouth, tertiary aromas of leather and autumn forest, but not too overwhelming, the confit cherries flavousr are still precise and make a nice balance. Tannins are round and silky. The wine is not extremely concentrated, but it drinks very well now.
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2/27/2010 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Garnet with a very light bricking. Quite tight on the nose with cherry and polished leather notes. Lighter and more restrained than previous bottles but still with the same velvety texture. The palate shows sweet cherry fruit, tobacco, cream and spicy wood all wrapped in dusty tannins. Good length on the finish with nice leathery notes.
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1/2/2010 - Old Course 72 wrote:
12/31/09 Decanted an hour and a half, velvet smooth with modest varietal flavor, moderate finish. On the downward side but, still drinking well. 87 pts.
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12/11/2009 - ldorf wrote: 93 Points
Needs an hour and a half out of the bottle... opened two.. whoops... needs more time. Beautiful.
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11/29/2009 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 88 Points
pale garnet with a slight orange rim. Nose was a lighter version of the standard aged Ch9P-dried herbs, tobacco. Taste was also smooth, light, mellow, dried herbs, pepper galore. I say drink 'em if you have 'em.
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11/22/2009 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:
wouldn't have guessed this as a beaucastel blind. nose showed lots of fig paste, some earth, sour cherries and chocolate. the acid is pretty high. i tasted a lot of cranberry, smoke, fig, chocolate and hints of earth. not as funky as most vintages. enjoyable.
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10/31/2009 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 90 Points
i agree with some of the prior tasting notes that it has lost some of its 'umph' but it is a delicious wine right now. lots of fruit left here but in a much more subtle mellow way. decanted and drank over 1 hour. slightly peppery finish was nice. the wine has harmonized so its hard to pick out the individual wine flavors. drink this now if you have it. it's not going to get better, probably only 1-2 more good years left
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9/8/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Light red. Brett, black pepper and light red fruit. A light wieght Beaucastel but in a very positive way. I really liked this one.
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7/3/2009 - VoteferPedro wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Evaluated over 3 hours.
Eye: ruby-orange hue with clear rim
Tongue: smoke, earth and bacon from the get go. It evolved to add more fruit tones and hint of mushroom (presumably a note from the Mouvedre)
Palate a bit understated like the nose but grapey-fruit flavor (granache) grew to balance the deep, rich earthiness. reasonably sustained finish.
Well made. I dont fel there was a flaw but it lacked the joie de vivre necessary to get into the 90s
5+11+16+7
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6/26/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Offert par Martin, souper chez Phil.
Un coté floral rare qui rappelle Côte Rôtie
En bouche aussi. Un équilibre aérien, une finesse étonnante. Quelle magnifique réussite en ce petit millésime. Atypique mais délicieux.
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6/20/2009 - ekenneth wrote: 85 Points
Acidic, past it's prime. It's still interesting, but lacking in character and body.
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5/24/2009 - AFreyfromDC wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Smells of sweet red and black fruits - blackberry, cherry, plum. Some leather, spice - cinnamon. Mature, sweet nose, whiff of alcohol. Nice smooth, round, weighty body, with velvet tannins. Finish is long and savory - tobacco and spice. Has a seamless balance and integration. Definitely approaching/at its peak. Not as robust or peppery as I'm used to from Chateauneuf, but a pleasure to drink and ponder.
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2/22/2009 - cowtownguy wrote:
May have been flawed however very thin, no depth. Simply not enjoyable. Dissappointed as we had tucked this one away for a long time.
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1/31/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 92 Points
Garnet coloured and quite transparent. Starting to show a little bricking at the rim. Lovely rich mouthfeel with good acidity and smooth integrated tannins. Really complex on the nose and palate with excellent persistence of flavour. Powerful fruity nose with leather and a tiny hint of brett. Sweet cherry fruit on the palate, more rich leathery flavours, thyme and winter spices. Excellent depth of flavour. Superb.
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12/26/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Aux Delaneys. Excellent CNP avec une concentration étonnante pour le millésime. Plein, assez ample, épicé, une touche de rusticité. Belle réussite.
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11/17/2008 - baroloboy55 wrote: 91 Points
This wine is in a beautiful place right now. Nose is sweet, almost burgundian, lots of cassis fruit, clean, lacking some of the garrique/brettiness typically asscoaited with Beaucastel. On the plalate, resolved, sweet, round with excellent length and a bit of mouverdre grip at the end that cinches it all togehter. Wonderful experience.
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10/30/2008 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
by Roni
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5/4/2008 - cweiss wrote:
From 375 at Molana. A modest but good Beaucastel, drinking well now. No bret.
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2/6/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Février 2008: dégustation verticale du Château Beaucastel (Steaf Frites Saint Paul (avenue Laurier)): Beau nez de fraises, herbes de Provence, magnifique! Bouche d'une belle élégance, avec de la fraicheur, des saveurs de fraises des champs. Un vin extraordinaire pour le millésime. Style atypique pour le domaine, plus proche des autres CNP. Olivier évoque Bois de Boursan, ce qui a du sens. 91-92 pts
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1/20/2008 - Stephan O wrote: 90 Points
Has hit its stride, and probably its peak, showing a balanced, subdued mix of dark fruits, grapeyness, bark, and leather. Seems a little more like a cool-weather Syrah than is typical, which is fine with me. Silky, sweet tannins on the palate are followed by a refined, mid-length finish. It's a pretty good buy, too, probably because of the "off" vintage.
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12/31/2007 - Zweder wrote: 87 Points
For Beaucastel a light bouquet. In the start it is juicy and a little sweet. Unfortunately it disappears quite quickly. The aftertaste is quite short. Not a bad wine, but far below the standards of other vintages.
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12/31/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
New Year's Eve with Friends: Popped and poured. The color is a dark ruby red. The nose is very clean featuring mainly red and black fruit with a sweetness that seemed like oak. The taste was very nice with good balance and plenty of fruit in a very clean style. The flavors are very good, but do not expand on the palate as one would expect in a better vintage. This is drinking well now, but I wouldn't be afraid to wait 5+ years on this.
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11/24/2007 - taster wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit; medium weight; very enjoyable right now.
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10/24/2007 - wmcguire52 wrote: 90 Points
Shared with sister and brother-in-law with a comfort food family meal. Wine had typical nose of berries and earth with a hint of wet wood and leather. The tannins were very soft and the primary taste was of dried red fruit with a hint of honeysuckle. Less peppery than the usual Beaucastel. Defintely a nice wine, ready and mature.
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10/22/2007 - Madidus wrote: 87 Points
A little bit disappointed with this wine - altogether much lighter than I had expected for a ten year-old Beaucastel. Cherries and blackcurrants on the nose, with peppery overtones and herbal, almost floral notes. Suprisingly lightweight palate, smoothly textured, but lacking clout or complexity. Medium length finish, with more fruit and spice, lightly tannic with well balanced acidity. Pleasant, Burgundian sipping. But then again, if I wanted that, I would have bought a Burgundy...
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10/19/2007 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
Birmingham Offline (Siam Thai Restaurant, King's Heath): 13.5%
There is open, plummy fruit on the nose. Really lovely in the mouth. Very good fruit with soft grained tannins. A lovely drink.
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9/10/2007 - ArieS wrote:
Drinking extremely well, won't improve more. Good job in an off vintage by the Perrins.
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8/26/2007 - KellyW wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature lovely Beau. Everything has melded quite nicely with no hard edges. Red fruits and sous bois.
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8/2/2007 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Mike Grammer (Union @ Seattle, WA): Medium garnet red. The nose is open and expressive giving hints of dark berries, dried cherries, herbs, and leather. Medium weight on the palate. Moderate acidity with a nice tannic structure. Drinking very well right now.
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7/29/2007 - aof wrote: 90 Points
lovely, silky, gamey. Not a complex wine but a thoroughly enjoyable one.
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6/17/2007 - Nacnud wrote:
Hopelessly cooked prior to purchase. One more reason not to buy fine wine from yet another liquor store pretending to be a wine store.
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3/31/2007 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private lunch (Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, London): Deliciously farmyardy, deep and spicy, tobacco, lovely crisp fruit, silky texture, juicy and stylish, a civilised wine with smooth tannins, some new oak, supple and fine-boned, playful but with a serious structure.
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3/7/2007 - PhDP wrote: 82 Points
Rhône Sud (groupe du mercredi, Bruxelles, Belgium, chez PhDP): Moyenne du groupe: 12,7/20
Robe très claire, nez de truffe,
Bouche évoluée, fine, assez longue.
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3/1/2007 - tendring Likes this wine: 86 Points
Wine Education Service - Château de Beaucastel (Imperial College): A bouquet of lanolin, chocolate and black fruit.
Luscious fruit and bitter chocolate, soft tannins, good balance, lightish, ready, shouts for food
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2/23/2007 - kris.h wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet red. A little cloudy from sediment as I was delivered this morning by FedEx and I didn't feel like waiting a few days for the sediment to settle. The nose is open and expressive giving hints of dark berries, earth, dried cherries, and leather. Medium weight on the palate. Moderate acidity with a nice tannic structure. Drinking very well right now. It probably won't improve but should continue to drink well for several years. 50 + 4 + 13 + 16 + 7
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12/1/2006 - honest bob wrote: 84 Points
Can this already be over the hill? Sickly boiled sweet character, no discernable structure. Would have been a decent as a Cotes du Rhone - as CDP quite medioce 84P
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5/20/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Beaucastel Offline (Snow on the Green - London): Still youthful, acidic more tannin than the '96, lacking the sweetness to the fruit, but still has the tannin and acid profile, so out of balance, and a bit metallic. ~85 points
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5/9/2006 - Siggy wrote: 88 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - 12 Years of Beaucastel (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Deep purple/red. Started out jammy and lush – a fruit bomb with a huge kirsch nose. Light/medium body. This wine started to open up a bit, but then quickly thinned out, revealing a hard, acidic backbone. Where did the fruit go?
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3/31/2006 - antiwood wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/27/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 90 Points
Southern Rhône Offline (Establishment Restaurant, Manchester): A very medicinal nose, with sticking plaster notes, that turn into more gamey notes. There's ripe fruit on the palate, though initially it's really quite spirity. Opens up very nicely in the mouth. There's a touch of spicy tannins. Doesn't have the balance of the 1999, though it might just be that it it's in a dormant, shut-down phase. Very Good Indeed.
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12/25/2005 - Paul D wrote: 83 Points
Medium/deep garnet core, medium width mahogany rim.
This has a medium intense raspberry fruit nose with hints of caramel and spice. Slightly muted and not overly complex.
On then palate this is a medium + bodied wine with medium, soft tannins and low/medium acidity. There is reasonable concentration on the mid-palate with soft raspberry fruit and hints of caramel and spice. The raspberry fruit re-emerges on a good length, if slightly flabby finish.
Not as good as I had expected, this has reasonable depth and quite attractive fruit but lacks complexity and balance. On this showing I would not be expecting it to get any better with time.
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12/16/2005 - cweiss wrote:
Not a blockbuster but no wimp either. Moderately Mourvedre in character but no bret. A very worthwhile wine, to drink or hold for a couple of years (this was a half bottle).
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11/21/2005 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
BYO Rhone Dinner (Cyrano's Bistro): Wow! Sophisticated, mature, elegant, well rounded. I only got a little sip from the glass being shared. THE CDP to have.
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10/4/2005 - beachbum wrote: 92 Points
From a 1/2 bottle, this was up to the high praise I have given it before, just a tarry jammy beast that is very elegant at this point. Wow, I am surprised.
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5/25/2005 - beachbum wrote: 94 Points
Took it to dinner at Quartier with the guys, and oh boy was this good tonight. It was deep and dark, had the classic B nose with a ton of cherry fruit, just missing on the extreme horse. I agree with others, this is a burgundian Beaucastel. The high marks are as much from the great balance as the glycerin mouthfeel, which I thought would not exist in this 1997, but with some decanting, and at this age, it seems to be in a sweet spot right now. Great with food.
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3/6/2005 - beachbum wrote: 92 Points
from 1/2 bottle. opened really quickly without much fanfare. Nose is showong that cherry cough medicine, grenache quality,with tar and is quite intense. Full on the palette, with a strong liquor, cherry profile, good follow through, hints of car tire.. You can taste the sunshine, the wine is complex and bright. Good weight, better than I initially thought at release. Open for business - do not dismiss this one just because of the vintage. Wonderful with steak.
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1/1/2005 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
Much better than last time. Fantastic full, glycerine and berries taste - a glorious "DRINK ME" wine with more than a touch of greatness.
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12/9/2004 - tendring Likes this wine: 86 Points
Wine Education Service - Château de Beaucastel (Notting Hill Gate): Fragrant light fruit, figs, gamey, complex taste.
Complex, lean and concentrated, good length.
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11/19/2004 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 96 Points
Very dark, even ruby with no signs of youth. Very sumptuous nose - complex and multi-layered without any particular characteristic that stands out: just all very well integrated. For Beaucastel, this is remarkably lacking brett: maybe some tobacco smoke and leather. On the palate this is fabulous. Immediately attractive with fruit and an excellent underlying structure. Inordinately complex with fruit alternating with a drier structure, though hardly tannic at all. Lovely leathery spice and cigar finish. This is a really excellent wine: completely integrated in all respects, except perhaps the spice on the finish and long after, which becomes more pronounced with time. With time (about an hour), the nose starts to show a certain char-grilled steak note and an elegant pinot noir earthy mushroominess: but still the usual Beaucastel farmyard is absent. A remarkably Burgundian Beaucastel. Excellent.
(From a half bottle at Tate Britain)
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10/3/2004 - beachbum wrote: 90 Points
I like this wine for what it is, which is a serious, elegant coudolet style wine. It does not have the B concentration. YOu get a lovely pure fruit nose, stewed black fruits, tar, gaguire and truffle flavor, silk smooth palette, with dark still evident tannins. But the concentration is just not as long as a regular year B. Do not touch a reg bottle till 2008. Had it with a rare steak.
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3/18/2004 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - Southern Rhône - Châteauneuf du Pape: Dark coloured.
A classy pleasing vegetal nose.
Fruity (red plums), plenty of ripe tannins, chocolate, a lovely wine.
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9/6/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
I did not have a chance to give this wine or the 2000 extended decanting since I was at a football game all afternoon. I did decant them at Grossie's house about 1 hour before we drank them. I thought the nose on the 1997 was muted in comparison to the next 2. The palate was also comparitively restrained but still very nice. Black cherry, spice box and an earthy flavor. Fine approachable tannins. 90-91.
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8/1/2003 - honest bob wrote: 85 Points
Underwhelming, muddy, lacking acidity or backbone. OK with salmon and better with goats cheese. 85P
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10/25/2002 - JP wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby/garnet in appearance with maybe the slightest bit of brick at the edges. Decanted 4 hours. Shows a medium nose somewhat delicate for a CdP. Aromas of spicy blackberry plums licorice earth a hint of barnyard and a hint of cedar. Elegant. Medium to light bodied but very intense. Plums and licorice up front. Builds to midpalate with blackberries wild berries licorice and spice. Very clean supple and in well balanced. Great now and should hold for another 10 years.
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7/26/2002 - JeffGMorris wrote:
Light in color but not in flavor. Decanted 1 hr. Slow to open but became aromatic and richer as the night progressed. More Grenache than Syrah or Mouvedre driven ( despite having 35% Mouvedre ). No brett or dirtiness. Lots of fruit. Perfect with the smoked meat. Drinking well with at least 5 years potential to go.
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10/2/2001 - Double-A wrote:
Leather, strawberries, earth, pepper and red currant nose. Full-bodied with a fresh balance; good grip on the moderate length finish.
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