Jason Hass' notes " the jump in concentration between 2001 and 2002 was noteworthy, driven by our increasingly rigorous declassification of lots into the Cotes de Tablas. The resulting Espirit de Beaucastel (from a warm, consistent vintage) was, when it was released, big, dark, and brooding, with lots of spice, red and black fruit, and full body. The wine appears to be beginning to shut down, with slight shortness on the finish that was not there six months ago. If you open this now, definitley decant it first. Better yet, let it sit for a few years and expect it to open up starting in 2008 and drink well for a decade.

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