I just love Beaucastel! I found a bunch of morels on my property and thought, what could be better than morels and Beaucastel. It didn't disappoint. Deep, foggy red with hints of brown. The nose is wet metallic, with stewed vegetables. My husband gets a tart Raspberry with tannins. I get tartness on the side of my tongue, with forest floor or mushroom. Also a hint of black cherry. My husband gets some cocoa. It continued to open over 3 hours. Some metal flavors came out, with more intense stewed vegetables. It went very well with the pork in morel mushroom sauce. Soft and drinkable now. I wouldn't wait much longer to drink it.
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Surprisingly little sediment. Very open and fragrant immediately on decanting. Sweet red and stewed fruits, forest floor, mushroom, mulled wine spices, leather. Silky texture, well integrated, some remaining tannin, a slight touch of warmth. Long finish. Lovely mature CDP.
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A softer, gentler Châteauneuf du Pape, but still clearly a Châteauneuf du Pape. Some primary fruit mixing with cocoa, a touch of leather, some minty herbs, and vague hints of vanilla in the start of the ride. Transitions gracefully. The tannins are mostly resolved. Still a serious wine, it’s softened considerably. Wonderful now, could get better.
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Decanted for three hours and served with lamb. Delicate fruit, beautifully integrated tannins. Silky, velvety texture. Very soft, almost like an older burgundy. Was hoping for a bit more depth, but otherwise this was a beautiful bottle that paired nicely with the lamb.
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Gave it a bit of time to breathe in the bottle. I thought the age showed in a good way, making the wine both balanced and smooth. It had the lightness of a Burgundian pinot and at the same time the earthy taste of a maturing Bordeaux, if that makes any sense. Still a bit of backbone from tannin. Lovely wine. It ended up being an excellent pairing with lamb.
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drank alongside 21/09/98. This vintage was nice to see, lovely nose, browning colour on the edge, subtle fruit showing so think this is on the downhill for me. nice tannins just lack of depth/complexity.
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Beautiful wine at the 20-year mark. Red cherry and dark plums up front. Mostly secondary notes at this point of cinnamon spice, tobacco, sage, and leather. Acidity has tamed but such a great long finish. So good right now and over the next few years.
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The wine is clear and deep ruby in colour There is some of sediment in the bottle. The Aroma intensity is medium
On the nose: Red fruit, ripe but not cooked, peach, slight cinnamon, and apple, liquorice and pencil shavings to finish.
The wine is Dry The body is medium to medium full The wine has a medium fresh/crisp Acidity. The wine has medium round tannins.
On the palate: Slightly cooked red fruit, some cinnamon and spice, finishing with leather, liquorice and tobacco.
Conclusion Absolutely right on the button this wine. Opened up very well in glass. Excellent Structure with a lovely flash of acidity to finish. The wine is luxurious and also fresh at the same time. Super expression of CNP and Beaucastel.
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Still a beauty. Elegant, fresh and medium acid gives nice balance here. Faint cherry syrup, fine tobacco notes. My last bottle of this was in 2018 and this is still drinking well, but I think it it time now before it eventually goes downhill. I wish I had a few more bottles to drink in the meantime but, alas, this is my last.
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Clear light red. The lightest of all the Beaucastels today, but in a good way. Red cherry, green herbs, nice elegant floral notes and a light dry finish.
I love this style.
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Wow, this is gorgeous. And, it's at a great spot in its drinking window. This is what I want when drinking a CdP. The elements have stitched together beautifully: tannins have softened, oak is integrated, some tertiary characteristics creeping in, but still lots of fruit here. Served with a cheese plate and let it open in our glasses. And it did open, so there is no signs of decline here, but tough to imagine it getting much better. What a pleasure.
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Wow! This was a really impressive bottle—perfectly stored and aging incredibly gracefully. The first impression here is and incredible round richness of fruit—blackberry and black currant cake to mind. Behind that, you get some other classic secondaries—powerful herbs (sage?) and a nice rich leather and oak combination with maybe a touch of a grilled meat thing. The fruit is still the standout, though. Still incredibly pronounced for a wine that is otherwise showing it’s age in smooth elegance. If I had to find a fault, it’s that the fruit is so strong it makes it hard to read anything else at first. Drink now if you have a bottle!
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A fun half-bottle treat. With nearly 20 years of age this CdP is acting more like a Northern Rhône. There's a stony tang to it, and not much spice. Lots of herbs and dark berries here, and a serious kirsch vibe. The mouthfeel is beautiful--round, plump, and smooth. A pleasure to drink in its twilight. What it's lost in structure it's certainly gained in elegance. Would pair well with a salty cheese.
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Rich dark fruit, dense raisin towards the end and in the finish. This benefits from being opened and some air. Lot of richness, a medium+ body and wonderful nose. The alcohol is present and benefits from sitting in the glass to let the rest of the wine shine thru
Clearly a wine built to age. There was at least 10 years more here. Impressive
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this was heavy, large with lots of concentrated cherry fruit.. it tasted maybe 5 years old, rather than 19, It has been stored well and has no hint of orange, i can’t believe how young it showed, i would probably avoid another bottle for 10 years…but it was sweet and leathery, and it had the classic beaucastel signature, i just feel there are better vintages to drink now
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In a great place right now. Full of fruit upfront but plenty of tertiary complexity. Will age gracefully going forward with lots of life ahead but this really feels like a good sweet spot.
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Garnet red. Bright, full fruity nose -- plums and persimmons, some cedar and and tobacco. Rich, mouth-coating and luxurious. Raspberries and currants, tobacco and baking spices, camphor wood and roast meats. In an excellent place.
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It’s in a good place. Nose is a bit muted, palate is soft and mature, smooth finish but lacks a bit of a follow through and some zing. It’s an elegant wine, I suspect it will show much better in stronger vintages. Good but not spectacular.
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Boston Wine + Poker BYOW, Lincoln, Mass: This is a sneaky wine: it seems underwhelming at first sniff and taste, but then it comes through on the mid palate and aftertaste with a weightless intensity that I had thought only Rayas could achieve. Fully developed, but no sign of old age. This was my favorite in a very strong lineup (though my wife didn't really like it at all).
Thanks to Kyle Schaffer for bringing this one.
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In a beautiful place right now. Has a finish that lasts for days. I'd say this has at least another 5-10 years left in it. Ex-chateau bottle imported 2021.
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Graduating daughter's birth wine. Absolutely in its prime. Still with primary fruit including raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry along with some minerality but absolutely silky tannins and a long, pillowy soft finish. Wonderful!
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Bottle purchased from local wine importer who received a shipment of back vintages direct from the estate.
Medium ruby in appearance with very little lightening -impressive color at age 17 or so.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of dark berry fruit, charcuteries, earth and herbal elements- rosemary , thyme etc. Very fresh and elegant on the nose.
Medium bodied with plenty of structure , freshness and flavor concentration. The finish is medium plus.
Overall very well done and proof that some CDP cuvees are built for the long haul. Not sure this will improve in the bottle any more, but based on this example it will hold for another 5-10 years in a cold cellar.
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Beautiful dark crimson color. Nose had cassis notes. Cassis flavors when first tasted, then chocolate and mint flavors developed after the wine opened up a few hours later. Likewise the finish was medium length at first and then lengthened after the wine opened up. Aged very well!
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From magnum. Double decanted for about 60 minutes. It was ready upon the cork pull and evolved minimally during the next two hours, when it was consumed with a grilled leg of lamb. A rather restrained Beaucastel. Raspberry coulis, some herbs, and a nicely integrated line of acidity kept it all together. I would not personally seek out this vintage again, but there is definitely plenty of life left and this is a very tasty wine. Drink up.
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30 minutes air. Initial scents of overpowering vanilla Dissipated after a few minutes. Nice mix of plum, sandalwood, a little garrigue on the nose. Strong tannins that seemed very fine. Good acidity. The whole wine screamed “great producers in an off year”. Didn’t taste particularly CNdP to me, more like a well made generic southern Rhône. I think that is just a matter of a professional assessment of what to do with the base materials. Overall though a pretty nice wine. Score: 92. Relative to expectations: 0
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Dark red. Opens with a bit of plnenut then red berry, thyme, forest floor, red cherry and black currant. Dry herbal, warm red fruit flavours and a long dry finish.
This was definitely a lot more herbal and red fruited than the 2005.
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Decanted for an hour. Drinking very nicely - fruit is restrained but the wine is wonderfully balanced. It won't improve but no hurry to drink up. Left a third of the bottle until the next day and it held together very well.
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Dark brooding aroma with notes of sweet black cherry, red cherry, blackberry, graphite, cedar shavings, mint, pepper / paprika, leather, potpourri and smoked meats. Very complex aroma — it’s lovely.
Crisp red currant, cranberry, raspberry and cherry flavors with some earthy undertones. Develops a more stewed prune profile over time. Unique, savory umami finish. Cinnamon? Mushrooms? Very well integrated and balanced, as usual.
Starting to show signs of age, but plenty of gas left in the tank. Drink or hold. Yummy!!!
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This is a particularly weak vintage for CdP and it unfortunately shows up in this bottle of 2004 Chateau Beaucastel. Black fruits fruits, smoke, and meat on the nose. The body is initially rich and dark fruited with a touch of licorice, but that unfortunately fades quickly into hollow, woody and spoiled game that is unpleasant.
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Great wine. Lots going on here - leather, forest floor, cherries on the nose. The palate has great acidity, more cherries, leather, wood notes, white pepper. Tannins are getting integrated. A great wine - I would definitely enjoy now.
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Quickie note. Medium dark ruby red with a garnet rim. Subtle, yet complex, nose of dried red fruit, tar (almost like an Italian), and warm herbs. Super smooth and perfectly balanced, no tannins left, soft acidity as well. Complex palate of red berries, tar and earthy notes. Long, dry finish. Excellent!
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Presented double-blind. Visually, showing a garnet color with an opaque core. Some slight browning at the edge; could be varietal characteristics…could be signs of age? On the nose, there’s lovely cherry fruit with a kiss of barnyard, some tomato leaf, earth and spices. There seemed to be signs of oak but likely large format (thinking botti or foudre). On the palate, cherries again with some bramble fruit, earth, and mushrooms mixed in for good measure. Medium + tannin; medium + acid. I vacillated between Italy and Southern France, ultimately settling on Brunello from a very good, traditional producer. I was so impressed to see this was Beaucastel. My first Beaucastel with some real age. If this is what these wines become with age, it’s no wonder why they are so beloved. Loads of life left. Bravo.
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Dark crimson in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, garrigue, roasted herbs and anise. Medium body with perfect acidity. Concentrated and powerful at 17 years of age. Cherries, kirsch, plums and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Better than a bottle just a few years ago. Perhaps overlooked sandwiched between '03 and '05 but what a tremendous Beaucastel. I will wait until 2024 before opening my last bottle.
Bottle brought by a friend. Decanted by the Somm. Had as part of a flight alongside Tignanello 2010
Wonderful nose. Lots going on. Dates, damson, a lovely meaty savouriness, old leather, pepper, but a light lifted aspect too. Could smell this all night.
Palate: delicious dates and plums, some orange peel, spicy pepper and clove, gamey meat. Really luscious mouthfeel.
This was singing, really delicious wine. It was more savoury than the Tig but both pared well with the ribeye steak.
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This was spectacular, really singing right now. PnP. I purchased new in 2007, been in my cellar since. Cork broke but came out fine. Medium+ ruby color, no bricking, translucent around the edge. Big barnyard nose that lessened with air. In a good way. Barnyard and fruit on the nose in that order...much more barnyard. Perfect on the palate. Juicy acidity, plenty of dark fruit. Juicy on the tip of my tongue. Light on its feet through all of this. Chewy. Spectacular. That's a word both my wife and I used. Lush in a juicy sort of way (?). Exceeded expectations. Long fruity juicy finish. Firing on all cylinders. No hurry but so good now!
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PnP. Polished leather, potpurri, spicy dark fruits. About medium in body, palate is pretty silky featuring sweet blueberry, some tart blackberry, finishes with a warm cherry liquer, good freshness here. With air showing iron, some earth. Seems most of the way transitioned into middle-age.
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Drunk from a half bottle. It was so good that I didn't have time to think about tasting notes. Very harmonious with good structure and resolved tannin. Great with the rib eye cap tonight.
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deepish red color just starting to show signs of age, nose of meat and saddle leather with dark cherries, on the palate a well balanced and almost civilized Beaucastel, lively cherries on the palate, kirsch, good bramble notes developing with time, fine ripe finish.
**(**)+, now to 2030+
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Popped and poured, and drank over two hours. Drinking exceptionally well right now. Smooth tanins, lovely dark fruit, and secondary notes. Exceptional. Will hold for many more years, but why wait?
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Beautiful bottle. 4 hour decant - not much sediment but it needed the air. Robust with lots of red fruit, a little tobacco, some wild spice and stony mineral flavors. Long finish where the fruit intensifies leaving quite an elegant impression.
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Good bottle, classic. Mature but will definitely be around for a while. Pretty nose full of herbs earth and dark fruit. Round and lush, ripe but nimble. Medium finish lacks a bit, but still a strong showing.
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Crushingly good! Leather, fresh earth, aged tobacco and dank plum, cherry, herbs, long balanced finish. This leads with its tertiary qualities but has plenty in reserve for a long plateau of maturity.
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Wedding gift from a friend. This was absolutely singing. Has probably reached peak but I don't think there is any hurry to drink this. Will probably hold up well for at least another 10 years.
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Magnum. This is definitely a lesser vintage of Beaucastel. Still a lovely wine to be sure. It does not have the depth or flavor nor the fragrance of fruit that I normally find with this house. Still, there are no flaws in this magnum. But it’s not that exciting either. Drink; no reason to hold.
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Dark ruby with some bricking at the edges. Complex nose of briary fruits, meat, minerals, spice. Similar on the palate. Still some tannic structure which softened with decanting. This wine had all the makings of a great bottle. Great fruit, complexity, structure. I loved it.
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Looks like I purchased on release. Sandalwood nose, with a bit of tobacco leaf. Shows a little iron and blood on the palate along with with provincial notes—but notably these elements are rather muted on the nose. Palate was rather soft and plush on entry, fine mostly resolved tannins. Leans toward dark savory fruit, lacking a bit of energy. This bottle was not as strong as my last, and the relative low acidity on the palate seems to imply a shorter lifespan than some other vintages. However, this is well crafted, elegant and seamless—distinct contrast to the more savage and muscular vintages.
In a great place right now. Medium weight, smooth tannins, clean fruit (in contrast to earlier editions of this wine) and enough acidity to make it food friendly.
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Medium red with blackberry, leather, oak, and herb notes. We did not decant, so the tannins were slightly stiff here. Finish is medium length and dry. This seems like it still has at least another decade ahead with possible upside.
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Decanted to room temperature about 30 min and tasted, Cellared since 2007. Enticing bouquet, lovely fruit, Kirsh, raspberry, smokey minerals, truffles, pleasant oaky notes. Certainly ready to drink But could last for a number of years.
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In a good spot. Rich and dark but lighter than my last '04 (in 2012?). Nose of black olives and herbs, also a little beat meaty. Not fantastic but very enjoyable.
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Tis has evolved quite bit since my last visit with it in 2008. A meaty and savory nose, with provencal herbs, leather, and dark berry fruits. Mid to full bodied and rich with a similar mix of savory meaty-mushroom notes, leather, iodine, black licorice, and more dark berry fruit. Overall good balance in a more savory than fruit driven CdP. Drinking at peak, and I doubt it will improve with further cellaring.
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decanted for sediment. deep garnet, slight paling edge, but still youthful color; evocative leaf & wild herbs nose, fresh intense mashed berries; med+ body; excellent synergy of fruit & weeds, dry wild small-berried fruit, acids(!) & tannins in the pocket.
extra good bottle tonight. thanks to recent drinkers for encouraging re-visiting this vintage. closer in style & presentation to the earlier wines from Beaucastel, going way back, that made me a lifelong buyer. I think it's at its best now for my taste.
slow-cooked pork shoulder w/flora de mayo beans
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Dark red. Black cherry, some bacon and leather. Medium bodied, still comes across as relatively youthful with a decent level of fruit. The tannins are still pretty intense. Very good now, probably somewhere near peak as I'm betting the tannin outlives the fruit.
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YES. This is grinning really well now. I might even say that it might be the most perfectly matured B I have ever drunk; after years of disappointments (maybe 15 yrs is the key date; I was waiting 10).
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Fabulously rich nose with aromas of blueberries / blackberries and some spice.
SMooth and very long in the mouth, with excellent fruit charater and depth.
This Beaucastel driinks very well now, probably at its top now before aromas start turning more tertiary whih they sometimes tend to do at this producer.
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when opened something seemed off, but after a few hours in decanter it was a nice pleasant (but nothing to write home about) drink... good bottle but no '89 or '90 comparison
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Medium dark garnet. The nose smells wild and is quite expressive. There is some fragrant bacony meat, some purple fruit, some spice. Comes off as fairly youthful actually.
The palate is pretty softened up. Medium body. Can feel the traces of alcohol as it builds. The palate is a bit more advanced in its development than those nose but still in primary/secondary phase. There is still plently of mellow dark cherry fruit and black licorice, and some dark chocolate.
Still has a ways to go before it falls off, but do not suspect this is still on its march to peak, but quite good right now. Palate gets a bit more open after slow ox of about an hour, while the nose gets a hint oxidative.
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Again a little bit cork (?). It would be the second bottle in a row of this wine. We were split whether is was really cork. But definitely not the expected wine: lacking fruit, hard tannins.
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In perfect shape. Impeccable cork, nothing tertiary for this 15 years old bottle. Dark fruits with cherry liquor, blueberry compote, dried thyme, licorice wood and incense. 2004 is signing here with a decent concentration lifted ethereal freshness. No heat at all, at it's best and will last 10 years easy.
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Perfect bottle, perfect cork. Tart Cherries, red fruits, bacon, grilled herbs. Lovely. Fresh and vibrant palate, silky, good portion of minerality and freshness, also juicy (red cherries) and a medium plus finish. Very enjoyable right now!
Glasses used: Riedel Sommeliers Hermitage, Zalto Bordeaux -> more structure and grip in the Zalto, more harmony and drinking pleasure with the Riedel (Zalto being an effective tasting glass though)
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Purple color with hints of brown visible on pouring but not in the glass. Unpleasant bouquet and flavor of barbecue and tobacco with no fruit in evidence. Nothing good to say. Much different than prior bottle, which was very pleasant. Disappointing considering how good Beaucastel CDP can be.
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Stunning black cherry notes as we began the bottle suggested this was going to be excellent, but it faded a little and became less remarkable. Lovely soft mouthfeel. Time to drink up?
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Incredible wine that just kept evolving over the four hours it was open. Lots of barnyard funk and Brett when first opened. That blew off and aromas of violets were pronounced. An hour later, stewed dark cherries and plums came to the fore. Smooth and balanced
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Feels a bit old and tired. Lots of leather and maybe some horse blanket. I assume it’s because of the machine. There’s a very little bit of fruit in the background.
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Clear ruby with some hint of garnet on edges. Notes of blackberry, smoked meats, truffles, and licorice on nose and palate. Dry, med body, med acidity, smooth tannins. This wine is drinking very well right now.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red, minimal lightening at the rim. Opens over 45-60 minutes. Red fruits, garrigue, earth. Medium body, ripe but not sweet fruit, nice balance, beginning tertiary complexity. Excellent with an upside for greater complexity over time.
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Double decanted 1 hour, and it needed about 30 minutes in glass to recover. Better than the last bottle, but nothing like a 2000 or a 2001. This is more youthful than I expected it to be. Blackberry liqueur, cherry, and earth.
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Fourth of July Weekend (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. One hour decant. 2 oz pour over 45 minutes or so; drank side by side with a '04 Clos des Papes. This took a bit to come out of its shell, but once it did, this was a gem. Black cherry and wild raspberries on the nose with amazing spices, plum and star anise. The palate is medium full bodied with wild berries and dark cherry, cedarbox, more great spice notes and round tannins. While more youthful than the Clos des Papes, this is still in a good window for drinking. Lots of life here yet.
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Mixed Bag at Kevin's (Minneapolis, MN): Drinking well with earth, raspberries, stones, floral and dark berries. Medium plus finish. Drink now to 2025. This wine is drinking better than the last time I had it.
From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. Unfortunately only a brief taste but had opened up a bit from my last note and was showing more ripe, concentrated fruit and tannin starting to move into the background. Seems to be entering its drinking window in this format. A-
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Very nice. Decanted 90 minutes. Significant bretty funk burned-off after about 10 minutes. Opened beautifully and developed a very complex nose of barbecue grill, licorice, herbes de Provence and some deep, rich cherry compote. Medium weight in the mouth with a strong beam of menthol followed by ripe raspberries. Finishes assertively with under-ripe cherry. This wine is in an excellent place. Still a tiny bit rough and stops just shy of elegance but that’s what I tend to value in CDP. You really get the terroir in the glass. Excellent match with beef tenderloin with caramelized shallots. Drink now but will hold.
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Stunning clarity and purity on this. Dark red fruit with great minerality and richness. Traditionalists might miss there being even a trace of Brett and/or garrigue, but this has a freshness and allure of rich fruit, licorice and chocolate cherry that just draws you in and smothers you. Great rich palate and a finish that goes on for days!!!!
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Quite frankly for all the bottle age I gave this in my cellar it’s a big Meh. i prefer many new method Syrah’s over this. Not much else to say. Guess i better consume my other aging CDP sooner than later.
Bouquet of smoky clove, hot stone, dry preserved sour plums and old leather. Just some volatile acid in the base note. Palate is quite silky and balanced, much less smokiness in the palate with deep earthy and leathery nuances at the back of the throat. The volatile acid is well integrated into a structured and rounded medium-bodied mid-palate. The same texture flowed to an equally smooth and long finish. At its peak now and should hold for a few more years.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dried red fruit, garique, fig and cinnamon. Tannins were integrated but still present. In a nice drinking window with a few years left.
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Starter Red Flight @ Home: From a half bottle, good condition of cork and high fill. Medium garnet in color.
Super fruity on the nose, surprisingly so for a 15-year old wine in such a format, with an almost honeyed note at the end. Not quite port-like in intensity, but still sweeter than I would have thought.
Fruity and earthy, with lots of CNDP spice notes and a pretty firm blast of tannins that I almost didn't expect. This is the first wine of the night that I felt could use a few more years, or at least a couple hours of decanting, to soften up.
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Bought three bottles of this on release. Opened the third one last night, it was badly corked, just like the other two. 0 for three, hard to believe. Definitely moves one toward the screwcap camp...
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, minimal lightening at the rim. Pop and pour, opens nicely in 45-60 minutes. Red fruits, garrigue, trace of bandaid/naphtha on the nose. Medium body, ripe but not sweet fruit, nice balance, a little tertiary complexity starting to emerge. Excellent now but worth cellaring another 5-10 years if maximum complexity is the goal. The fruit is there to make it.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of spices, thistle and mixed red fruit. Flavors of red berries and red cherries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Quickly pressed into service straight from the cellar when the Peyre-Rose failed, this was a very sound Beaucastel with medium/full body, plenty of dark fruit, good depth, smooth texture and decent backbone. I still have difficulty in accepting CndP as a great wine of the world but this was very good.
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Very inky deep, with some ruby violet tinge at the shallower ends. Firm, robust, astute, it literally coats the whole mouth with mushrooms, Chinese herbs, tea smoke, cocoa, cassis, and roasted duck. So persistent too, lasting for minutes as the herbs and cocoa keeps coming back. Incredible stuff!!!
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PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs, bottle from secondary market -nearly opaque dark ruby-purple, minimal clearing at edge -low key sweet VA-like element that dissipates after an hour then dark fruit licorice and faint mature elements emerge -med acidity, med/med+ weight full dense dark fruit stewed plum molasses date, masculine without overt rusticity, med/med- tannins are the major indicator of its age, good length -really improves after 2 hours of air, drinking well now early in maturity with many good years ahead
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Ripe red fruit, woodspice, and cherry cola - another delicious treat from the masters at Beaucastel! Previously tasted along side a number of their most heralded vintages, the ‘04 definitely held its ground and proved a beauty in its own right. Sipping a full bottle this time, the results were much the same; the wine was an absolute pleasure, balancing right on the cusp of ripe primary fruit and intriguing hints of its age. Cherry, plum, and sweet spice initially took charge, but before long other elements arrived on the scene: fennel, tobacco, gravel, and meatiness among them. A pleasant sense of damp cedar forest persisted throughout, while anise and chocolate hung on the finish. This was a big wine, yes, but elegant and not overpowering nonetheless. It didn’t quite yet show the complexity that more years in bottle will allow for, which certainly won’t be an issue with a powerful structure built to go the distance. Excellent sipping now, and brilliance to come 4-5 years down the road!
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Very ripe nose for a 2004. Blackberry jam. Lightly redolent of Provençal herbs. Rich and round this has good tannins that caress the palate. Good stuff! Mature now, this should last another 4-6 years. Loaded with sweet black and red fruits. More spice than on the nose. Delicious! 91.
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Leathery development on the nose, quite hard to pin down the fruits. Dried figs, prunes, cassis, a fresh herbal lift. Sloe gin, olives. Very complex; a velvety texture, quite effortlessly caressing. Lovely balance. Very fine tannins. Excellent at age 14.
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Decanted this one for 6 hours. Some fine sediment. Tasted a couple of times along the way. On opening it was very tobacco flavored. Some time later that had started to mellow and it was showing a lot of nice licorice. At 6 hours, the licorice was gone too, too bad. But it was very nice. Robust, fruity, lots of garrigue spice, very smooth and mellow. Really gorgeous.
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Vinetasters: Beaucastel (1979-2006) (Skokie, IL): Served double-blind in a Beaucastel lineup. Clearly a younger wine, with its generous amounts of black fruit. Intense, with a massive tannic structure, and loads upon loads of tannin. Quite ripe, but not too expressive. Feels a tad alcoholic as well, especially in comparison with the older wines. 2005? (My 7th, group's 9th.)
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This has really come along nicely in the last 3-4 years, showing some beautiful development and drinking really well. Soft tannins layered on top of red and black fruits; a touch of fruit compote and more musky elements. Opened up much more after an hour in the decanter. Very good.
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Light, elegant, bright. Bitter cherry, blonde tobacco, fine tannins. Really excellent and still quite young. Not powerful, but pretty indeed. Wish I had more.
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Un vin léger doté d'une texture presque bourguignonne! C’est élégant et fin, délicieux, dans un style qui n'a rien à voir avec la proverbiale puissance de l’appellation. Pas très long ni profond, mais d'un équilibre exemplaire, ça se boit tout seul avec grand plaisir. 91 pts
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FROM MAGNUM. No Brett to speak of on the nose. Earthiness, grassiness, red fruit aromas. Harmony is appropriate here. Lift, as in, the presence of an indoor swimming pool. Licorice and still significant medium tannin to the palate. A very charming wine, delicate, but still lots of life ahead.
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In a super spot if you like a youthful Beaucastel. The nose is big and rich with BBQ smoke, incense and earthy black fruit. Excellent balance and poise considering the richness. Herb and smoked game throughout.
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Some stink on the nose but not in an offensive way. Someone described it as having too much volatile acidity. Tangy and meaty, with some depth in flavors but not as much as I would have hoped. Could continue to age.
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Drank this bottle over two evenings. Poured half first hight, and second have went into stoppered 375 ml glass cruet. First night this wine had a rich, deep aroma of dense fruit. On the palate it tasted more of dark fruit and had earthy, herbal notes. Still just a little rough around the edges. Second day was different wine. More bright fruit flavors, tannins were soft, and wine was mouth filling. The earthy edges were far more subdued. Was just a really wonderful pour.
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Corked. Our previous bottle in 2015 was also corked, in the same subtle fashion. Both smelled corked, but didn't necessarily taste corked. But after a few sips, the TCA was unmistakable. Since we are 0 for two, I am relieved to see that it doesn't appear to be a widespread problem for the vintage. Here's hoping the third and final bottle will bring some joy!
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This was good, but really picked up some depth & additional development by the end of the glass. Definitely a civil CdP & drinking well with food. Did not decant.
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Decanted and drank; mild sediment. First impression: this wine doesn’t look or smell a day old. Ruby fading to pale rim. Bright fruits jump from the glass. A little swirling brings out the deeper earth, herbs, and meat notes. Then comes clove, allspice, anise, and raspberry-hay silage. Really great stuff.
(Later): spoke too soon; after an hour of air and later through the night the mouvedre reared it's beastly head and brought width, depth, and game. Matched well with slow-cooked pork ribs.
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A deep colour; mature, still quite sturdy, with rich, games, tarry fruit, fully developed now; will probably mellow gracefully over the next 5 years or so.
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Another perfect bottle from a mini vertical bought at auction. Crystalline weathered red barn board colour. Complex nose of spicy red fruit, sandlewood, light incense, sawdust, red licorice, black raspberry and more. Smooth yet spicy entry on the palate. Great fruit concentration and balance. Woody dried red and black fruit, very juicy. Spicy fine tannic finish that goes on and on and on with garrigue (especially fresh bay and thyme) emerging at the very end. Beautiful, complex and utterly delicious wine drinking exceptionally well right now. Awesome! Birthday wine served with grilled rib eye steaks.
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Another corner of the room was popping through a few vintages of the Beaucastels and I got to try a bit of this one (missed the '98 although most agreed this was drinking better). For my taste this was just drinking a bit young still. Decent fruit but still hearty tannin. More fruit forward than the Italian but not quite as intense as the Dominus and nowhere near the Adrianna. Decent balance. For some reason it just fell a bit flat to me compared to some other wines on the table though.
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FROM A 375ml: Color: A ruby core with light bricking to an orange rim and a clear meniscus. Smell: Scents of earth, mushrooms, smoke, dried floral notes, and dehydrated black & blue fruits. Taste: Dried red & blue fruits with fig, spice, and clove...almost like a fig-newton. Overall: This is a typical Beaucastel that's earth-driven and more rustic than refined...but there's a beauty underneath. While the wine is earth-driven...there's an elegance to it. Medium body, med-high acidity, and a depth of fruit that establishes a foundation of complexity that this wine is often known for...Outstanding!!
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Showing some age with slightly bricking on the rim.Mature and soft on the nose with blackberry and red cherry fruit,slightly leather and earthy notes,spices.Medium bodied and juicy with well balanced tannins and acidity.Overall,a very balanced and tasty wine,but clearly lacking the wow factor.Not enough complexity to be a higher scorer.This is a good Beaucastel but not stellar.
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An enjoyable bottle. This wine is drinking reasonably well now. I last tried a bottle 18 months ago and it was very closed and quite disappointing. In comparison this was remarkably expressive on the nose with powerful notes of leather and tobacco straight from popping the cork. Taste is more restrained at first but showed big chewy flavours after 2 to 3 hours decant - black tea, pepper, liquorice, hung meat, violets. clean and crisp; good length, after-taste is a little bit acidic. Matched well with a slow roasted shoulder of lamb.
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Time has been kind to this wine, as it has really come on strong with bottle age. Crisp, classic and fresh, with a kirsch, spice and herbed, tannic profile. Classic, with loads of bright, clean red fruits, age it a few more years for additional nuance, or pop a cork if you prefer more of a classic, bite.
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Dark ruby color with minimal signs of bricking. Aromas of leather, tobacco, winter green, white pepper, wild raspberries, nutmeg, wood, and bamboo. Palate still has tight tannins, medium acid, and alcohol very much in balance.
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Tasted against the 2004 Clos des Papes, this is upright in style, the fruit is much darker with some brown nuances, there is focus and purity of fruit here. A class act, although I still prefer the more rugged/wild Beucastels pre 1996/97. This will definitely keep as well. With Niels at Malling Kro.
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Very upright fresh, mineral - still young. Tannins are alive and this wine really demonstrates the coolness of the vintage. Interesting to taste vis-a-vis the braoder & sweeter Clos des Papes... #MallingKro
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Dark ruby/black in color. Dark berries, earth, and smoked meat on the nose. Complex and multilayered on the palate with rich dark berry fruit, cinnamon, licorice, and primal, gamy notes. Fine grained tannins give a lovely texture leading to a long finish. Blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault with all the remaining permitted red Rhône varieties rounding out the balance. Just about a perfect wine which seems to be at the top of it's game now.
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Black cherry, damp earth and a hint of barnyard on the brooding nose. On the palate, deep and rich, with dark fruits, earth and a hint of prune. This is in a good place now but needs several years to reach full maturity. I like this vintage of Beaucastel--slightly rustic and bold, but there a coolness to it as well, and lots of Beaucastel character!
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Weekly tasting group RWP #249: Rhône; Gigondas (@ VD): The bouquet is mature with dark berries, garrigue, smoke and black tea. On the palate juicy cherries, cinnamon, beautifully fresh acidity and soft tannin. Completely ready now and the next 4+ years.
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Not a great Beaucastel, but a good drink anyway. The great thing about Beaucastel is that it is soooo consistent. It is still my benchmark CdP. Others are more fruit oriented, others are more stanky, but this is right down the middle.
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Ruby/garnet bouquet. Slight alcohol/oak, berries (blueberry) on the nose. Soft tannins, mellow, cola, seems young with a lot of life to come, anise, licorice, raspberry. Terrific bottle to start.
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Deep red/purple coloring and medium to full body. Did not decant. Drank over 2+ hours. Big, rich but reasonably well integrated tannins and wonderful length. Earth, forest floor, licorice, dark cherry and raspberry fruits. A little backward at first but it opened well. This wine is drinking very now and will likely for another decade. I have a couple of large format bottles of this vintage and will try to hold them until the early 2020s or longer.
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Burley. Opened about 3 hours before dinner, poured a glass, but did not decant. It gave some fine sediment. Rich red fruit, a little barnyard on and off, some tar. Big and boisterous. 1st of a sixpack - let the rest sit for awhile longer.
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This is really solid. More of an elegant, refined, dare I say Burgundian style for Beaucastel. Still young, so the nose is a bit muted, but has a nice gravel, iron, and red fruit profile. Fine palate, spicy and meaty red brights which are still quite bright and energetic. Lengthy finish with repeating iron,spice, and leather notes. Drinking well now but still on the upswing. Can drink or hold.
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fat & jolly with too many pruny notes;no signs of the elegance of 2004, nor the complexity of Beaucastel. Was this stored correctly? I have my doubts, but many notes below suggests, that this is the wine as it is ... hard to believe. #LaCocotte
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Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of prunes and vanilla oak. Good balance, if somewhat limited nuance, with a moderate finish. Not as great as some earlier vintages with their extraordinary flavors, nuance, and depth. Wish I could bring them back.
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This is now attractively mature, with damsons and raisins on the palate, a little smoke and a slight spiritiness, not unlike port if less strong. Quite elegant and with good length. Drink while still lively.
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Somewhat enjoyable, especially with a lot of air, but I don't think this bottle was perfectly sound. Makes me want to try another to see how a sound bottle might taste.
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Lovely wine. More fruit forward than my favorite Beaucastel vintages, but still balanced. Sweet candied raspberry and strawberry lead the way, accompanied by incense, cinnamon, game, and old leather. Quite floral on the nose. Lots of subtle complexity. Still tastes fresh. Tannins are unobtrusive. This wine drinks perfectly now, but I could understand aging it to see if it loses some sweet fruit and adds more tertiary flavors.
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FROM 375ml: This was actually in a nice place. I often find that Beaucastel in the "teen years" can taste a little too much like stewed prunes to me. This felt like it was just coming out of that. Some light secondary notes of earth, leather, pipe tobacco, and smoked meats dominate the nose as plum, fig, and mushroom lead into dried red fruits on a long finish. Outstanding...and a wine worth looking in on at this point from a half bottle. I would assume this can still comfortably age 10-15+ years in the 375ml format with good storage.
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Deep red in color. 14% ABV. Somewhat subdued nose of red fruits, herbes de Provence, menthol and garrigue. Medium body with medium to strong acidity. Cherries, iron, white pepper and licorice on the palate. The finish is long with refined tannins. Even at 12 years of age this wine seems a touch primary. I expect more secondary characteristics in the years to come. Drink over the next 4-6 years.
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I had a bottle of this recently and enjoyed so that I needed another soon! I'll leave others for a while. A great medium bodied CdP, with great heather taste and a good bit of stank. Very enjoyable after some of the bigger wines I've been downing recently.
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Loved this wine. I was really in the mood for it. I've had a good number of big US wines recently. They are great, but this is the antidote. Brambly and a little stank on the nose. Cherry, heather and a light to medium body with a long finish. Not a big Beaucastel, but one of the more elegant vintages. Drinking beautifully, very little tannins with good acidity and integrated red fruit. So, lovely juice and I think I'm on a Rhone kick for a while.
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Tasted after 15 minutes in a decanter. Translucent garnet color. Nose of anise and garrigue. Surprisingly light on the palate with cherry and earth the dominant flavors and still fairly tannic. Blind I am not sure I would have guessed CdP from the taste but the nose gives it away. Good but a little underwhelming relative to my expectations.
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Quite a tarry palate with a blackcurrant note. Nose reasonably shy. Fairly elegant wine, nice texture. Delivered much less than I hoped it would however.
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Mature colour, garnet with some brown; the fruit is rather restrained, but has elements of blackcurrant and blackberry; medium weight, but not particularly long. The fruit is reticent, but the alcohol is not: in fact, it dominates. Possibly past its best, or at least not showing well on this occasion.
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Best so far 4 of 12. This was a straight pop and pour. ethereal complex nose balanced fruit with clean finish. Outstanding wine with elements of a modernized CNP. I do not plan on keeping these long term but want to enjoy in 2-3 years
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Tasted at TheSampler. Medium ruby with garnet hues. Fragrant and elegant nose with red berries and cherries, some undergrowth notes and well assimilated oak. Sweet spice nuances too. Very polished mouth with fine tannins, medium acidity and persistent finish. excellent balance. Its really difficult not to like this wine. 93+
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Wow! Opened - poured two glasses, cork back in and in fridge for 48 hours. Two days later - Still young, and throwing off some sediment.
Wild, balance between graphite and bold/strong dark berry. Pure, clean beam of fruit. Plenty of edge - so it will evolve more over many years. Hold for now. Goes on and on.
Have 6, will wait 5 more years until I try again.
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Notes after following for three days open. It still seems firm and early in development and it was best at the end of the bottle. Very dark, inky violet, about 80% opaque. Moderate sediment. Generous bouquet of truffle, mulch, tar, camellia, perfume, and ripe dark berries. The body is agile, balancing between the abv weight and the liveliness of the acidity, with long fuzzy tannins that make me curl my toes. This is the first time a Beau has really wowed me and helps me understand the reputation a little better. Three years ago I was pretty underwhelmed with this, but now I can say I think I get it. 5+12+18+8= 93
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Not giving up much at the moment. Nose muted and it seems to be in a closed down phase as far as the palate is concerned. It appears to have lost the fruit of youth without having developed secondary flavours. (89+)
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Decanted for 30 minutes - a lot of funk initially that blew off with airtime (animal hair & petrol) - For my nose & palate this needed 1-2 hours of air. Didn't note color. On nose (with air time), meat, tobacco, stewed cherry, dried cherry - very complex. On palate, dirt, dried raspberry, with high acidity & long finish with tannins still noticeable on the finish. I purchased my bottles from a questionable source about 5 years ago so this bottle may not be representative. I enjoyed this one thought and it had a very "Burgundian" nose. 92+
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Beautifully balanced. Cloves, rich plums and raspberry fruit. Soft, gentle wine. Not as powerful as some Beaucastel and ready to drink (I do not believe it will improve), but elegant and tasty.
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Dinner out note. Still tight! Decanted at table.... Bad move.... Needs 1+ hour double decant. Reductive rubber nose at first that blows off with time. Dark red/purple with no bricking. Medium body and acidity. Nose is clove, baking spice, and Raspberry coulis. Palate is consistent with cranberry and raspberry and plum fruits, Provençal herbsand cloves. Finish is a tannic and a little short .... But this wine with some more time open or more age should be better.
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Prune, plum, raisin, savoury nose, slightly oxidised. Full mouthfeel, ripe black fruit. Tannins still present but well integrated. Acid balance allows some degree of freshness to remain. Somewhat bitter, medium length finish. A nice wine which I am glad to have had, but at an original price point which makes me wonder what I would otherwise have bought (Pegau, Clos du Pape?).
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Unmistakably Beaucastel with the extremely savory palate of black olives, garrigues, and perhaps a bit of leather. Perhaps too savory, missing a bit of fruit, and (like many Beaucastels) marked by the alcohol. Good with duck but I'm not sure this is my favorite vintage of Beaucastel.
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Medium depth of colour; quite a fragrant nose; on the palate there is damson and prune with some spice. Well rounded, quite concentrated and with good length. This seems fully mature.
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OKish. So, quite classic CNF in the BC style. Heavy-ish with not a lot of 2ndary development; but characteristic, if that is what you like. Not to everyone's taste. a-point in my opinion, given my understanding of BC, this will not get any better, though it might worsten.
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Slightly sweet fruit, with a stewed plum flavour; in fact, rather pruney and also tasting somewhat spirity. Good length, medium weight and fairly mature, but I have had better Beaucastels than this.
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Decanted 1 hour. Earthy, but very smooth and elegant. Very precise. Seems younger than its current age. I'd say it needs another 2 years and/or a bit more air. 93-94 for now. 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault, 25% other grapes.
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Excellent, and holy cow will this live a long while - needs air right now, but a couple hours after pulling the cork, this sang a song of blackberry on the forest floor that danced a tango with a note of cherry while a stick of licorice smoked in the background. Wonderful deep nose (after time; the first hour underwhelms). Long juicy finish...
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Pre-Tasting Lunch (Prairie Grass - Northbrook IL): Popped and poured. Black plum and cherry aromas with roasted game and dried thyme. Very young, still slightly backward, but entering its peak drinking window. Good concentration.
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Mid-brick; earthy, old world nose; Grenache; blackberry jam; juniper berries; wood; mid-big body; good structure; tight tannins still; long chewy finish; life left. w/short ribs.
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Decanted for about 30 mins. A good colour, still looking relatively young. The nose is full of good blackberries and plums, with a hint of white pepper and leather. The palate was initially a bit thin, but with air gained excellent body, lots of fruit, plums, spicy, resolved tannins, very delicious. Great stuff, looks like it is at its best now.
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Medium colour, some browning; dark fruit and spice on the nose; this seems fully mature on the palate, with blackberry and prune fruit, some smoke and tar, and good length. This has lost its youthful vitality, but is aging elegantly. For drinking rather than keeping.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Darker dull garnet core, some clarity, lighter rim; meaty raspberry and cherry, solid structure but aged and elegant, integrated fig, medium cellaring; fuller palate, elegant tannins, raspberry, fig, long sweet finish; was only one on CdP; very good.
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valentines dinner at le provencale. less than 60 min decant barnyard with brandied cherries; nose improved throughout the night. saved half bottle for next day; smoother. will revisit in 2-3 years
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This wine was a bit of a let down. That being said, expectations were pretty high. First time drinking a very high quality producer out of the Rhone valley. I think this wine just needs more time - there was nothing "wrong" with it - it just seemed very closed, even after a 4 hour decant. It did improve with air and had a nice perfumed nose of blue and black fruits, decaying apples (imagine walking through an apple orchard and smelling the apples that are rotting on the ground). In the mouth, smooth, silky body with fine tannins. I would give this another 5-10 years. Drank alongside this wine's little brother: Coudoulet de Beaucastel and thought for what I paid the Coudoulet was perhaps a little better at this stage.
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Tasted at a walk-around Super Bowl party from a well-cellared magnum, this 11-year-old wine flaunts intense aromas and flavors of dark bramble fruits, herbes de Provence, anise and loamy earth. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh and with nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14%), it wraps its flavors with medium-weight, fine-grained tannins and stays solid in the middle. Closing long and smooth, this is a top-notch Châteauneuf which should drink beautifully over the next decade. Drink now-2025.
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From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. This was a little dusty and reserved on the nose. Decent fruit on the palate, but for me this needs a bit more time to express itself. Others thought it was the wine of the night. A-
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short decant. Ready to drink. Nice bold fruit, slightly drying on the finish for one of the two bottles. Hints of leather, the nose might evolve more, but the fruit will only go downhill from here.
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18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Still fairly tight on the nose, this ruby red wine is much more complex on the palate. Red and black fruit, leather, kelp, herbs, and garrigue. Complex, long, with nice smooth but obvious tannins on the finish. 93 on a day 2.
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Medium to dark red; slightly unyielding nose, fresh red berries; nice, lean, agreeable, hint of caramel, in good balance, refined; very good and likeable
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Finally a good bottle - throwing some sediment & medium red color. Cherry, pine sol, dirt on nose. On palate, red licorice, cherry, garrigue with medium body, high acids and medium+ finish. Really enjoyed this one - old school CDP. 92+/-
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Not as good as previous bottles, was quite closed and never really got into the groove. For me Beaucastel is one of the more fascinating CdP flavour profiles and I can see there is an interesting wine underneath but it just didn't present itself to me this time around. Hopefully just bottle variation as I have a few left.
Popped and poured. Beautiful garnet color. No funk on the nose. Even better than the one I drank four months earlier. Completely smoothed out and well balanced. Just at the point between fruity and mellow. Will enjoy the remaining two bottles a year or two from now. Love it.
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Everything a classic Beaucastel should be, if a little on the young side (from magnum, so may have aged a little more slowly than normal). Wonderful combination of deep dark fruit, with a cinnamon spice and black pepper kick at the back of the palate. Delicious.
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Decanted for about 2 hours. Slight orange/bricking color on the edges. Quite a bit of licorice on the nose and palate. A mix of tart red berries and darker fruits. Some spice. There is still a lot of structure and fruit here and the wine tastes young despite the color. I'd love to follow this wine over the next 10 years or so. Enjoyed it.
After having the 1990 a less than a week later from this original note, I would wait at least 5-8 years before opening one of these.
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decanted 45 min. tight and mostly about funk on the nose, maybe some roasted fig, wild scraggly herbs & animal; med + weight; really showing the mourvedre today & even then, not particularly expressive, more farm environs, dry red plums, a bit of alum & stern gritty tannins, chewy, acids are tight & clench-ey. believe that it's all there for the future but that future is a ways out. better in 4 - 5.
FROM 375ml Color: Ruby core with a brickish ruby rim Smell: Chewing tobacco, manure, prunes, plum, and faint cedar Taste: Dried black & blue fruits, clove, tobacco, and leather Overall: A wine that I think will show it's best with another 4-5 years in the cellar. Light-medium body, med+ fruit, med acidity, med tannin. Outstanding.
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Decanted an hour. Nice wine. Concentrated, but balanced - showing the mouvedre today? Can start drinking now with a decant, but this is not going anywhere and is not yet showing secondaries. Enjoyed it. A-
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Red fruit nose, and very grapey. Almost port like without the alchol or sugar. This is weighty, and needs a lot of cellar time. Wouldn't touch these for 5+ years.
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Disappointing. Completely closed and uninteresting. Stopped at half bottle and decided to keep open until next evening. Did not improve. Not inline with other comments and views.
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VVW tasting. Very alluring nose, some spicy oak, blackberry and provencal herbs. The palate is most closed of the 3 wines, still relatively young and primary with a good flavor intensity but not all that giving. Lots of upside here.
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Enjoyed most on day 1 over a 2 hour period and it seemed a little disjointed with various notes over the time period but never came together. It showed mostly iron/blood type notes and some ripe fruit.
On day 2, it came together to show blueberry, pepper and some herb notes and I enjoyed it much better. So, I am scoring this based on my day 2 experience. If not it would be a few points lower.
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Fairly reserved on the nose (for a young CdP). Tart red and blue fruit, some herbs; young, nicely structured, and (compared to other young CdP's) fairly light. (group's 4th of 10 by consumption volume)
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This had an almost port-like quality to the nose. Dark fruit aromas, which later developed into citrus and black tea notes. Thick wine, lower acidity than the other 04's, ripe dark fruit finish
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Wonderful deep red colour, nose of plum, berry and earth, full body in perfect balance with cherries, and spice. Drinking terrific now with no signs of age. Enjoy over the next 10+ years.
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Chateauneuf Du Pape Dinner (The Prime Rib - Philadelphia, PA): Expressive, deep nose of bramble, spiced dark berries, violets, and dried game. Medium to full bodied with excellent texture to its wild, savage berries, underbrush, cigar box, and garrigue. The finish turns more red fruited, adding lively herbal complexity and framing tannins. Drinking well now, and will continue to improve in the cellar.
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Four hour decant. Drinking beautifully with notes of violets, crushed plums and underbrush...and a little saddle sweat thrown in. An excellent example of traditional CdeP. After six hours, the wine tightened up a bit. This wine can improve and easily last another 10-15 years.
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Friday wines: Aniseed and pine tree; a bit medicinal, fine structure and length, develops in the glass. Rightly classified an elegant CNdP be the blinded drinkers.
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More ready than 2 years ago with balanced tannin and nice smooth texture . Still shy on the aromatics. Flavors of plums and dark berries, with spiciness and wood. Drink or hold . Nice.
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Closed initially, great with dinner 45 min later, but thin and dry afterwards. Flavors of dark fruit, mint, leather, and stewed beef during it's tasting window.
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This holiday weekend has not been a good one for me and Beaucastel. Opened both the 1998 and 2004 CDPs and was quite disappointed. The '04 showed a medium body with supple yet dry fruit and good dose of soft tannins. However, it failed to evoke any enticing aromas so peculiar to CDPs of this caliber. Poor showing and praying that the '06 that remains in my cellar will win me over to the Beaucastel camp. I've always been a fan of the Coudulet, which unless this was a bad bottle, is quite superior to this CDP.
initially spritsy , lost some of that after an hour or so.....not so easy to drink , but nice wine...not sure it has long life but there is plenty around to drink some now and save some for later
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Ordered at Aureole. Smoke, gaminess, pepper, and dark fruit on the nose-medium intensity. Ripe fruit and earth on the palate. Doesn't last long. Some alcohol and medium - finish. Overall a solid CdP, drinking well.
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a medium finish - A fairly decent rhone wine that aged well. Good with cheese or sharp snacks.
Didn't decant this but it really came together after an hour. Classic CDP flavors but soft and understated. You could drink this on a summer afternoon.
Drank at kc ct Rhones and bones #3 offline. Majority opinion was green vegetal taste. Seemed like a lot of potential, but not together yet. Maybe in a shut down phase. Give it a few more years and try again.
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Stuck between the '03 and '05 in the Beaucastel tasting. Still a great bottle of wine with all the typical Rhone notes. Elegant on the palate and long finish.
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Notes from second half of bottle after being recorked and stored in cellar for 2 days. Appearance is dark garnet color, about 80% opaque with very quick legs. Generous nose offers up raisin, fig, roses, liqueur, Butterfinger crumbles, and earth. Palate is weighty but hollow in regards to flavor as I sense the fruit essence not keeping pace with the acid and tannins. Not delivering the impact that the nose imparts so I'm a little let down again. I definitely like it better than the '03 but it might just be that I'm not a Beaucastel kinda guy. 5+12+15+7 = 89
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Raisin, prune and spice on the nose. Aged on palate as well. Very smooth and impressive mid palate followed by a long elegant finish. Some Tobacco in there as well. I've seen this wine rated low in years past, but I think it's in the window now. However, this was a Demi-bottle so the larger formats may not be there yet.
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Better than in 3/2010 - did not take good notes. Still a little closed down unless all 5 bottles that I ordered from a now defunct online site are bad. Will drink remaining 2 bottles 2014+
I actually preferred the '08 to this bottle but I won't rate as I'm drinking bottles that may not be in prime condition...
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CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): #13 The joys of double-blind tasting. We had two of this wines show up in the line. This one was open for business with a nose of game, red fruit, leather, spice. On the palate rich red raspberry, garrigue, pepper, game, smoke. A little bit of heat on the finish. My guess - 2004 CdP.
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Very different from the 03 drank in the same night. The 04 had bright cherry flavors, light on the palate, and had much more prevalent tannins, the opposite of the 03. Still very much enjoyed this wine but was not what I expected from du Pape. Clearly this must have been a cooler vintage because this wine drank light and elegant rather than big and mouth filling.
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Popped and poured from a 750ml. Medium-dark red. This showed young and somewhat closed, but at about 90-120 minutes this opens up quite a bit. Will have to check the Mourvedre content, as there was not much grenache showing, and a bit of graphite on the finish. Overall this just needs a bit of air (90 minutes), and likely a bit of time, to show its stuff - but right now is a bit one dimensional even when open, and not yet showing any secondaries. A-
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this was a bit thin or light , sweet , easy to drink , some complexity not a ton .....nice wine , generally under-appreciated wine from what i have seen/heard
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Quintessential & Quixotic; 3/30/2013-3/31/2013 (Scott & Todd's): While I found this to be a well-balanced and classy CdP, Jim's comment reflected the anti-earth consensus of the group also reflected in the mixed reaction to the red Burg: "this is a French woman with her legs clamped shut." No, it isn't closed down, and not being a sultry Parkerized 2007 fruit bomb disaster is a plus factor in my book, but nor was it mind-blowing. I liked the balance of fruity and secondary elements.
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Interesting nose of blueberries, thyme, sage, bacon, charred pork and pepper. The mouth was silky but intense with some dried blueberries, chocolate and bacon. Overall the wine was very intense but not heavy. Still very young.
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I loved this wine. Though still on the tannic side, it's drinking very well right now. So unique, there are Chateauneufs and then there is Beaucastel. I remember tasting the 03 a couple of years ago, my first taste of a Beaucastel, and being disappointed as the wine was just shut down. The 04 sang in the glass with very ripe red fruits, lavender soap, and something tertiary I just couldn't place. The predominant varietals are mourvedre and grenache (35% mourvedre, 30% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% counoise, 5% cinsault). The mourvedre really shines here with it's sun-baked fruits. I think all connoisseurs should taste a Beaucastel at least once in their lives. The drink-by date is so far down the road I won't even bother.
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Needed some time in the decanter to open up, but was balanced with firm acid that paired well with food. Still very fresh with lots of fruit on the palate and definetly could have stay in the cellar or 10+ more years.
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2004 Chateauneufs du Pape (Rich and Peggy's House): Very good nose with some hints of sweetness. Very good palate, but it felt a little bit flat and one dimention. My #6, Group's #4 (6 pts). Tasted blind and kind of a disappointment in today's tasting.
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Popped and poured from split. Color is a nice, crisp ruby red. On the nose, there is sweet cherries, earth, some plumy fruit, and a bit of heat on the back. In the mouth, there is decent fruit, with some tangy spice, and a nice acid vein. The finish feels fresh and focused. Overall, this is a quality, classically-styled CdP from a less-hyped vintage. 91 points.
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Nose is sweet vanilla, fruit and floral. Nose is a 93. Palate is a 90 at best. Seems a bit thin. Some liqueur and generic red fruit. Hopefully there is some upside here.
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Annual CdP Dinner (Edina Country Club, MN): -- 3 hours of slow-ox before the event -- -- tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 30 min., and then another pour non-blind over approx. 15 min. about 1.5 hours later --
NOSE: weird: refried beans; cumin; raspberry; hints of petrol and citrus. Not off, just weird.
BODY: dark color; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: non-descript fruit (call it raspberry, maybe?); 14% alc. stands-out, but perhaps this is due to the slightly elevated acidity; not much going on here right now. I’ll continue to hold my one bottle in hopes that this was merely in a closed stage this evening. If this bottle was representative (and I have no reason to believe it wasn’t), this wine should not be approached right now.
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Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Very dark red color. !.5 hr decant, drank 1+ glass over 2 hours. Nose is pleasant with a sweet edge of vanilla, florals, tar, smoke, kirsch, cherry. This developed a distinct Asian spice note (and almost an arm pit odor, which did dissipate ) after a bit, though seemingly distinct it may have been influenced by a somewhat aromatic soup nearby. The palate is medium-full bodied, black raspberry berry and cherry fruits, a bit of plum, earthy, licorice, nicely integrated tannins, medium finish. I'm optimistic that this has a better future down the road.
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Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Not sure this is making me any more of a fan of Beaucastel. I think blending less of the 13 grapes would help. Dark in color with a soft nose of floral, wood and mild fruits. Palate was hard to distinguish a certain fruit. A bit of pine straw. Short to medium finish and lacks concentration. Not a great value wine.
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Christmas BYO (HSH): Plenty of christmas-style spices on the nose but also showing plums, sewer, barnyard and a hint of coffee. Full-bodied and fresh young dark plum fruit on the palate with a young and impressive tannin structure. Has opened up for drinking again but it still very young!
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Decanted for almost 2 hours. First impression the nose was muted but after sitting opend up to bright cherries with some red and black licourice and hints of cedar and pipe tabacco. This wine has very tart acidity that lead to rich red fruits and hints vanilla and cedar wood. Tannins are smooth and a great 04, very drinkable now
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Dark purple red; not much nose, a little caramel, a hint of sharpness but otherwise rounded; soft round attack, spiced, muted; not showing much at this stage, pleasant but dormant
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--- COLOR: Deep garnet to the rim NOTE: This one is full of garrigue on the nose, followed by macerated cherries, dried strawberry, cherry pipe tobacco, cinnamon and a tinge of heat. Mouth is medium+ weith, loads of pomagranate juice (like biting on a mouthful of seeds), bright acidity, black plum. Finish is fairly tannic but ripe, same flavors as the mouth but at the very end there's some pleasant dardk cocoa notes. Well-made.
DECANT: 1-6 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.3- OTHER: COST: 73 VALUE: 5.5 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: TRY AGAIN: now - 2018 PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Like other '04's, surprisingly open. Spicy raspberry, cherry and meaty nose. Sweet herbal and red fruited palate, moderately dense. Years left, but fine now as I have a few.
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Spicy red cherries, strawberry, pepper, black raspberry and gamey notes along with fresh Provencal herb aromatics open to a medium to full bodied, bright, fresh Chateauneuf du Pape that is dominated by spicy, red berries. This is still young, with luck, time could add more richness to the wine.
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This is the 4th bottle I've drunk since buying a half case in 2007. I'm disappointed in the lack of complexity. That said, it drinks wonderfully and was a great accompaniment to a grilled steak. As far as I can tell this wine will not get much better, and it was decanted for 1 hour prior to tasting.
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Decanted and than tasted for 4 hours. Increasing in sweetness and complexity and loosing its acidity. With rib eye a great wine, earthy, figue, mushroom. Love it.
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Exceptional bottle, should have waited 2 more years. Decanted for a couple of hours before consuming. Great with rack of lamb. 1st taste tart red fruit, still ample acidity, structure good but will get better. Nice finish. Regret this is the only one I owned.
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I expected a little more from this wine. After about 15 minutes in the glass it started to show. I actually think it might be shutdown. It will need some decant time if you want to try it now. Still very good though!
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It was supposed to be an outstanding wine but in reality it was kind of dissapointment, perhaps a lesser bottle...Expressive nose with mostly very ripe to the limit red fruit, spice and herb. No complexity. Solid on palate and tight with zesty acidity, huge extract and slightlly burning alcohol. High quality fine-grained tannins give an indication of wine's true character.
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Rhone Magic (Le Petit Sommelier Restaurant): Not up to the level of the Beaucastels I have come across to date, but still very enjoyable. Medium garnet. Red cherry, herbs, spices, floral and herbal scents on the nose, combined with funky nuances of rubber and paint. Medium-bodied, solidly structured and round, with firm tannins and quite high acidity. Long aftertaste.
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For me the wine did not show well this evening. Fruit seemed a little bit cooked. Given the quality and aging potential of this wonderful wine I dare attribute it to a badly stored bottle. Furthermore the structure (strong tannins and surprisingly high acidity) - not the aromas - of this wine showed that it has a long way still to go. Yet nose had jammy fruit along with some cherry flavors, rubber notes, caramel, prunes and ash. Difficult to assess in any way.
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The Magic of The Rhône, Le Petit Sommelier. Garnet. The wind may cry Mary but this wine whispers of Provence. Concentrated ripe strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, meaty chocolate notes, coffee, caramel, cinnamon and the unmistakeable garrigue herbs. Liquid velvet and plummy palate. Good structure, medium + acidity, medium tannins. Good length, solid with some slight heat. Comes on like a Dr John voodoo funk tune.
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Popped and poured a half bottle of this with Doug after drinking a great Bordeaux and a 2006 Chappellet Signature Cab--all of which probably wasn't fair to the Beaucastel. Even so, it was a beautiful wine, with lovely composition. The fruit was satisfying and layered without being overblown, nice leather, smoke and tar notes, touch of spice, drinking very well.
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Beautiful bouquet with ripe fruits, soft herbs and spices and a touch of sweetness. On the palate ripe black as well as red forest fruits, some earthiness, good tannin and freshness. A delicious and lush wine. Entering its maturity stage now. 93+
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Wow. Enjoyed with dinner last night. A seamless transition from the cherry and leather on the nose to the long, long finish. I can't imagine it can get better than this. We were offered a decanter from the restaurant, I took a taste and told the server we didn't need it. Wish I had bought more when I had the chance.
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Green vegetal nose with some white peppery notes. Smooth, fruity, bitter cherries, not a wine of power nor structure, but it sits well on the palate, average on all accounts.
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Excellent showing, my first time with this wine (I think). The first thing I notice is the precision, and even after the wine fills out with some air and expands in detail, it remains very well-proportioned. Nose and palate open to a smorgasboard of tastes and nuances, including wild strawberry, garrigue, cherry, underbrush, forresty earth, pot roast and fig cake. Tremendous array of flavors and nuances, and it's also very clean in terms of funk and Brett. Tannins are sleek, acidity moderate. I suspect that this is one of the best examples of CdP from 2004. UPDATE: Half the bottle remained, didn't transfer to .375 and thus exposed to oxygen, and did NOT hold up well, sadly. Muddled palate, showing raisin-y. Surprised that this didn't have the fortitude to go overnight. I guess that's 2004 at this point?
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Drank alongside 1994 and 2004 Trevallon. Interesting comparison. More full bodied (although a light and early ripening year) than Trevallon. But needs more years, see 18/6 tasting.
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This was the expensive entry for the 2 Chateauneuf du pape bottles in the tasting. It did not fair well considering the price differential. The '05 Clos St. Michel for $25 held it's own and nearly surpassed this $70 bottle. This wine is probably not really ready for prime time drinking. It is uneven and has some hard edges, particularly on the finish that indicate it needs a lot more time in the bottle. It does have lots of fruit and will certainly stand up to more aging.
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Weekly tasting group #012; Southern Rhône (@ VD): Very fresh and youthful bouquet with red forest fruits and some eucalyptus. Very refined. On the palate a lot of good cherries and a lot of soft tannin and bitterness. Very juicy with a pleasant dose of sweetness and oak. Elegant and complex. Already a beauty and will improve over the next years. Wait until 2015 or 2016. 92+
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YES. Surprisingly good. I own a lot of BC and the problem is usually that it is closed. This is still young but feels quite integrated and really like a Bordeaux or Burgundy. There is no age or development but it is a very attractive wine.
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Wow, this is a stunning wine. The nose is tightly wound, even after a 5 hour decant and doesn't give any hint as to what to expect on the palate.
The first thing to strike you is the elegance and effortless poise of this wine but there is tremendous power humming away underneath, just waiting for a chance to exert its authority. Absolutely pure blackcurrant fruit gently caresses the palate but is held firmly in place by sleek tannins and kissed with the merest whiff of tobacco. The finish is endless, never wavering from that pure fruit elegance.
This is a delicious wine that gives a great deal of pleasure now but will only get better during the many years of life it clearly has left.
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1st Beaucastel. I was expecting to have to monitor this out of the decanter to get it into a sweet spot but it drank well for most of the evening and also on day 2. I was expecting something with even more game and more earth given the reputation of the winery, but I liked the rather balanced if not yet elegant rendition of CdP of this vintage and time. Not life-changing, but a high class Rhone heavy on the Mouvedre likely to improve and last for many years.
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Wow, this is the whole package. Very well-structured, concentrated Rhone flavors without diving too deep into an olive bath. Not much 2004 greenness. This thing could sail on for years, but is drinking great.
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Dark ruby colour. In the nose some cassis. Decanted, not much there yet. Soft tannines, medium body, bit austere. Some animal flavours. After 1 hour some soapy smell and taste like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Interessting, but too young. Will leave it for 5 years.
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Herbal, dark fruits (blackberries), strawberries, chocolate, tar. Before opening, I thought this wine would have been too young and overly tannic, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, I felt like we were drinking this at a great time.
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Charlie's Retirement Party: After the Caymus SS. Popped and poured as we sat down to dinner (seared Ahi tuna, sauteed shitake mushrooms, wholegrain rice and portabella pilaf, asparagus). The wine paired well with all the food, even the tuna and the asparagus. Floral nose. Medium body. Strawberry rhubarb flavor. Very clean. The pilaf brought out a little additional berry. Really good.
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Dang this _isses me off! Oxidized so no note - my first bottle of this wine ~ 1 year ago seemed off as well - maybe it was the source "Drink the Grapes" which no longer sells online anymore.
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not score as the wine is till very tihgtly-bound with fine-grained tannins. savory and slightly rustic on the nose but still not giving up much. probably needs 5 + years in cellar.
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Upon first opening, very jammy with lots of heat and cherry notes. Almost like a pinot. Opened up a little bit later on, and expressed some other notes, but still WAY too young.
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Really good. Opened a 375 (greedy tonight and drank it all). Aired in glass for 30 minutes. Mineral nose with lean fruit. Cherry and tobacco. Slightly acidic. Good structure. Good end to a tough day.
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from half bottle. A bit light for its age but still a nice bottle. Closed at first but with air, rustic cherry tobacco leather. Went well with a steak.
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Christmas dinner wine. Served with Roast Leg of Lamb. Noted from memory. Well integrated tannins, very typical Beaucastel nose and taste. A bit of sweetnes in the mouth. A perfect match to the dinner
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Don't know if this wasn't cellared well originally, but this was a disappointment. Lacking the typical Beaucastel nose and flavors, this was a thin sewery bottle.
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Decanted for 3 hrs, gamy, leather, spice and red fruits in the nose. Earthy palate with spicey willd red fruits and a nice stewed tomato note on the finish. This is only going to get better, though approachable now. Had with Duck Wellington and they were a near perfect match. 92++
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Farr Christmas Tasting 2010: Redcurrents galore, quite tannic - perhaps at an awkward stage. Tasted just after the 2009 was never going to do it any favours.. £400/cs (Sal 90 pts)
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CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part One (oskiwawa's house in McKinney, Texas): Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slowly oxygenate about 4 hours before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, slightly cloudy looking. Nose of cigar box, soapstone and wet stones. Flavors of berries. Medium acidity, medium tannins. medium body. Drink now with some air time or continue to hold for at least another 4-5 years before trying again. 91?
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CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very similar to the one tasted last month. Tight nose Red and black fruits, leather, roasted meat, anise, pepper. On the palate, rich black fruit, raspberry, anise, pepper, vanilla. Finished crisp with smooth tannins. Hold for at least five years. Lots of potential, might be better than the 05 given enough time.
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Vibrant fruit and spice aromas. Pleasing tastes of red and black fruit, spice, and cherry. Nice acidity lends freshness and the tannins are very soft and pleasing. Outstanding Ch-D-P.
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Opened and tasted, then placed in decanter for about an hour, then drank over 3 hours. Lots of toffee, blueberry compote, caramel, leather and chocolate. Red tart raspberries, vanilla on the palate, medium finish with moderate tannins. This became more interesting as time passed. Definitely young, will be great to try over the next 10 years.
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decanted 2-3hrs. deep dark red color in the glass. this isn't giving up too much on the nose even after the decant, but what's there is very intriguing... leather, meat, iron, kirsch. on the palate it's all dark raspberries, garrigue, a little dark chocolate & a hint of pepper. big yet smooth tannins. meaty/gamey note on the finish. very delicious.
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Dinner with JAR and TWG (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Opened two hours and poured. Reticent nose, very young and primary still. Red and black fruits, leather, roasted meat, anise, pepper. On the palate, rich black fruit, raspberry, anise, pepper, vanilla. Finished crisp with smooth tannins. Hold for 2-3 years minimum. Outstanding.
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Very dark red bordering black; nice smooth nose, spices; in the mouth lively, somewhat lean, fruity, smooth attack but then going to lean, somewhat tannic at the end; lengthy aftertaste; elegant but lacking some complexity and missing normal CdP power
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Young, but wow. Beautiful nose of dark, chocolate covered cherry, sweet vanilla and a bit of gaminess - just a hint. fruit was forward but subtle at teh same time. Rich and smooth. I found the finish to be adequate to good.
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Rhone / Rhone Ranger night (Snohomish, WA): The nose had dark cherry, spice and vanilla aromas. The palate had darker fruit flavors than the nose suggested - most notably plum and blackberry flavors. This was full bodied, and the big percentage of Mourvedre (35% I think) was evident in the mouthfeel and long finish. There was no brett in this wine either, though I think it just hasn't bloomed yet. I really enjoy drinking Beaucastel when it is young before the brett shows up.
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À la Paulée Nez de réglisse noire, la bouche est d'une belle texture, un style traditionnel. Un très bon Beaucastel qui m'a semblé plus ouvert que je n'aurais cru. À garder quelques années afin qu'il puise développer la complexité typique du cru.
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Really nice ruby colour, completely opaque, showing beautitul conentration. Quite muted nose with some figs between some leather notes. On the palate it is wonderfully compact, structured, clean, and very well defined. Every element is in the correct place, with a velvety texture and a medium/long finish. It is so young that I am sure It will improve, give it ten more years or so. For the moment, it is somehow an uninspiring perfect mathematical blend from any place in the world. 89+
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New leather, iron, stewed plum. This is young, a little hot, but with great concentration, a little closed, but rich, lush, purple and delicious, almost like a Pomerol, but with dark licorish, fennel. There's not much of the garrique or brett you expect, but a long finish with a hint of beef broth/ blood.
Second day is better. Dark, viscous, smooth, black pepper, fig, espresso and saddle leather.
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Purchased from HDH, stored at 55 deg. Popped and poured. Garnet color. Initial nose was well balanced and rounded. Class CdP flavor - tannins were surprisingly toned down already. Well balanced medium-full body. Long finish. Saving the other bottle, but drinking well already.
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3 Decades of Chateau Beaucastel with Tomas Perrin. (Ambrosia Event Center. Victoria, BC.): The nose on this is very clean. Leathered fruits and pretty perfume show very well. There is a touch of barnyard coming through. Soft palate with moderate tannins and lush red fruits . Big body and balanced acidity, the oak is very well balanced here. Lots of garrigue and pepper on the moderately long finish. Drinking well now but will become so much better... hold another 5 years.
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One should ask me, "if you knew it would be closed, why did you open it?" Nose: Boysenberry, faint hints of anise, kirsch, and almond paste, otherwise very tight. Palate: Tightly packed fruit just wants to burst out on the attack, but is unable to do so. The mid-palate and finish are equally tight. And this is all with 4+ hours of air.
There is a veritable tension between a sheath of tannins and the fruit in this wine that I feel only time will unlock. The stuffing is unmistakably there, so the obvious conclusion for me is to let the other bottles sleep for a long time. No rating given at this time, but I have high hopes for this wine and expect that it will exhibit classic, aged CdP characteristics when it is ready to show its stuff.
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Outstaning evening. Pegau(04),beaucastel (04)and bois de boursan cuvee des felix(07). Beaucastel: Dacanted 5 hours.Complex, dark, nose of tobacco and fruit and tested tobacco, choklate and fruit , fantastic but all 3 was fantastic
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Dacanted 1 hour then served over the next 2 1/2. Nice nose, somewhat restrained. Tobacco, chocolate, red fruits and a tiny bit of licorice. A little spice and meatiness, chocolate and red fruits. Medium finish.
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IMO, this needs time - decanted for 1 hour - good but not what i would expect. I'm going to wait at least 3 years before I try another bottle - maybe going through a "dumb" period? Not rating given I was not able to decant long enough.
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Decanted, then re-bottled 2 hours prior to dinner. Ate with seared duck breast and truffled polenta. Very good CDP, with good tannins and strong finish. Held up well with dinner and is drinking beautifully now. May be better with time? Much better than the 03 and on par with the 05.
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Still really enjoyed - well balanced strong wine. More new world flavors in this bottle - there is some gamy funk, but it is overshadowed by the fruit. Delicious wine, but not a classic CdP. Had with Chrsitmas goose and wanted more earty flavors. Would be great with a steak or a nice roast chicken.
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Notes from memory: Very good with clear upside potential, but this wine is just completely shut down at this point. Layers of dark briary fruit began to show through as the last drops disappeared. Hold for at least 5 more years as it will be MUCH better down the road or give it a long (5+ hour) decant if you open soon.
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Outstanding CNDP, loved the spice, the smoothness and the spice of this wonderful wine, probably even better in 5-10 years - Dark red, well concentrated with a nose of cherry, plum, pepper, spice, earth and vanilla, fabulous balance and complexity, very well made, velvety smooth on the palate with terrific length, awesome! (94 Points).
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Deep red. A bit closed at first but then opened up with lots of raspberries, cherry and vanilla. Hints of earth and white pepper. The Greanche seems to be in the front. Nice wieght and finish a very good wine. I love 04.
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Dark red color. Intense and pure, yet somewhat tight aromas on the nose, notes of blueberry, raspberry, ink and licorice. On the palate the fruit is very clean and pure with intense flavours of raspberry juice. Powerful and long taste with some spices and dirt on the finish, but at the same time it appeared to be a bit closed. While opening up immensely over the cause of tasting it, it continued to be restrained power, with scratchy tannins on the finish. The potential is most certainly there, but it is in serious need of time to find its elegant and refined side as well.
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way too young. Drinkable - but will be much, much better over time. Opened due to a request from a friend. Decanted for a half an hour and the decanted back into the bottle for an hour. Drank over the next two hours. Ripe fruit (but in no way jammy), leather and a little tobacco with hints of vanilla or caramel on the nose. Tannins slightly stiff on the finish, but plenty of fruit to outlast them. I'll try again in a few years,
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What is it about me and Beaucastel. After the two 99s that I that I didn't like, I thought 04 from a different source might be young but wouldn't be that nasty same. But it was. Have to assume that that's the way it's meant to be. Burnt chewy gamy nasty. Burns off a bit with time in glass but I don't like to drink this. 0/3. Five half bottles to get rid of now...
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Very closed down. Getting some licorice on the nose but not much else. Nice concentration of sweet fruit with slightly mouth drying sweet tannins. Med bodied. Would not waste opening this for another few yrs. Based on where it is right now 90 Pts. It will have to open up a lot more down the road to rate higher.
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wow, what a nose. chocolate, cigar, and amazing fruit aromas. Decanted and opened up well after 2 hours. Absolutely delicious with some short ribs. Soft on the palate, medium long finish.. great bottle.
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From a 375ml bottle. Showed much much better this time around then it did 6 months ago. Nice nose of fresh herbs, red berries and red licorice with a touch of pencil shavings. Not getting the sense of alcohol on the palate that I did in the previous bottle and the flavors are nice and ripe with good depth and a firm finish. This was what I was looking for. Very nice.
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Gorgeous nose: earth, anise, gravel all layered nicely. I forget how soft Beaucastel is on the front/mid palate, only to linger forever once you've sipped it. The tobacco/earth flavors just hang around in the mouth forever afterwards...
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I love this wine. Typical CDP nose of cigar box/tobacco, tar, and dark fr;uits. Nice minerality as well. What I really like about Beaucastel is the wonderfully layered and soft palate displaying great fruit. Lengthy finish.
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From a 375ml: A lovely plum color in the glass with scents of earth, plums, prunes, and raisins. I the mouth there is brilliant structure as the acidity, tannins, and fruit find synergy together. Flavors of plums, blue fruit, and rustic earth flavors blaze a path that leaves a silky trail in its wake.
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What can I say about this wine? Loads of cigar box and tar on the nose, with rhubarb and berry fruit. Mouthfeel is full bodied with integrated tannin structure, and some zip. Berry's, tobacco, autumn mulch, loam and wild forest fruit are here as well as tar, vanilla and brown spice hints. Really a pleasure, it will be interesting to see what this does.
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Maybe my bottle was heat damaged. This wine had very little bouquet and almost no finish. A little peppery showing its moderate syrah content. Easily bettered by lower priced wines--Vieux Telegramme for example.
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A great and still quite young CdP from a premier producer enjoyed earlier this week at the monthly Hickory Wine Shoppe pre-Valentine's Day 'Wines of Passion" tasting with Kim, good friend and respected wine connoisseur neighborbill and spuse Debbie. Really good, still strong and tannic with just a hint of pepper on nose. Big, bold, meaty and peppery with primary flavors including black pepper, allspice, granite and dark cherry. Too expensive to be a good QPR but higly recommend this wine, anticipate really great things from it in a few years.
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We went to a dinner party last night and had 9 beautiful wines. THe Chateauneuf-Du-Pape was a great hit by most.. Gentle and smooth were the terms being used to describe this great wine.
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Firm and dark color in the glass...opened and poured...not decanted, with right off a tad of mustyness and earth, with the mustyness blowing off pretty quick, leaving a firm nose of ripe dark fruit leaning towards tart blackberry, with a nuance of herbs and a little of that earthy quality that almost gives a rustic edge. Firm mouth feel right off the bat that, while not resolved, was enticing...a wandering personality and showing lots of deep character. Paired at brunch... grilled Angus steak with eggs and fresh sauted potatoes...and cripsy fried onions. And yes...it all went well together.
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Saturday at Fernando's (Queens, NY): Medium ruby color. Somewhat musty, earthy nose, beautifully complex with elements of spicebox, strawberry liqueur, pencil lead, walnut oil and mint. Silky on the palate with ripe tannins and peppery spice finish.
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Beautiful ruby color. Nose of dark fruits, red cherry, spice, cedar. Similar palate with some plum, spice, and tar. Still tannic but pleasantly so. Very balanced. Nice right out of the bottle but subsequently decanted for 4 hrs. This wine was spectacular and not closed at all in my mind. Time will likely give this even more complexity, but this was really good at this stage.
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Decanted for 2 hours... used as one of three offerings at or holiday dinner.. Fantastic hit!!! Just an extaordinary wine, I thought the match would be the biggest hit but no, the match did come in a close second though.
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Two hour decant wasn't long enough. Should have been six. Still had this with our December finals meal, same as last year, with fruit and cheese and bread and salami. Hold, be more patient than I was. Or else decant longer. I will wait on the others that is for sure;
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In a mini-Beaucastel vertical (98-04), this was a surprise winner. Does suggest that the 2004 is a sleeper vintage, especially when considering prices. We assumed it would be too soon to drink, but decanted 2 hours and it was the most forward of all the wines. Seemed very fresh, no hint of barnyard or gaminess, and quite rich. While the traditional elements of earth, garrigue, roasted meats where there, it was not a traditional ChdP for most of us. But very well received and drinking well already.
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Had a bottle at a restaurant (Grace in Hollywood. $160/bottle. We had the tasting menu). I thought it was excellent. Great fruity nose with lots of rasberry. Very soft in the mouth, with none of the sharpness that one sometimes find in young CNP. That being said, the wine will clearly benefit from more aging, as it lack any sophistication that it will develop in 5 or 10 years.
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Simple night @ Liang Kee (Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant): Sweet blackberry pie and violets on the nose. Slightly flabby on the sides and lacking some fresh acidity to lift the flavours but I suspect that is because it has already been opened for more than a day. However, I could still feel the power and lurking oppulence in the fruit and tannin structure that prompted me to guess the wine as one with good lineage. It has an enveloping mouthfeel which seems to be destined to accomplish great things but at the moment is stuck as being an out-of-favour prince. My points are given in retrospect to how good the wine must have tasted on the day before when it was opened.
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Sunday dinner at Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant (Robertson Walk, Singapore): This 375 ml was popped as part of the Cellartracker Virtual Community Tasting II on Saturday, and I brought the remainder down to dinner to go with the duck, and it certainly went really well. Served blind, everyone on the table spotted this as a wine of some breeding, but it has really shut down quite a bit from the last time I tried it about a year back. It is now super-tight. The nose was all hot stones and bramble when I first popped it, with underlying dark berries and some savoury meat - very complex and challenging, but in a lurking subdued way, nowehere near as expressive as older Beaucastels or even the last bottle of 2004 that I had. On the second day, it began to show a little perfumed flowers, dark berries, and more bramble. The palate was dense and concentrated as expected but, refecting its vintage, clean as a whistle, with bright, juicy acidity bringing a really nice sense of elegance. As with the nose, there was lots of hot stones and other minerally notes, along with savoury meatiness and some underlying dark fruits undergirded by a layering of really fine tannins. On the second day, the intense brooding flavours and slight edginess integrated to reveal some licorice, more berries and meat - almost a touch of light blackberry jam here. Acid had dropped quite a bit though. Typically long Beaucastel finish, with bittersweet minerals and liberal dash of pepper and just the lightest touch of heat. All in all, this showed as a classy wine, full and concentrated, but perhaps lacking the richness of better vintages. I would not approach another bottle for a good half a decade at least.
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Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) II: Wines that are too young to be consumed come in two variants: the "shut down" and "tight" (such as Bordeaux and Barolo) and the over-the-top and not-so-well-integrated, like young CdP in general and this one in particular. There's no doubt that this is an opulent wine, displaying generous quantities of cherries, blueberries, garrigue, bacon fat, and wet earth in the aromatics, and with a solid backbone coming forth on the palate. But the wine is at turmoil at this stage, and hence it comes across more as explosive than elegant. Let it rest until 2012 and then it should really deliver an outstanding experience. (Unless, of course, you enjoy young wines in turmoil, where all components are screaming for attention. In that case, go for it now.)
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2nd CellarTracker Worldwide Virtual Tasting Event; 11/7/2008-11/9/2008 (Here, There, and Everywhere): Drank from a 375. Popped this wine open 12 hours before the tasting and let sit with the cork in in the wine fridge over night. God, I love the nose on CdP, so rich and aromatic. Notes of black and white pepper, green peppers, currant, plums, and forrest floor. Even after 12 hours exposure to air, this still didn't seem quite ready for prime time. I was shocked at how soft and elegant this wine was. Most of my experience with CdP is with big, powerful, chewy wines that really try to knock your socks off, but this had all the same green pepper, plum, and earth flavors that I love in CdP, but just done in a softer style. All the flavors are very bright and youthful. The finish lasted a good 20-30 seconds with lingering flavors of plums and peppers. My one complaint is that I was getting a bit too much heat in the mid palate and on the finish, something was definitely not in balance there, but not overwhelmingly so.
This is just a baby and really needs a good 5-7 more years in hopes of the flavors developing and integrating a little better, and hopefully the heat from the alcohol will subside as well. Never-the-less, really excellent stuff and without a doubt my wine of the tasting.
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I had this from a 375ml bottle with the other CT guys as part of the virtual the community tasting event and I must say that my experience wasn't as good as theirs. I had the bottle open for probably a couple of hours prior to tasting and while the nose was quite nice with good spice and fruit, the alcohol poked through quite a lot and even after trying again several hours later, I could still detect the alcohol more then everything else, especially in the flavors. However, looking past that, I still feel that this is a really great wine with a lot of other nice characteristics but I wasn't blown away like I expected to be. A couple of months ago I had a bottle of the 05 and it was far and away better then this 04. I really want to give this a score in the 90s like everyone else but I've had much better CdP, especially from 04. I have another 375ml bottle that I will stuff in the back of the cellar and try to forget about it. Perhaps that alcohol will integrate a little better in the future and the wine will show much better.
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Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) II (Virtual): Decanted for 2 hours. Appearance: a fairly dark red with a violet edge to it, still looking young (4/5). Nose: quite expressive, lots of red fruit coming out, like cherries, with a hint of leather in the background, very nice aromas! When I lifted the glass to my lips, there sudden whiff of toasty oak, just fleeting. After a couple of hours more, the leather comes out more strongly, as well as a hint of licorice and some cigar box. Next day, there were more meaty notes, some red blood coming through. (13/15). Palate: very smooth, tannins well integrated, not obvious at all. Red fruits coming out, sour cherries, quite delicious, leaving a bitter finish (16/20). Overall: my first Beaucastel, and it is good! This one is surprisingly ready for drinking, perhaps the notes of leather will develop more strongly with time. My number one of the VCTE (9/10).
2nd Cellar Tracker Worldwide Virtual Tasting Event (Virtual): I was worried about drinking this too early but it was drinking very nice. Decanted 4 hours. Nose of spice, pepper, a little vegetal, green pepper. Great balance of flavor and tannins which gives an excellent mouthfeel and structure. More of the fruit, mostly raspberry comes through on the palate mixed with spice. I think the fininsh is the best part of this wine. The finish stings and lingers with leather, spice, black cherry, raspberry, earth and pepper. Drinking well now but will last for years. My rating is anticipating its development for the future.
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Drank as part of the Cellartracker virtual tasting.
1st Night. This had a meaty nose with some toast, smoke and juniper to start but after several hours in a glass it had faded. The palate however was lovely, chewy to start with a little hit from the alcohol but later it had a freshness and balance I wasn't expecting. Red berries with a fresh acidity which goes through the finish.
2nd Night. Initially raisin and porty notes but this disappeared to leave a wonderfully balance wine. Much more feminine than expected. Not much on the nose now (dried mint, menthal and cloves) but it's almost feminine on the plate with a strong clove finish. Later picked up a little meat but more parma ham than serano, with some salt/mineral (seems to have a salty finish)
3rd night. Meatier, bacon and still the salty mineral element and still standing up strong.
I think expectations played a big part to start and it wasn't as powerful as I'd expected. Initially I was slightly disappointed but over the 3 nights I was able to appreciate the class of the wine, in an old money, bred not bought, type of class. There was nothing showy about it but it left a lasting impression.
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Dark, not especially dense, cranberry purple. Not overly generous, but in time showed grape, bacon fat, fennel seed, black pepper, and cigar box. Great acidity, firm tannins that remain in the background, alcohol that grows harsher with air. Overall quite thin, almost watery, no richness at all, a disappointment. Possibly a flawed bottle, I suppose.
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So not ready and yet so delicious. My wife and I had dinner at Restaurant Nora, in DC, where this wine was offered at a compelling price (for a restaurant). It seemed to be the way to go (even though--or maybe because--I have some in the cellar). This Beaucastel needs years, I think. To drink it now, it needed perhaps hours in the decanter. We gave it a few minutes. It was really beginning to come around as I finished my ice cream. And yet, even under immense pressure--that of time and wine-lust, of romantic wining and dining--the wine performed. What did it offer? Deep fruit, with lush (really? lush? yes, definitely) tannins, an exciting acidity, a brisk minerality. A brawny, beautiful, and graceful wine--an uncommon combination of qualities. Just give it time.
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A dark ruby color, with far more herbal and savory notes than those aoround it. Lovely meaty aromas, with a full palate of charcuterie, and more red than dark fruits. Fine peppery and herbal notes complete this excellent wine. Fleshy yet not flabby and very well balanced. Better flesh than many '04s, and I like this style of wine. Others may love it less. 94 pts.
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Initial nose of cherries, very muted after 10 minutes yo virtually no nose. Taste: No Fruit. Very subtle and tannic, earthy and white pepper. Possibility of heat damage to this bottle.
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Enjoyed side-by-side with the 1988, this (no surprise) was monstrously young and muscular, with lots of black raspberry, blackberry, and cherry, with leather and a streak of iron and stoney minerality. I was surprised by the clear indications of the primary varietal characteristics of the mourvedre in the purple color and dense mixed berry flavors. This was more ready for drinking than I expected, with tannins still firm but not restraining the fruit, and it was probably the best '04 CdP I've had.
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My god this was excellent. Nose of cherry and hints of leather and berry fruit. Taste was profound, at once sharp and soft. Acidity gave it a crisp edge, but the fruit was ripe and the finish long. Tasted of raspberry and cherry with loam and autumn leaves in the background. Finish was long and tannin structure was velvetine. Every bit as good as the 05 Vieux Donjon.
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Small Châteauneuf-du-Pape dinner (Terkels appartment): Black color with a purple rim. Black currant, black berry, licorise and a bit of herbs on the somewhat closed nose, also a bit of marzipan after some time in the glass. It is also holding back on the palate, but showing some raspberry, blackberry, licorise and hints of pepper. On the finish it has some cherry liqueur and raisin. Great length and balance, but it is closed down right now, and needs cellaring.
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I am not a fan of CDP but decided to open this because the lable on this wine was getting moldy so I decided to drink it to celebrate after purchasing my new condo. Bought it for $68 in VA, saw it selling it for $99 bucks here in CA and was upset because the wine was still way too young to drink it. Consummed over 3 day period. First night the wine was too closed. Tasted amazing next day when I had a glass for lunch. Died down on the third day. Long finish.
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At a Booze CdP tasting. Had this in a flight with the Perrin & Fils and Clos des Papes 2004. This easily beat the other 2 out. Immensely impressive wine. Darkish red colour, reflective of its unusually high Syrah content for a CdP. Really lovely, complex nose of meat, smoke, dark cherries - lots and lots of stuff going on there. On the palate, beautiful dark, brooding fruits woven into a really firm yet refined tannin structure, resolving in a long, complex finish. A wonderful wine. Would have scored it higher, but it is really far too early to drink. Almost a crime. This should keep for another 8-10 years easily, and will be drinking well far beyond that.
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Chateau Dr. Z (Chateau Dr. Z): Decanted 3 hours. Better out of the gate than with air, lost a lot of its punch and surprisingly its fruit. Started very primary, with hearty blasts of minerally raspberry and some iron. A light touch of garrigue and herbs. Midpalate needs some time to flesh out, the finish was excellent.
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Dark garnet red, nearly opaque in color with strong concentration. The nose is inviting and complex giving off aromas of leather, plum, grenadine, strawberry, and some garrigue. The palate shows firm structure with lots of fine tannin and acidity. Medium weight with a clean medium length finish. This needs at least 5 more years to enter its drinking window. A good showing after the slightly disappointing 2003 (Which is a good wine but is more like a California grenache than a southern Rhone). This will not be a great Beaucastel but it contains what I am looking for in Chateauneuf du Pape and Beaucastel. For that, I am pleased. 50 + 5 + 13 + 17 + 9
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Last night at Campagne we dined as guests of the local newspaper at a client dinner. Most of the table wasn't in the mood for wine, so Jake Kossof the excellent somielier, poured us the remainder of a bottle he had opened with the Perrin's the night before. The airtime had really mellowed the wine, surprisingly, it lacked any rough edges and presented a smooth and tasty drink with good balance and richness. The fruit was not overly noticable, but the wine remained full bodied and paired well with the lamb dish.
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A touch of brett on the nose. Herbs, spice, earth, BBQ meats, blackberries and black cherries. The mid palate is beginning to close down. Pretty finish. Don't touch for at least 5-10 years. This will be a fantastic wine with some time.
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Outstanding - firm tannins some beautiful purple fruit underneath. Will need some time to open up, but should be worth the wait. Rather woody aroma and taste. After opening for an hour and having with food - tannins become more subdued, and tobacco leather notes come out.
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HDH Auction (Tru): Full soft purple color. Tight spicy nose of briar black and red fruit. Spicy red fruit on the palate, but still very young and difficult to really evaluate.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting at Pike and Western 2/8/07: Perhaps not a perfect bottle but perhaps my favorite of the tasting. Light purple red in the glass. Raspberry, cherry, herbs, light smoked meat, licorice and minerals throughout. Quite subdued on this tasting but the bottles were literally popped and poured. (one bottle opened before the tasting was thought to be corked) It might just have been the reputation (and the price) but I could imagine this improving with more air and with more time in the bottle.
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Deep crimson; herbs, cherries, cola, meat; blackberry, cedary, medium body, good balance, good structure, good grip, firm tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 4 hrs. A powerful wine with good structure and balance but difficult to enjoy as it was so tightly wound. Should peak in 15 yrs. Expensive stuff.
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Ruby red color. Oak resin and raspberry on the nose. Fantastic mouthfeel, robust, spicy and mildly tannic. Long finish. Great material, could be as good as the 1998 eventually.
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Much better bottle tonight - Not that integrated at this time, purpley hue. Nose is cherry cough syurp, leather, alcohol peek through. On the palete the waves of fruit run with the herbs and forest floor, softer tannins and a long finish. Silky already. Good concentration, although it is not the size of the 2003 by any means. Really a nice wine, I am wondering at the QPR at this point, but since my last is born in 2004, I need some.
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Somewaht subdued nose of red fruit and light garrigue. On the palate, brambly red raspberry fruit, garrigue, spice. More ripe than expected. Shows a touch of heat. Overall, nice balance. To be sure, this is a young wine, and Beaucastel is generally difficult to evaluate when young and recently shipped... Very promising.
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Colour: Bright ruby red on the edges with a darker purple core.
Nose: Some mint, green tea, cedar and darker fruits. No baby funk.
Palate: Yummm.... Medium to full bodied with several waves of flavours ranging from earthy blackberry, spicy cherry & strawberry and a finish that goes on and on. There's plenty of tannin but acts as a frame, not a wall.
93 points tonight with lots of upside.
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4/20/2024 - CreativeCPA Likes this wine:
I just love Beaucastel! I found a bunch of morels on my property and thought, what could be better than morels and Beaucastel. It didn't disappoint. Deep, foggy red with hints of brown. The nose is wet metallic, with stewed vegetables. My husband gets a tart Raspberry with tannins. I get tartness on the side of my tongue, with forest floor or mushroom. Also a hint of black cherry. My husband gets some cocoa. It continued to open over 3 hours. Some metal flavors came out, with more intense stewed vegetables. It went very well with the pork in morel mushroom sauce. Soft and drinkable now. I wouldn't wait much longer to drink it.
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3/31/2024 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 94 Points
Surprisingly little sediment. Very open and fragrant immediately on decanting. Sweet red and stewed fruits, forest floor, mushroom, mulled wine spices, leather. Silky texture, well integrated, some remaining tannin, a slight touch of warmth. Long finish. Lovely mature CDP.
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3/22/2024 - 831900_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
A softer, gentler Châteauneuf du Pape, but still clearly a Châteauneuf du Pape. Some primary fruit mixing with cocoa, a touch of leather, some minty herbs, and vague hints of vanilla in the start of the ride. Transitions gracefully. The tannins are mostly resolved. Still a serious wine, it’s softened considerably. Wonderful now, could get better.
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3/7/2024 - louisl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful nose, very classic Châteauneuf. Nice palate as well but feeling a bit tired. Good wine but definitively on the down slope. Drink up now.
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3/6/2024 - curtr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up over one hour in the glass. Nice pairing with pork stir fry. Drink by 2025.
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2/11/2024 - Gentry856 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for three hours and served with lamb. Delicate fruit, beautifully integrated tannins. Silky, velvety texture. Very soft, almost like an older burgundy. Was hoping for a bit more depth, but otherwise this was a beautiful bottle that paired nicely with the lamb.
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2/11/2024 - sprusac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gave it a bit of time to breathe in the bottle. I thought the age showed in a good way, making the wine both balanced and smooth. It had the lightness of a Burgundian pinot and at the same time the earthy taste of a maturing Bordeaux, if that makes any sense. Still a bit of backbone from tannin. Lovely wine. It ended up being an excellent pairing with lamb.
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2/7/2024 - Swintonblade wrote: 87 Points
drank alongside 21/09/98. This vintage was nice to see, lovely nose, browning colour on the edge, subtle fruit showing so think this is on the downhill for me. nice tannins just lack of depth/complexity.
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1/28/2024 - citizen1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with earlier poster - this is at it's end. Fairly monochromatic until it had been open several hours.
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1/23/2024 - Drankard wrote:
Drinking well but all tertiary flavors. Drink up.
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1/19/2024 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine at the 20-year mark. Red cherry and dark plums up front. Mostly secondary notes at this point of cinnamon spice, tobacco, sage, and leather. Acidity has tamed but such a great long finish. So good right now and over the next few years.
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1/8/2024 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wine drunk straight from the bottle
The wine is clear and deep ruby in colour
There is some of sediment in the bottle.
The Aroma intensity is medium
On the nose:
Red fruit, ripe but not cooked, peach, slight cinnamon, and apple, liquorice and pencil shavings to finish.
The wine is Dry
The body is medium to medium full
The wine has a medium fresh/crisp Acidity.
The wine has medium round tannins.
On the palate: Slightly cooked red fruit, some cinnamon and spice, finishing with leather, liquorice and tobacco.
Conclusion
Absolutely right on the button this wine. Opened up very well in glass. Excellent Structure with a lovely flash of acidity to finish. The wine is luxurious and also fresh at the same time. Super expression of CNP and Beaucastel.
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12/23/2023 - apg23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great wine for the price. Drinking very well right now.
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12/22/2023 - acidqueen wrote: 92 Points
Still a beauty. Elegant, fresh and medium acid gives nice balance here. Faint cherry syrup, fine tobacco notes. My last bottle of this was in 2018 and this is still drinking well, but I think it it time now before it eventually goes downhill. I wish I had a few more bottles to drink in the meantime but, alas, this is my last.
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12/12/2023 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Clear light red. The lightest of all the Beaucastels today, but in a good way. Red cherry, green herbs, nice elegant floral notes and a light dry finish.
I love this style.
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12/1/2023 - winespine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this is gorgeous. And, it's at a great spot in its drinking window. This is what I want when drinking a CdP. The elements have stitched together beautifully: tannins have softened, oak is integrated, some tertiary characteristics creeping in, but still lots of fruit here. Served with a cheese plate and let it open in our glasses. And it did open, so there is no signs of decline here, but tough to imagine it getting much better. What a pleasure.
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11/2/2023 - MAkita Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! This was a really impressive bottle—perfectly stored and aging incredibly gracefully. The first impression here is and incredible round richness of fruit—blackberry and black currant cake to mind. Behind that, you get some other classic secondaries—powerful herbs (sage?) and a nice rich leather and oak combination with maybe a touch of a grilled meat thing. The fruit is still the standout, though. Still incredibly pronounced for a wine that is otherwise showing it’s age in smooth elegance. If I had to find a fault, it’s that the fruit is so strong it makes it hard to read anything else at first. Drink now if you have a bottle!
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10/13/2023 - jonnysandwich Likes this wine: 92 Points
A fun half-bottle treat. With nearly 20 years of age this CdP is acting more like a Northern Rhône. There's a stony tang to it, and not much spice. Lots of herbs and dark berries here, and a serious kirsch vibe. The mouthfeel is beautiful--round, plump, and smooth. A pleasure to drink in its twilight. What it's lost in structure it's certainly gained in elegance. Would pair well with a salty cheese.
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9/22/2023 - super007 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich dark fruit, dense raisin towards the end and in the finish. This benefits from being opened and some air. Lot of richness, a medium+ body and wonderful nose. The alcohol is present and benefits from sitting in the glass to let the rest of the wine shine thru
Clearly a wine built to age. There was at least 10 years more here. Impressive
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7/31/2023 - RichardsEric1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Finally a good bottle from this 6 pack.
Color. Dark red. No brick at the edges.
Nose. Sweet cherries, cinnamon red hot candies, cake, a little alcohol. It's a delightful nose for 19 years old.
Palate. Smooth..... ultra smooth. Delicate fruit and no tannins. The bigger dark fruits are gone.
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6/30/2023 - AndrewWill Likes this wine: 97 Points
The ‘04 vintage is entirely underrated. Loads of primary fruit still present, balanced by equally beautiful tertiary leathery goodness.
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6/24/2023 - beachbum wrote:
this was heavy, large with lots of concentrated cherry fruit.. it tasted maybe 5 years old, rather than 19, It has been stored well and has no hint of orange, i can’t believe how young it showed, i would probably avoid another bottle for 10 years…but it was sweet and leathery, and it had the classic beaucastel signature, i just feel there are better vintages to drink now
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5/29/2023 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
In a great place right now. Full of fruit upfront but plenty of tertiary complexity. Will age gracefully going forward with lots of life ahead but this really feels like a good sweet spot.
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5/27/2023 - PDavisMarble wrote: 93 Points
Garnet red. Bright, full fruity nose -- plums and persimmons, some cedar and and tobacco. Rich, mouth-coating and luxurious. Raspberries and currants, tobacco and baking spices, camphor wood and roast meats. In an excellent place.
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5/24/2023 - Southkevin2 wrote: 92 Points
Muted nose. Palate is delicious. Hints of garrigue after a few hours.
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3/14/2023 - CRL Stc Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Drank well over 3 hours.
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2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): Beautiful and mature bouquet with some rustic flavors and licorice. On the palate garrigue, cherries, juicy acidity and some rustic impressions as well. Beautiful, elegant and mature wine. At its peak now.
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1/7/2023 - RichardsEric1 wrote: 85 Points
Finally opened the 6 pack of this wine. It was a closeout wine from Grand Vin. I think I paid $20 @ bottle?
Color. Red with brick at the edges.
Nose. Subtle fruit. Leather, strawberry, undergrowth. Its a very delicate nose.
Palate. Soft and round. Very faded from a once great wine. There's not much going on. I assume a cracker would overwhelm this wine.
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12/24/2022 - FabesMTL wrote:
It’s in a good place. Nose is a bit muted, palate is soft and mature, smooth finish but lacks a bit of a follow through and some zing. It’s an elegant wine, I suspect it will show much better in stronger vintages. Good but not spectacular.
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10/31/2022 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
Boston Wine + Poker BYOW, Lincoln, Mass: This is a sneaky wine: it seems underwhelming at first sniff and taste, but then it comes through on the mid palate and aftertaste with a weightless intensity that I had thought only Rayas could achieve. Fully developed, but no sign of old age. This was my favorite in a very strong lineup (though my wife didn't really like it at all).
Thanks to Kyle Schaffer for bringing this one.
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9/17/2022 - cyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a beautiful place right now. Has a finish that lasts for days. I'd say this has at least another 5-10 years left in it. Ex-chateau bottle imported 2021.
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9/16/2022 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic and absolutely stunning balance! Perfectly mature.
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9/10/2022 - Mountster27 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful
Got some hay and raw grain notes in addition to raspberry and blackberry and tar
Perfect tannin now. Integrated and with a tremendous finish
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8/19/2022 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
Long Weekend Lake Michigan; 8/19/2022-8/22/2022 (Leelanau County, MI): Mostly resolved of tannins but with still quite youthful, vibrant dark fruit. A delightful wine with fine presence.
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6/25/2022 - Sperls Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a very nice spot. Some tar, herbs, dark fruits, spice. Chewy w decent finish. Prob has a number of years but not necessarily improving.
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6/10/2022 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 97 Points
Graduating daughter's birth wine. Absolutely in its prime. Still with primary fruit including raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry along with some minerality but absolutely silky tannins and a long, pillowy soft finish. Wonderful!
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6/7/2022 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
PNP, drink up.
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6/5/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 93 Points
Rich leather and prune with some gentle smokiness. This is getting toward the end of its prime but is very enjoyable now.
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5/14/2022 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle purchased from local wine importer who received a shipment of back vintages direct from the estate.
Medium ruby in appearance with very little lightening -impressive color at age 17 or so.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of dark berry fruit, charcuteries, earth and herbal elements- rosemary , thyme etc. Very fresh and elegant on the nose.
Medium bodied with plenty of structure , freshness and flavor concentration. The finish is medium plus.
Overall very well done and proof that some CDP cuvees are built for the long haul. Not sure this will improve in the bottle any more, but based on this example it will hold for another 5-10 years in a cold cellar.
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5/7/2022 - patatty Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful dark crimson color. Nose had cassis notes. Cassis flavors when first tasted, then chocolate and mint flavors developed after the wine opened up a few hours later. Likewise the finish was medium length at first and then lengthened after the wine opened up. Aged very well!
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4/24/2022 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
From magnum. Double decanted for about 60 minutes. It was ready upon the cork pull and evolved minimally during the next two hours, when it was consumed with a grilled leg of lamb. A rather restrained Beaucastel. Raspberry coulis, some herbs, and a nicely integrated line of acidity kept it all together. I would not personally seek out this vintage again, but there is definitely plenty of life left and this is a very tasty wine. Drink up.
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3/13/2022 - WineKnut wrote:
Total Wine Concierge service failed to fulfill my order again... Sadly, I haven't been able to taste this one yet.
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3/13/2022 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 92 Points
30 minutes air. Initial scents of overpowering vanilla Dissipated after a few minutes. Nice mix of plum, sandalwood, a little garrigue on the nose. Strong tannins that seemed very fine. Good acidity. The whole wine screamed “great producers in an off year”. Didn’t taste particularly CNdP to me, more like a well made generic southern Rhône. I think that is just a matter of a professional assessment of what to do with the base materials. Overall though a pretty nice wine.
Score: 92. Relative to expectations: 0
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2/25/2022 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Dark red. Opens with a bit of plnenut then red berry, thyme, forest floor, red cherry and black currant. Dry herbal, warm red fruit flavours and a long dry finish.
This was definitely a lot more herbal and red fruited than the 2005.
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2/15/2022 - Susaninaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
3
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2/14/2022 - JBLevinson Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was ready to go after 30 minutes of air. Typical amount of sediment and did not taste hot even though the label calls it out at 14.5%.
Saved a glass for the next day and it was just as good. Don’t think this will improve, but I think it will hold for a few years.
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1/16/2022 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Drinking very nicely - fruit is restrained but the wine is wonderfully balanced. It won't improve but no hurry to drink up. Left a third of the bottle until the next day and it held together very well.
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1/9/2022 - edjBoca wrote: 90 Points
Very light in fruit...I would only clean the bottle out and serve 20-30 minutes later....
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1/8/2022 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark brooding aroma with notes of sweet black cherry, red cherry, blackberry, graphite, cedar shavings, mint, pepper / paprika, leather, potpourri and smoked meats. Very complex aroma — it’s lovely.
Crisp red currant, cranberry, raspberry and cherry flavors with some earthy undertones. Develops a more stewed prune profile over time. Unique, savory umami finish. Cinnamon? Mushrooms? Very well integrated and balanced, as usual.
Starting to show signs of age, but plenty of gas left in the tank. Drink or hold. Yummy!!!
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12/30/2021 - jgreco Does not like this wine: 88 Points
This is a particularly weak vintage for CdP and it unfortunately shows up in this bottle of 2004 Chateau Beaucastel. Black fruits fruits, smoke, and meat on the nose. The body is initially rich and dark fruited with a touch of licorice, but that unfortunately fades quickly into hollow, woody and spoiled game that is unpleasant.
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12/17/2021 - houstonjeff@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow. Drinking so well right now. Aromas of dark fruit, leather, some must. Full of life as you drink it, seems younger than it is.
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12/2/2021 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Lots going on here - leather, forest floor, cherries on the nose. The palate has great acidity, more cherries, leather, wood notes, white pepper. Tannins are getting integrated. A great wine - I would definitely enjoy now.
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10/20/2021 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Quickie note. Medium dark ruby red with a garnet rim. Subtle, yet complex, nose of dried red fruit, tar (almost like an Italian), and warm herbs. Super smooth and perfectly balanced, no tannins left, soft acidity as well. Complex palate of red berries, tar and earthy notes. Long, dry finish. Excellent!
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7/16/2021 - Ridgerunner wrote: flawed
the bottle was tainted and corked (scored as 70 but changed to flawed)
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6/27/2021 - thesternowl wrote: 93 Points
Presented double-blind. Visually, showing a garnet color with an opaque core. Some slight browning at the edge; could be varietal characteristics…could be signs of age? On the nose, there’s lovely cherry fruit with a kiss of barnyard, some tomato leaf, earth and spices. There seemed to be signs of oak but likely large format (thinking botti or foudre). On the palate, cherries again with some bramble fruit, earth, and mushrooms mixed in for good measure. Medium + tannin; medium + acid. I vacillated between Italy and Southern France, ultimately settling on Brunello from a very good, traditional producer. I was so impressed to see this was Beaucastel. My first Beaucastel with some real age. If this is what these wines become with age, it’s no wonder why they are so beloved. Loads of life left. Bravo.
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6/15/2021 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Dark crimson in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, garrigue, roasted herbs and anise. Medium body with perfect acidity. Concentrated and powerful at 17 years of age. Cherries, kirsch, plums and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Better than a bottle just a few years ago. Perhaps overlooked sandwiched between '03 and '05 but what a tremendous Beaucastel. I will wait until 2024 before opening my last bottle.
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6/4/2021 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at 28-50 Marylebone
Bottle brought by a friend. Decanted by the Somm.
Had as part of a flight alongside Tignanello 2010
Wonderful nose. Lots going on. Dates, damson, a lovely meaty savouriness, old leather, pepper, but a light lifted aspect too. Could smell this all night.
Palate: delicious dates and plums, some orange peel, spicy pepper and clove, gamey meat. Really luscious mouthfeel.
This was singing, really delicious wine. It was more savoury than the Tig but both pared well with the ribeye steak.
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5/29/2021 - IWFS Arkansas Likes this wine:
Palate vs. Wallet; 5/29/2021-5/31/2021 (Amy's home): Note to follow.
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5/24/2021 - blaine Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was spectacular, really singing right now. PnP. I purchased new in 2007, been in my cellar since. Cork broke but came out fine. Medium+ ruby color, no bricking, translucent around the edge. Big barnyard nose that lessened with air. In a good way. Barnyard and fruit on the nose in that order...much more barnyard. Perfect on the palate. Juicy acidity, plenty of dark fruit. Juicy on the tip of my tongue. Light on its feet through all of this. Chewy. Spectacular. That's a word both my wife and I used. Lush in a juicy sort of way (?). Exceeded expectations. Long fruity juicy finish. Firing on all cylinders. No hurry but so good now!
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5/12/2021 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP. Polished leather, potpurri, spicy dark fruits. About medium in body, palate is pretty silky featuring sweet blueberry, some tart blackberry, finishes with a warm cherry liquer, good freshness here. With air showing iron, some earth. Seems most of the way transitioned into middle-age.
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5/9/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drunk from a half bottle. It was so good that I didn't have time to think about tasting notes. Very harmonious with good structure and resolved tannin. Great with the rib eye cap tonight.
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5/1/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deepish red color just starting to show signs of age, nose of meat and saddle leather with dark cherries, on the palate a well balanced and almost civilized Beaucastel, lively cherries on the palate, kirsch, good bramble notes developing with time, fine ripe finish.
**(**)+, now to 2030+
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4/24/2021 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped and poured, and drank over two hours. Drinking exceptionally well right now. Smooth tanins, lovely dark fruit, and secondary notes. Exceptional. Will hold for many more years, but why wait?
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4/23/2021 - Milos wrote: 92 Points
Classic young Beaucastel; ripe fruit with lots of complexity; firm ripe tannins. Drank over 3 days and lots of life left at the end.
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4/4/2021 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Beautiful bottle. 4 hour decant - not much sediment but it needed the air. Robust with lots of red fruit, a little tobacco, some wild spice and stony mineral flavors. Long finish where the fruit intensifies leaving quite an elegant impression.
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3/10/2021 - ron m wrote:
Good bottle, classic. Mature but will definitely be around for a while. Pretty nose full of herbs earth and dark fruit. Round and lush, ripe but nimble. Medium finish lacks a bit, but still a strong showing.
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2/28/2021 - silton Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crushingly good! Leather, fresh earth, aged tobacco and dank plum, cherry, herbs, long balanced finish. This leads with its tertiary qualities but has plenty in reserve for a long plateau of maturity.
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2/7/2021 - Rickets Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wedding gift from a friend. This was absolutely singing. Has probably reached peak but I don't think there is any hurry to drink this. Will probably hold up well for at least another 10 years.
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1/29/2021 - jgreco wrote: flawed
Bottle flawed
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1/23/2021 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
if you like the southern Rhones you should like this. enolic. not my favorite.
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12/26/2020 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
A meaty sanguine mineraly CdP. Delicious berry and dried strawberry flavors, with ample structure to continue another ten years.
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12/26/2020 - Steveridgeway wrote: 89 Points
Plum yes. Could have had a longer finish
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12/6/2020 - pleigh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cdp classic. Fruit forward
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12/4/2020 - O'Meara wrote:
Magnum. This is definitely a lesser vintage of Beaucastel. Still a lovely wine to be sure. It does not have the depth or flavor nor the fragrance of fruit that I normally find with this house. Still, there are no flaws in this magnum. But it’s not that exciting either. Drink; no reason to hold.
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11/9/2020 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just a bit less purity, richness and intensity than last bottle of this. Softer and gentler with more of a Bordeaux-ish tobacco inflection.
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10/11/2020 - cgrimes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark ruby with some bricking at the edges. Complex nose of briary fruits, meat, minerals, spice. Similar on the palate. Still some tannic structure which softened with decanting. This wine had all the makings of a great bottle. Great fruit, complexity, structure. I loved it.
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9/18/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Looks like I purchased on release. Sandalwood nose, with a bit of tobacco leaf. Shows a little iron and blood on the palate along with with provincial notes—but notably these elements are rather muted on the nose. Palate was rather soft and plush on entry, fine mostly resolved tannins. Leans toward dark savory fruit, lacking a bit of energy. This bottle was not as strong as my last, and the relative low acidity on the palate seems to imply a shorter lifespan than some other vintages. However, this is well crafted, elegant and seamless—distinct contrast to the more savage and muscular vintages.
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9/14/2020 - MLipton wrote:
In a great place right now. Medium weight, smooth tannins, clean fruit (in contrast to earlier editions of this wine) and enough acidity to make it food friendly.
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9/5/2020 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Last note still applies although perhaps a touch better tonight.
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8/16/2020 - dkwoida wrote:
Didn’t care for the woody/truffle notes. Ok but not my favorite.
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8/5/2020 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. All of the usual CdP notes are there but this is now a soft, smooth and mellow version. Very good tonight with rotisserie chicken.
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8/5/2020 - Matt T wrote: 92 Points
Medium red with blackberry, leather, oak, and herb notes. We did not decant, so the tannins were slightly stiff here. Finish is medium length and dry. This seems like it still has at least another decade ahead with possible upside.
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7/25/2020 - wineshaman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted to room temperature about 30 min and tasted, Cellared since 2007. Enticing bouquet, lovely fruit, Kirsh, raspberry, smokey minerals, truffles, pleasant oaky notes. Certainly ready to drink But could last for a number of years.
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7/17/2020 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
In a good spot. Rich and dark but lighter than my last '04 (in 2012?). Nose of black olives and herbs, also a little beat meaty. Not fantastic but very enjoyable.
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7/14/2020 - mukden wrote: 89 Points
JUST Ok.
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6/13/2020 - cct wrote: 92 Points
Tis has evolved quite bit since my last visit with it in 2008. A meaty and savory nose, with provencal herbs, leather, and dark berry fruits. Mid to full bodied and rich with a similar mix of savory meaty-mushroom notes, leather, iodine, black licorice, and more dark berry fruit. Overall good balance in a more savory than fruit driven CdP. Drinking at peak, and I doubt it will improve with further cellaring.
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5/26/2020 - pigdaddy wrote: 92 Points
decanted for sediment. deep garnet, slight paling edge, but still youthful color; evocative leaf & wild herbs nose, fresh intense mashed berries; med+ body; excellent synergy of fruit & weeds, dry wild small-berried fruit, acids(!) & tannins in the pocket.
extra good bottle tonight. thanks to recent drinkers for encouraging re-visiting this vintage. closer in style & presentation to the earlier wines from Beaucastel, going way back, that made me a lifelong buyer. I think it's at its best now for my taste.
slow-cooked pork shoulder w/flora de mayo beans
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4/11/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Dark red. Black cherry, some bacon and leather. Medium bodied, still comes across as relatively youthful with a decent level of fruit. The tannins are still pretty intense. Very good now, probably somewhere near peak as I'm betting the tannin outlives the fruit.
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4/11/2020 - mukden Likes this wine: 91 Points
YES. This is grinning really well now. I might even say that it might be the most perfectly matured B I have ever drunk; after years of disappointments (maybe 15 yrs is the key date; I was waiting 10).
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4/5/2020 - Orso58 wrote: 91 Points
Good red colour, starting to show some maturity
Fabulously rich nose with aromas of blueberries / blackberries and some spice.
SMooth and very long in the mouth, with excellent fruit charater and depth.
This Beaucastel driinks very well now, probably at its top now before aromas start turning more tertiary whih they sometimes tend to do at this producer.
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4/3/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
when opened something seemed off, but after a few hours in decanter it was a nice pleasant (but nothing to write home about) drink... good bottle but no '89 or '90 comparison
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3/14/2020 - tcosgriff wrote: flawed
Bottle was flawed, so no rating or comments. Prior bottle was quite good.
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3/10/2020 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium dark garnet. The nose smells wild and is quite expressive. There is some fragrant bacony meat, some purple fruit, some spice. Comes off as fairly youthful actually.
The palate is pretty softened up. Medium body. Can feel the traces of alcohol as it builds. The palate is a bit more advanced in its development than those nose but still in primary/secondary phase. There is still plently of mellow dark cherry fruit and black licorice, and some dark chocolate.
Still has a ways to go before it falls off, but do not suspect this is still on its march to peak, but quite good right now. Palate gets a bit more open after slow ox of about an hour, while the nose gets a hint oxidative.
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3/1/2020 - cypra wrote:
Again a little bit cork (?). It would be the second bottle in a row of this wine. We were split whether is was really cork. But definitely not the expected wine: lacking fruit, hard tannins.
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1/23/2020 - matt182 Likes this wine: 92 Points
In perfect shape. Impeccable cork, nothing tertiary for this 15 years old bottle. Dark fruits with cherry liquor, blueberry compote, dried thyme, licorice wood and incense. 2004 is signing here with a decent concentration lifted ethereal freshness. No heat at all, at it's best and will last 10 years easy.
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1/12/2020 - CJScott Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect bottle, perfect cork.
Tart Cherries, red fruits, bacon, grilled herbs. Lovely.
Fresh and vibrant palate, silky, good portion of minerality and freshness, also juicy (red cherries) and a medium plus finish.
Very enjoyable right now!
Glasses used: Riedel Sommeliers Hermitage, Zalto Bordeaux -> more structure and grip in the Zalto, more harmony and drinking pleasure with the Riedel (Zalto being an effective tasting glass though)
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1/4/2020 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Purple color with hints of brown visible on pouring but not in the glass. Unpleasant bouquet and flavor of barbecue and tobacco with no fruit in evidence. Nothing good to say. Much different than prior bottle, which was very pleasant. Disappointing considering how good Beaucastel
CDP can be.
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12/27/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stunning black cherry notes as we began the bottle suggested this was going to be excellent, but it faded a little and became less remarkable. Lovely soft mouthfeel. Time to drink up?
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12/16/2019 - cpsmith33 wrote:
Corked or just bad
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12/15/2019 - cypra wrote: flawed
cork
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10/25/2019 - jhbehrens Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice but a bit flat. Not much going on here
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10/20/2019 - vandal16 wrote: 94 Points
Incredible wine that just kept evolving over the four hours it was open. Lots of barnyard funk and Brett when first opened. That blew off and aromas of violets were pronounced. An hour later, stewed dark cherries and plums came to the fore. Smooth and balanced
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9/2/2019 - Ace5glassesinthesky wrote: 88 Points
I don't know...maybe poor storage, not great. High acid, juicy. Good nose though
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8/23/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Feels a bit old and tired. Lots of leather and maybe some horse blanket. I assume it’s because of the machine. There’s a very little bit of fruit in the background.
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8/21/2019 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Well aged but started out at 93 after 2 hours was a strong 95. Well integrated and just delicious. Finish had a subtle clove scent.
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7/18/2019 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Clear ruby with some hint of garnet on edges. Notes of blackberry, smoked meats, truffles, and licorice on nose and palate. Dry, med body, med acidity, smooth tannins. This wine is drinking very well right now.
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7/12/2019 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red, minimal lightening at the rim. Opens over 45-60 minutes. Red fruits, garrigue, earth. Medium body, ripe but not sweet fruit, nice balance, beginning tertiary complexity. Excellent with an upside for greater complexity over time.
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7/9/2019 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted 1 hour, and it needed about 30 minutes in glass to recover. Better than the last bottle, but nothing like a 2000 or a 2001. This is more youthful than I expected it to be. Blackberry liqueur, cherry, and earth.
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7/6/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Fourth of July Weekend (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. One hour decant. 2 oz pour over 45 minutes or so; drank side by side with a '04 Clos des Papes. This took a bit to come out of its shell, but once it did, this was a gem. Black cherry and wild raspberries on the nose with amazing spices, plum and star anise. The palate is medium full bodied with wild berries and dark cherry, cedarbox, more great spice notes and round tannins. While more youthful than the Clos des Papes, this is still in a good window for drinking. Lots of life here yet.
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7/6/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Mixed Bag at Kevin's (Minneapolis, MN): Drinking well with earth, raspberries, stones, floral and dark berries. Medium plus finish. Drink now to 2025. This wine is drinking better than the last time I had it.
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7/5/2019 - MC wrote:
From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. Unfortunately only a brief taste but had opened up a bit from my last note and was showing more ripe, concentrated fruit and tannin starting to move into the background. Seems to be entering its drinking window in this format. A-
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6/30/2019 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a good window. Vibrant fruit and soft tannins after one hour decant. Subtle raspberry and cherry on the palate.
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6/15/2019 - VoteferPedro wrote:
solid but not ethereal
did not finish these as fast as planned in last note
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5/26/2019 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice. Decanted 90 minutes. Significant bretty funk burned-off after about 10 minutes. Opened beautifully and developed a very complex nose of barbecue grill, licorice, herbes de Provence and some deep, rich cherry compote. Medium weight in the mouth with a strong beam of menthol followed by ripe raspberries. Finishes assertively with under-ripe cherry. This wine is in an excellent place. Still a tiny bit rough and stops just shy of elegance but that’s what I tend to value in CDP. You really get the terroir in the glass. Excellent match with beef tenderloin with caramelized shallots. Drink now but will hold.
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5/24/2019 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning clarity and purity on this. Dark red fruit with great minerality and richness. Traditionalists might miss there being even a trace of Brett and/or garrigue, but this has a freshness and allure of rich fruit, licorice and chocolate cherry that just draws you in and smothers you. Great rich palate and a finish that goes on for days!!!!
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5/20/2019 - Strid3r21 Likes this wine: 95 Points
black licorice on the nose. chocolate, cherries, medium finish, silky smooth. Color is just starting to turn to an amber hue.
Decanted over several hours.
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5/12/2019 - tonepad wrote: 80 Points
Quite frankly for all the bottle age I gave this in my cellar it’s a big Meh. i prefer many new method Syrah’s over this. Not much else to say. Guess i better consume my other aging CDP sooner than later.
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4/27/2019 - kmerriman Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was in top form! Paired nicely with both a lamb shank and filet mignon au poivre at Chez Marie in Boca
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4/21/2019 - Psdycp wrote: 91 Points
Bouquet of smoky clove, hot stone, dry preserved sour plums and old leather. Just some volatile acid in the base note. Palate is quite silky and balanced, much less smokiness in the palate with deep earthy and leathery nuances at the back of the throat. The volatile acid is well integrated into a structured and rounded medium-bodied mid-palate. The same texture flowed to an equally smooth and long finish. At its peak now and should hold for a few more years.
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3/17/2019 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dried red fruit, garique, fig and cinnamon. Tannins were integrated but still present. In a nice drinking window with a few years left.
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3/16/2019 - bubnos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starter Red Flight @ Home: From a half bottle, good condition of cork and high fill. Medium garnet in color.
Super fruity on the nose, surprisingly so for a 15-year old wine in such a format, with an almost honeyed note at the end. Not quite port-like in intensity, but still sweeter than I would have thought.
Fruity and earthy, with lots of CNDP spice notes and a pretty firm blast of tannins that I almost didn't expect. This is the first wine of the night that I felt could use a few more years, or at least a couple hours of decanting, to soften up.
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3/13/2019 - winot wrote: flawed
Bought three bottles of this on release. Opened the third one last night, it was badly corked, just like the other two. 0 for three, hard to believe. Definitely moves one toward the screwcap camp...
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2/16/2019 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, minimal lightening at the rim. Pop and pour, opens nicely in 45-60 minutes. Red fruits, garrigue, trace of bandaid/naphtha on the nose. Medium body, ripe but not sweet fruit, nice balance, a little tertiary complexity starting to emerge. Excellent now but worth cellaring another 5-10 years if maximum complexity is the goal. The fruit is there to make it.
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2/4/2019 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #319; 4 random flights of 3 wines (@ BS): In the bouquet ripe fruits, clove, medicine and mineral impressions. On the palate dark berries, good and juicy acidity, herbs and spices and beautiful bitterness. Beautifully mature wine.
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2/2/2019 - benny wrote: 94 Points
In a good place now.
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1/2/2019 - wineismylife wrote:
WIMLNR
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of spices, thistle and mixed red fruit. Flavors of red berries and red cherries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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1/1/2019 - eboracum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quickly pressed into service straight from the cellar when the Peyre-Rose failed, this was a very sound Beaucastel with medium/full body, plenty of dark fruit, good depth, smooth texture and decent backbone. I still have difficulty in accepting CndP as a great wine of the world but this was very good.
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12/29/2018 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 98 Points
Very inky deep, with some ruby violet tinge at the shallower ends. Firm, robust, astute, it literally coats the whole mouth with mushrooms, Chinese herbs, tea smoke, cocoa, cassis, and roasted duck. So persistent too, lasting for minutes as the herbs and cocoa keeps coming back. Incredible stuff!!!
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12/29/2018 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs, bottle from secondary market
-nearly opaque dark ruby-purple, minimal clearing at edge
-low key sweet VA-like element that dissipates after an hour then dark fruit licorice and faint mature elements emerge
-med acidity, med/med+ weight full dense dark fruit stewed plum molasses date, masculine without overt rusticity, med/med- tannins are the major indicator of its age, good length
-really improves after 2 hours of air, drinking well now early in maturity with many good years ahead
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11/6/2018 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine:
Ripe red fruit, woodspice, and cherry cola - another delicious treat from the masters at Beaucastel! Previously tasted along side a number of their most heralded vintages, the ‘04 definitely held its ground and proved a beauty in its own right. Sipping a full bottle this time, the results were much the same; the wine was an absolute pleasure, balancing right on the cusp of ripe primary fruit and intriguing hints of its age. Cherry, plum, and sweet spice initially took charge, but before long other elements arrived on the scene: fennel, tobacco, gravel, and meatiness among them. A pleasant sense of damp cedar forest persisted throughout, while anise and chocolate hung on the finish. This was a big wine, yes, but elegant and not overpowering nonetheless. It didn’t quite yet show the complexity that more years in bottle will allow for, which certainly won’t be an issue with a powerful structure built to go the distance. Excellent sipping now, and brilliance to come 4-5 years down the road!
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11/1/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Always pleasant! Happy Halloween!
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10/29/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very ripe nose for a 2004. Blackberry jam. Lightly redolent of Provençal herbs. Rich and round this has good tannins that caress the palate. Good stuff! Mature now, this should last another 4-6 years. Loaded with sweet black and red fruits. More spice than on the nose. Delicious! 91.
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10/14/2018 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Really not much going on here, not so sure about this bottling. slight prune notes, developed, maybe storage issues. Dirty Dozen at Grand Harbor.
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10/6/2018 - vespasian Likes this wine:
Leathery development on the nose, quite hard to pin down the fruits. Dried figs, prunes, cassis, a fresh herbal lift. Sloe gin, olives. Very complex; a velvety texture, quite effortlessly caressing. Lovely balance. Very fine tannins. Excellent at age 14.
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7/8/2018 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Decanted this one for 6 hours. Some fine sediment. Tasted a couple of times along the way. On opening it was very tobacco flavored. Some time later that had started to mellow and it was showing a lot of nice licorice. At 6 hours, the licorice was gone too, too bad. But it was very nice. Robust, fruity, lots of garrigue spice, very smooth and mellow. Really gorgeous.
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6/28/2018 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Wine10 monthly meeting (At Yair's): excellent typical CdP, rustic style
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6/3/2018 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Vinetasters: Beaucastel (1979-2006) (Skokie, IL): Served double-blind in a Beaucastel lineup. Clearly a younger wine, with its generous amounts of black fruit. Intense, with a massive tannic structure, and loads upon loads of tannin. Quite ripe, but not too expressive. Feels a tad alcoholic as well, especially in comparison with the older wines. 2005? (My 7th, group's 9th.)
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5/17/2018 - pjaines wrote:
This has really come along nicely in the last 3-4 years, showing some beautiful development and drinking really well. Soft tannins layered on top of red and black fruits; a touch of fruit compote and more musky elements. Opened up much more after an hour in the decanter. Very good.
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4/10/2018 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb
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4/10/2018 - acidqueen wrote: 93 Points
Light, elegant, bright. Bitter cherry, blonde tobacco, fine tannins. Really excellent and still quite young. Not powerful, but pretty indeed. Wish I had more.
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3/31/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Un vin léger doté d'une texture presque bourguignonne! C’est élégant et fin, délicieux, dans un style qui n'a rien à voir avec la proverbiale puissance de l’appellation. Pas très long ni profond, mais d'un équilibre exemplaire, ça se boit tout seul avec grand plaisir. 91 pts
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3/23/2018 - nzinkgraf wrote:
FROM MAGNUM. No Brett to speak of on the nose. Earthiness, grassiness, red fruit aromas. Harmony is appropriate here. Lift, as in, the presence of an indoor swimming pool. Licorice and still significant medium tannin to the palate. A very charming wine, delicate, but still lots of life ahead.
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3/21/2018 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
In a super spot if you like a youthful Beaucastel. The nose is big and rich with BBQ smoke, incense and earthy black fruit. Excellent balance and poise considering the richness. Herb and smoked game throughout.
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2/25/2018 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP. Earthy, meaty, gamey. Rich though neither concentrated nor luscious. Wish it had more time to breathe!
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2/17/2018 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Some stink on the nose but not in an offensive way. Someone described it as having too much volatile acidity. Tangy and meaty, with some depth in flavors but not as much as I would have hoped. Could continue to age.
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2/16/2018 - gmartin78 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this bottle over two evenings. Poured half first hight, and second have went into stoppered 375 ml glass cruet. First night this wine had a rich, deep aroma of dense fruit. On the palate it tasted more of dark fruit and had earthy, herbal notes. Still just a little rough around the edges. Second day was different wine. More bright fruit flavors, tannins were soft, and wine was mouth filling. The earthy edges were far more subdued. Was just a really wonderful pour.
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2/14/2018 - winot wrote: flawed
Corked. Our previous bottle in 2015 was also corked, in the same subtle fashion. Both smelled corked, but didn't necessarily taste corked. But after a few sips, the TCA was unmistakable. Since we are 0 for two, I am relieved to see that it doesn't appear to be a widespread problem for the vintage. Here's hoping the third and final bottle will bring some joy!
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12/31/2017 - gresch Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was good, but really picked up some depth & additional development by the end of the glass. Definitely a civil CdP & drinking well with food. Did not decant.
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12/7/2017 - Babik Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and drank; mild sediment. First impression: this wine doesn’t look or smell a day old. Ruby fading to pale rim. Bright fruits jump from the glass. A little swirling brings out the deeper earth, herbs, and meat notes. Then comes clove, allspice, anise, and raspberry-hay silage. Really great stuff.
(Later): spoke too soon; after an hour of air and later through the night the mouvedre reared it's beastly head and brought width, depth, and game. Matched well with slow-cooked pork ribs.
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9/28/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
A deep colour; mature, still quite sturdy, with rich, games, tarry fruit, fully developed now; will probably mellow gracefully over the next 5 years or so.
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8/9/2017 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Another perfect bottle from a mini vertical bought at auction. Crystalline weathered red barn board colour. Complex nose of spicy red fruit, sandlewood, light incense, sawdust, red licorice, black raspberry and more. Smooth yet spicy entry on the palate. Great fruit concentration and balance. Woody dried red and black fruit, very juicy. Spicy fine tannic finish that goes on and on and on with garrigue (especially fresh bay and thyme) emerging at the very end. Beautiful, complex and utterly delicious wine drinking exceptionally well right now. Awesome! Birthday wine served with grilled rib eye steaks.
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8/4/2017 - King JR wrote: 89 Points
Seemed a bit flat tonight. Some prune on the palette.
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8/2/2017 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Unusually tarry and spicy in a licorice sort of way. Drinking well already and full of funky, rustic charm.
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6/14/2017 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Another corner of the room was popping through a few vintages of the Beaucastels and I got to try a bit of this one (missed the '98 although most agreed this was drinking better). For my taste this was just drinking a bit young still. Decent fruit but still hearty tannin. More fruit forward than the Italian but not quite as intense as the Dominus and nowhere near the Adrianna. Decent balance. For some reason it just fell a bit flat to me compared to some other wines on the table though.
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6/8/2017 - Kirk Grant wrote:
FROM A 375ml:
Color: A ruby core with light bricking to an orange rim and a clear meniscus.
Smell: Scents of earth, mushrooms, smoke, dried floral notes, and dehydrated black & blue fruits.
Taste: Dried red & blue fruits with fig, spice, and clove...almost like a fig-newton.
Overall: This is a typical Beaucastel that's earth-driven and more rustic than refined...but there's a beauty underneath. While the wine is earth-driven...there's an elegance to it. Medium body, med-high acidity, and a depth of fruit that establishes a foundation of complexity that this wine is often known for...Outstanding!!
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6/4/2017 - valedeniro wrote: 91 Points
Showing some age with slightly bricking on the rim.Mature and soft on the nose with blackberry and red cherry fruit,slightly leather and earthy notes,spices.Medium bodied and juicy with well balanced tannins and acidity.Overall,a very balanced and tasty wine,but clearly lacking the wow factor.Not enough complexity to be a higher scorer.This is a good Beaucastel but not stellar.
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5/27/2017 - Mel F Likes this wine: 93 Points
An enjoyable bottle. This wine is drinking reasonably well now. I last tried a bottle 18 months ago and it was very closed and quite disappointing. In comparison this was remarkably expressive on the nose with powerful notes of leather and tobacco straight from popping the cork. Taste is more restrained at first but showed big chewy flavours after 2 to 3 hours decant - black tea, pepper, liquorice, hung meat, violets. clean and crisp; good length, after-taste is a little bit acidic. Matched well with a slow roasted shoulder of lamb.
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5/17/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Time has been kind to this wine, as it has really come on strong with bottle age. Crisp, classic and fresh, with a kirsch, spice and herbed, tannic profile. Classic, with loads of bright, clean red fruits, age it a few more years for additional nuance, or pop a cork if you prefer more of a classic, bite.
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5/14/2017 - deetz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby color with minimal signs of bricking. Aromas of leather, tobacco, winter green, white pepper, wild raspberries, nutmeg, wood, and bamboo. Palate still has tight tannins, medium acid, and alcohol very much in balance.
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5/11/2017 - pbaek wrote:
Tasted against the 2004 Clos des Papes, this is upright in style, the fruit is much darker with some brown nuances, there is focus and purity of fruit here. A class act, although I still prefer the more rugged/wild Beucastels pre 1996/97. This will definitely keep as well. With Niels at Malling Kro.
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5/11/2017 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Very upright fresh, mineral - still young. Tannins are alive and this wine really demonstrates the coolness of the vintage. Interesting to taste vis-a-vis the braoder & sweeter Clos des Papes... #MallingKro
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4/28/2017 - ashikoh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark ruby/black in color. Dark berries, earth, and smoked meat on the nose. Complex and multilayered on the palate with rich dark berry fruit, cinnamon, licorice, and primal, gamy notes. Fine grained tannins give a lovely texture leading to a long finish. Blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault with all the remaining permitted red Rhône varieties rounding out the balance. Just about a perfect wine which seems to be at the top of it's game now.
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4/1/2017 - davergny Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black cherry, damp earth and a hint of barnyard on the brooding nose. On the palate, deep and rich, with dark fruits, earth and a hint of prune. This is in a good place now but needs several years to reach full maturity. I like this vintage of Beaucastel--slightly rustic and bold, but there a coolness to it as well, and lots of Beaucastel character!
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3/20/2017 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #249: Rhône; Gigondas (@ VD): The bouquet is mature with dark berries, garrigue, smoke and black tea. On the palate juicy cherries, cinnamon, beautifully fresh acidity and soft tannin. Completely ready now and the next 4+ years.
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3/11/2017 - jmoore431 wrote: 93 Points
CWRwine's description best here.
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3/5/2017 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not a great Beaucastel, but a good drink anyway. The great thing about Beaucastel is that it is soooo consistent. It is still my benchmark CdP. Others are more fruit oriented, others are more stanky, but this is right down the middle.
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2/20/2017 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby/garnet bouquet. Slight alcohol/oak, berries (blueberry) on the nose. Soft tannins, mellow, cola, seems young with a lot of life to come, anise, licorice, raspberry. Terrific bottle to start.
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2/20/2017 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Chateau de Beaucastel vertical tasting (Wine-Route, Hashalom Rd branch): dark opaque red-purple
rich dark red fruits nose with spicy notes
medium bodied, soft firm tannins, well balanced and harmonised, good structure and complexity, sour red fruits finish & aftertaste
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2/3/2017 - cwrwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep red/purple coloring and medium to full body. Did not decant. Drank over 2+ hours. Big, rich but reasonably well integrated tannins and wonderful length. Earth, forest floor, licorice, dark cherry and raspberry fruits. A little backward at first but it opened well. This wine is drinking very now and will likely for another decade. I have a couple of large format bottles of this vintage and will try to hold them until the early 2020s or longer.
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2/1/2017 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Burley. Opened about 3 hours before dinner, poured a glass, but did not decant. It gave some fine sediment. Rich red fruit, a little barnyard on and off, some tar. Big and boisterous. 1st of a sixpack - let the rest sit for awhile longer.
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1/7/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is really solid. More of an elegant, refined, dare I say Burgundian style for Beaucastel. Still young, so the nose is a bit muted, but has a nice gravel, iron, and red fruit profile. Fine palate, spicy and meaty red brights which are still quite bright and energetic. Lengthy finish with repeating iron,spice, and leather notes. Drinking well now but still on the upswing. Can drink or hold.
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12/25/2016 - Charley wrote:
Mike Adams
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12/15/2016 - beatles wrote:
fat & jolly with too many pruny notes;no signs of the elegance of 2004, nor the complexity of Beaucastel. Was this stored correctly? I have my doubts, but many notes below suggests, that this is the wine as it is ... hard to believe. #LaCocotte
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11/20/2016 - Wino-olaf Likes this wine:
Opened two bottles. One was corked! Other was on its last legs. A little bit skinny but still very good.
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11/12/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of prunes and vanilla oak. Good balance, if somewhat limited nuance, with a moderate finish. Not as great as some earlier vintages with their extraordinary flavors, nuance, and depth. Wish I could bring them back.
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11/6/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 90 Points
This is now attractively mature, with damsons and raisins on the palate, a little smoke and a slight spiritiness, not unlike port if less strong. Quite elegant and with good length. Drink while still lively.
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10/28/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs and off to Le Provencale
Screams grenache; Im not a particular fan of Beaucastel but showed well with room to age more
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10/16/2016 - rsbeck wrote: flawed
Somewhat enjoyable, especially with a lot of air, but I don't think this bottle was perfectly sound. Makes me want to try another to see how a sound bottle might taste.
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9/22/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely wine. More fruit forward than my favorite Beaucastel vintages, but still balanced. Sweet candied raspberry and strawberry lead the way, accompanied by incense, cinnamon, game, and old leather. Quite floral on the nose. Lots of subtle complexity. Still tastes fresh. Tannins are unobtrusive. This wine drinks perfectly now, but I could understand aging it to see if it loses some sweet fruit and adds more tertiary flavors.
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9/9/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:
FROM 375ml:
This was actually in a nice place. I often find that Beaucastel in the "teen years" can taste a little too much like stewed prunes to me. This felt like it was just coming out of that. Some light secondary notes of earth, leather, pipe tobacco, and smoked meats dominate the nose as plum, fig, and mushroom lead into dried red fruits on a long finish. Outstanding...and a wine worth looking in on at this point from a half bottle. I would assume this can still comfortably age 10-15+ years in the 375ml format with good storage.
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8/30/2016 - Machiavelli wrote:
From memory. Complex, blue and red fruits, tannic, rich, still needs time to come into its own.
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8/29/2016 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Deep red in color. 14% ABV. Somewhat subdued nose of red fruits, herbes de Provence, menthol and garrigue. Medium body with medium to strong acidity. Cherries, iron, white pepper and licorice on the palate. The finish is long with refined tannins. Even at 12 years of age this wine seems a touch primary. I expect more secondary characteristics in the years to come. Drink over the next 4-6 years.
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8/13/2016 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had a bottle of this recently and enjoyed so that I needed another soon! I'll leave others for a while. A great medium bodied CdP, with great heather taste and a good bit of stank. Very enjoyable after some of the bigger wines I've been downing recently.
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7/21/2016 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Loved this wine. I was really in the mood for it. I've had a good number of big US wines recently. They are great, but this is the antidote. Brambly and a little stank on the nose. Cherry, heather and a light to medium body with a long finish. Not a big Beaucastel, but one of the more elegant vintages. Drinking beautifully, very little tannins with good acidity and integrated red fruit. So, lovely juice and I think I'm on a Rhone kick for a while.
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7/20/2016 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
dark opaque red-purple; quality fruity spicy nose; firm tannins, med-full bodied, well balanced & excellent harmony, structured, complexed, alcoholic finish and aftertaste
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6/16/2016 - tantotinto Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted after 15 minutes in a decanter. Translucent garnet color. Nose of anise and garrigue. Surprisingly light on the palate with cherry and earth the dominant flavors and still fairly tannic. Blind I am not sure I would have guessed CdP from the taste but the nose gives it away. Good but a little underwhelming relative to my expectations.
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6/12/2016 - Imagnu wrote: 90 Points
Quite a tarry palate with a blackcurrant note. Nose reasonably shy. Fairly elegant wine, nice texture. Delivered much less than I hoped it would however.
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6/1/2016 - phattyjrb wrote: flawed
Shame
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4/29/2016 - Plabella wrote: 93 Points
always one of my favorite wines.
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4/22/2016 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mid brick, amber edges; earthy, wood, Grenache nose, evolving toward more floral; mid-body; good structure; semi-chewy tannins; getting smoother, more unctuous. w/BBQ beef.
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4/16/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 88 Points
Mature colour, garnet with some brown; the fruit is rather restrained, but has elements of blackcurrant and blackberry; medium weight, but not particularly long. The fruit is reticent, but the alcohol is not: in fact, it dominates. Possibly past its best, or at least not showing well on this occasion.
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4/9/2016 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine:
Best so far 4 of 12. This was a straight pop and pour. ethereal complex nose balanced fruit with clean finish. Outstanding wine with elements of a modernized CNP. I do not plan on keeping these long term but want to enjoy in 2-3 years
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4/5/2016 - Yorgos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at TheSampler. Medium ruby with garnet hues. Fragrant and elegant nose with red berries and cherries, some undergrowth notes and well assimilated oak. Sweet spice nuances too. Very polished mouth with fine tannins, medium acidity and persistent finish. excellent balance. Its really difficult not to like this wine. 93+
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3/19/2016 - broadband013 wrote: 90 Points
Typique et agréable mais moins que dans mon souvenir
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2/9/2016 - the_vine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! Opened - poured two glasses, cork back in and in fridge for 48 hours. Two days later - Still young, and throwing off some sediment.
Wild, balance between graphite and bold/strong dark berry. Pure, clean beam of fruit. Plenty of edge - so it will evolve more over many years. Hold for now. Goes on and on.
Have 6, will wait 5 more years until I try again.
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1/30/2016 - fingers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes after following for three days open. It still seems firm and early in development and it was best at the end of the bottle. Very dark, inky violet, about 80% opaque. Moderate sediment. Generous bouquet of truffle, mulch, tar, camellia, perfume, and ripe dark berries. The body is agile, balancing between the abv weight and the liveliness of the acidity, with long fuzzy tannins that make me curl my toes. This is the first time a Beau has really wowed me and helps me understand the reputation a little better. Three years ago I was pretty underwhelmed with this, but now I can say I think I get it. 5+12+18+8= 93
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1/15/2016 - rayq wrote:
Not giving up much at the moment. Nose muted and it seems to be in a closed down phase as far as the palate is concerned.
It appears to have lost the fruit of youth without having developed secondary flavours. (89+)
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12/27/2015 - CWilliam wrote:
Decanted for 30 minutes - a lot of funk initially that blew off with airtime (animal hair & petrol) - For my nose & palate this needed 1-2 hours of air. Didn't note color. On nose (with air time), meat, tobacco, stewed cherry, dried cherry - very complex. On palate, dirt, dried raspberry, with high acidity & long finish with tannins still noticeable on the finish. I purchased my bottles from a questionable source about 5 years ago so this bottle may not be representative. I enjoyed this one thought and it had a very "Burgundian" nose. 92+
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12/13/2015 - WhoNose Likes this wine: 88 Points
Beautifully balanced. Cloves, rich plums and raspberry fruit. Soft, gentle wine. Not as powerful as some Beaucastel and ready to drink (I do not believe it will improve), but elegant and tasty.
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12/1/2015 - Venice Al Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dinner out note. Still tight! Decanted at table.... Bad move.... Needs 1+ hour double decant. Reductive rubber nose at first that blows off with time. Dark red/purple with no bricking. Medium body and acidity. Nose is clove, baking spice, and Raspberry coulis. Palate is consistent with cranberry and raspberry and plum fruits, Provençal herbsand cloves. Finish is a tannic and a little short .... But this wine with some more time open or more age should be better.
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11/28/2015 - Imagnu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Prune, plum, raisin, savoury nose, slightly oxidised. Full mouthfeel, ripe black fruit. Tannins still present but well integrated. Acid balance allows some degree of freshness to remain. Somewhat bitter, medium length finish. A nice wine which I am glad to have had, but at an original price point which makes me wonder what I would otherwise have bought (Pegau, Clos du Pape?).
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9/16/2015 - jmcmchi wrote: 90 Points
Ready to drink after one- two hours open. Not decanted
Dusty tannins, soft dark fruit. Minerals almost sweetly softened, finishing long
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8/16/2015 - ccn wrote: 89 Points
Unmistakably Beaucastel with the extremely savory palate of black olives, garrigues, and perhaps a bit of leather. Perhaps too savory, missing a bit of fruit, and (like many Beaucastels) marked by the alcohol. Good with duck but I'm not sure this is my favorite vintage of Beaucastel.
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8/15/2015 - wondersofwine Likes this wine:
Took to MO'COOL picnic in Michigan. The color was close to umber with transparency. I found earthiness but no brett or barnyard notes.
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8/5/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Medium depth of colour; quite a fragrant nose; on the palate there is damson and prune with some spice. Well rounded, quite concentrated and with good length. This seems fully mature.
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7/17/2015 - mukden wrote: 89 Points
OKish. So, quite classic CNF in the BC style. Heavy-ish with not a lot of 2ndary development; but characteristic, if that is what you like. Not to everyone's taste. a-point in my opinion, given my understanding of BC, this will not get any better, though it might worsten.
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6/8/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 88 Points
Slightly sweet fruit, with a stewed plum flavour; in fact, rather pruney and also tasting somewhat spirity. Good length, medium weight and fairly mature, but I have had better Beaucastels than this.
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5/30/2015 - Iceman611 wrote: 92 Points
This was a big hit. Everyone liked.
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5/24/2015 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Earthy, but very smooth and elegant. Very precise. Seems younger than its current age. I'd say it needs another 2 years and/or a bit more air. 93-94 for now.
30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault, 25% other grapes.
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3/31/2015 - Machiavelli wrote:
Beaucastel vertical. Showed much better than at the 2004 CdP horizontal. Fresh, classic Beaucastel, drinking very well.
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3/23/2015 - Squirreljam wrote: 94 Points
Excellent, and holy cow will this live a long while - needs air right now, but a couple hours after pulling the cork, this sang a song of blackberry on the forest floor that danced a tango with a note of cherry while a stick of licorice smoked in the background. Wonderful deep nose (after time; the first hour underwhelms). Long juicy finish...
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3/21/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Pre-Tasting Lunch (Prairie Grass - Northbrook IL): Popped and poured. Black plum and cherry aromas with roasted game and dried thyme. Very young, still slightly backward, but entering its peak drinking window. Good concentration.
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3/15/2015 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mid-brick; earthy, old world nose; Grenache; blackberry jam; juniper berries; wood; mid-big body; good structure; tight tannins still; long chewy finish; life left. w/short ribs.
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3/14/2015 - NiklasW wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 30 mins. A good colour, still looking relatively young. The nose is full of good blackberries and plums, with a hint of white pepper and leather. The palate was initially a bit thin, but with air gained excellent body, lots of fruit, plums, spicy, resolved tannins, very delicious. Great stuff, looks like it is at its best now.
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3/9/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Medium colour, some browning; dark fruit and spice on the nose; this seems fully mature on the palate, with blackberry and prune fruit, some smoke and tar, and good length. This has lost its youthful vitality, but is aging elegantly. For drinking rather than keeping.
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2/20/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Darker dull garnet core, some clarity, lighter rim; meaty raspberry and cherry, solid structure but aged and elegant, integrated fig, medium cellaring; fuller palate, elegant tannins, raspberry, fig, long sweet finish; was only one on CdP; very good.
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2/20/2015 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
little decanting time needed but lasted for 3+ hours, well balanced and very classic feel, liked it
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2/15/2015 - redknife Likes this wine: 90 Points
valentines dinner at le provencale. less than 60 min decant
barnyard with brandied cherries; nose improved throughout the night. saved half bottle for next day; smoother. will revisit in 2-3 years
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2/14/2015 - DRK III Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine was a bit of a let down. That being said, expectations were pretty high. First time drinking a very high quality producer out of the Rhone valley. I think this wine just needs more time - there was nothing "wrong" with it - it just seemed very closed, even after a 4 hour decant. It did improve with air and had a nice perfumed nose of blue and black fruits, decaying apples (imagine walking through an apple orchard and smelling the apples that are rotting on the ground). In the mouth, smooth, silky body with fine tannins. I would give this another 5-10 years. Drank alongside this wine's little brother: Coudoulet de Beaucastel and thought for what I paid the Coudoulet was perhaps a little better at this stage.
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2/1/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at a walk-around Super Bowl party from a well-cellared magnum, this 11-year-old wine flaunts intense aromas and flavors of dark bramble fruits, herbes de Provence, anise and loamy earth. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh and with nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14%), it wraps its flavors with medium-weight, fine-grained tannins and stays solid in the middle. Closing long and smooth, this is a top-notch Châteauneuf which should drink beautifully over the next decade. Drink now-2025.
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1/4/2015 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
OK to drink now. As WA says.
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12/12/2014 - MC wrote:
From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. This was a little dusty and reserved on the nose. Decent fruit on the palate, but for me this needs a bit more time to express itself. Others thought it was the wine of the night. A-
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11/29/2014 - thirstyman wrote:
short decant. Ready to drink. Nice bold fruit, slightly drying on the finish for one of the two bottles. Hints of leather, the nose might evolve more, but the fruit will only go downhill from here.
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11/27/2014 - ParisFan wrote:
So fabulously perfect. Smooth with no tannins or strong earthy taste. Perfect balance. Love this wine.
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11/2/2014 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Still fairly tight on the nose, this ruby red wine is much more complex on the palate. Red and black fruit, leather, kelp, herbs, and garrigue. Complex, long, with nice smooth but obvious tannins on the finish. 93 on a day 2.
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10/23/2014 - Miceri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium to dark red; slightly unyielding nose, fresh red berries; nice, lean, agreeable, hint of caramel, in good balance, refined; very good and likeable
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10/19/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Finally a good bottle - throwing some sediment & medium red color. Cherry, pine sol, dirt on nose. On palate, red licorice, cherry, garrigue with medium body, high acids and medium+ finish. Really enjoyed this one - old school CDP. 92+/-
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10/6/2014 - deverett wrote:
Not as good as previous bottles, was quite closed and never really got into the groove. For me Beaucastel is one of the more fascinating CdP flavour profiles and I can see there is an interesting wine underneath but it just didn't present itself to me this time around. Hopefully just bottle variation as I have a few left.
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10/5/2014 - simonj wrote: 88 Points
Some blackcurrant and other dark fruit, and quite smooth with little tannin showing. Nothing special however. maybe a tainted bottle.
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10/3/2014 - khmark7 wrote: 92 Points
Very dark, dense and complex. Plenty of potential, but today this was like drinking a maduro cigar.
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9/9/2014 - PeterMole wrote:
fully mature, rather early for Ch Beaucastel, light tannines well integrated, without decant. I love it.
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9/9/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Beautiful garnet color. No funk on the nose. Even better than the one I drank four months earlier. Completely smoothed out and well balanced. Just at the point between fruity and mellow. Will enjoy the remaining two bottles a year or two from now. Love it.
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8/23/2014 - asajoseph Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from magnum.
Everything a classic Beaucastel should be, if a little on the young side (from magnum, so may have aged a little more slowly than normal). Wonderful combination of deep dark fruit, with a cinnamon spice and black pepper kick at the back of the palate. Delicious.
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8/6/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Decanted for about 2 hours. Slight orange/bricking color on the edges. Quite a bit of licorice on the nose and palate. A mix of tart red berries and darker fruits. Some spice. There is still a lot of structure and fruit here and the wine tastes young despite the color. I'd love to follow this wine over the next 10 years or so. Enjoyed it.
After having the 1990 a less than a week later from this original note, I would wait at least 5-8 years before opening one of these.
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7/26/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
decanted 45 min. tight and mostly about funk on the nose, maybe some roasted fig, wild scraggly herbs & animal; med + weight; really showing the mourvedre today & even then, not particularly expressive, more farm environs, dry red plums, a bit of alum & stern gritty tannins, chewy, acids are tight & clench-ey. believe that it's all there for the future but that future is a ways out. better in 4 - 5.
hardwood-grilled, brined BF pork chop; butterbeans & creamed silver queen corn; okra roasted w/cumin & smoked paprika, zephyr squash & sungolds
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7/25/2014 - Kirk Grant wrote:
FROM 375ml
Color: Ruby core with a brickish ruby rim
Smell: Chewing tobacco, manure, prunes, plum, and faint cedar
Taste: Dried black & blue fruits, clove, tobacco, and leather
Overall: A wine that I think will show it's best with another 4-5 years in the cellar. Light-medium body, med+ fruit, med acidity, med tannin. Outstanding.
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6/29/2014 - MC wrote:
Decanted an hour. Nice wine. Concentrated, but balanced - showing the mouvedre today? Can start drinking now with a decant, but this is not going anywhere and is not yet showing secondaries. Enjoyed it. A-
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6/22/2014 - AWBryce wrote: 91 Points
Red fruit nose, and very grapey. Almost port like without the alchol or sugar. This is weighty, and needs a lot of cellar time. Wouldn't touch these for 5+ years.
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6/6/2014 - vjdinaz wrote:
Pop decant and pour - definitely opens up after an hour - still good body - great finish
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5/23/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped an poured. Opened up about one hour after opening. Lighter bodied than the 2008. Pure Beaucastel goodness.
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5/11/2014 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
garrigue, mixed berry and animale notes; some spice and herb; medium body and texture.
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5/10/2014 - aridan Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Disappointing. Completely closed and uninteresting. Stopped at half bottle and decided to keep open until next evening. Did not improve. Not inline with other comments and views.
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5/8/2014 - llink wrote: 93 Points
VVW tasting. Very alluring nose, some spicy oak, blackberry and provencal herbs. The palate is most closed of the 3 wines, still relatively young and primary with a good flavor intensity but not all that giving. Lots of upside here.
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5/5/2014 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed most on day 1 over a 2 hour period and it seemed a little disjointed with various notes over the time period but never came together. It showed mostly iron/blood type notes and some ripe fruit.
On day 2, it came together to show blueberry, pepper and some herb notes and I enjoyed it much better. So, I am scoring this based on my day 2 experience. If not it would be a few points lower.
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4/27/2014 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
This still tasted very young. Lots of cherry, some sage brush, tart cherry finish with tannins still noticeable. Taut finish and mid.
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4/27/2014 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely.
Even better the next day
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4/18/2014 - rhanke wrote: 92 Points
very good
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3/28/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
TTTG; 3/27/2014-3/28/2014 (Coventry, CT): Very muted nose on open. Slow-oxed for 12 hours, decanted for a bit, and followed over 24 hours.
Fairly reserved on the nose (for a young CdP). Tart red and blue fruit, some herbs; young, nicely structured, and (compared to other young CdP's) fairly light. (group's 4th of 10 by consumption volume)
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3/9/2014 - Wineshington wrote: 94 Points
Amazing. Definitely in the drinking window, though early.
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2/19/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 91 Points
This had an almost port-like quality to the nose. Dark fruit aromas, which later developed into citrus and black tea notes. Thick wine, lower acidity than the other 04's, ripe dark fruit finish
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2/19/2014 - King JR wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine - lots going on - deep dark earthy tones, a real terroir treat. Medium to long finish, incredibly smooth. Very enjoyable.
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2/16/2014 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful deep red colour, nose of plum, berry and earth, full body in perfect balance with cherries, and spice. Drinking terrific now with no signs of age. Enjoy over the next 10+ years.
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1/26/2014 - Rob and Meg wrote: 91 Points
Chateauneuf Du Pape Dinner (The Prime Rib - Philadelphia, PA): Expressive, deep nose of bramble, spiced dark berries, violets, and dried game. Medium to full bodied with excellent texture to its wild, savage berries, underbrush, cigar box, and garrigue. The finish turns more red fruited, adding lively herbal complexity and framing tannins. Drinking well now, and will continue to improve in the cellar.
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1/20/2014 - Moonie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Four hour decant. Drinking beautifully with notes of violets, crushed plums and underbrush...and a little saddle sweat thrown in. An excellent example of traditional CdeP. After six hours, the wine tightened up a bit. This wine can improve and easily last another 10-15 years.
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1/17/2014 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Friday wines: Aniseed and pine tree; a bit medicinal, fine structure and length, develops in the glass. Rightly classified an elegant CNdP be the blinded drinkers.
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12/26/2013 - megropolis wrote: 90 Points
More ready than 2 years ago with balanced tannin and nice smooth texture . Still shy on the aromatics. Flavors of plums and dark berries, with spiciness and wood. Drink or hold . Nice.
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12/23/2013 - KeithSurg wrote: 90 Points
Closed initially, great with dinner 45 min later, but thin and dry afterwards. Flavors of dark fruit, mint, leather, and stewed beef during it's tasting window.
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12/10/2013 - miadelt Does not like this wine: 89 Points
This was probably a very good CdP. The flavor profile of CdP's do not appeal to me.
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12/5/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 89 Points
Peaked around 1 hour after opening, not decanted, good but not great. Dropped rather fast after 2 hours.
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11/29/2013 - farinas wrote: 88 Points
This holiday weekend has not been a good one for me and Beaucastel. Opened both the 1998 and 2004 CDPs and was quite disappointed. The '04 showed a medium body with supple yet dry fruit and good dose of soft tannins. However, it failed to evoke any enticing aromas so peculiar to CDPs of this caliber. Poor showing and praying that the '06 that remains in my cellar will win me over to the Beaucastel camp. I've always been a fan of the Coudulet, which unless this was a bad bottle, is quite superior to this CDP.
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11/26/2013 - jsebiri wrote:
initially spritsy , lost some of that after an hour or so.....not so easy to drink , but nice wine...not sure it has long life but there is plenty around to drink some now and save some for later
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10/27/2013 - crsprout wrote: 90 Points
Ordered at Aureole. Smoke, gaminess, pepper, and dark fruit on the nose-medium intensity. Ripe fruit and earth on the palate. Doesn't last long. Some alcohol and medium - finish. Overall a solid CdP, drinking well.
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10/16/2013 - rh marcin wrote: 90 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a medium finish - A fairly decent rhone wine that aged well. Good with cheese or sharp snacks.
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10/15/2013 - Longnose Gar wrote: 92 Points
Didn't decant this but it really came together after an hour. Classic CDP flavors but soft and understated. You could drink this on a summer afternoon.
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9/11/2013 - rwilk_2000 wrote: 88 Points
Drank at kc ct Rhones and bones #3 offline. Majority opinion was green vegetal taste. Seemed like a lot of potential, but not together yet. Maybe in a shut down phase. Give it a few more years and try again.
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8/18/2013 - ecnemergut wrote: 88 Points
Not great (but obviously not horrible). A bit "thin" on the palate. Graceful for sure, but lacking some depth.
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8/3/2013 - johnnyo wrote: 92 Points
Very elegenat and smooth but I was expecting more of a wow factor but still very nice.
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7/27/2013 - hammie1234 wrote: 91 Points
Stuck between the '03 and '05 in the Beaucastel tasting. Still a great bottle of wine with all the typical Rhone notes. Elegant on the palate and long finish.
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7/17/2013 - fingers wrote: 89 Points
Notes from second half of bottle after being recorked and stored in cellar for 2 days. Appearance is dark garnet color, about 80% opaque with very quick legs. Generous nose offers up raisin, fig, roses, liqueur, Butterfinger crumbles, and earth. Palate is weighty but hollow in regards to flavor as I sense the fruit essence not keeping pace with the acid and tannins. Not delivering the impact that the nose imparts so I'm a little let down again. I definitely like it better than the '03 but it might just be that I'm not a Beaucastel kinda guy. 5+12+15+7 = 89
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7/12/2013 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Raisin, prune and spice on the nose. Aged on palate as well. Very smooth and impressive mid palate followed by a long elegant finish. Some Tobacco in there as well. I've seen this wine rated low in years past, but I think it's in the window now. However, this was a Demi-bottle so the larger formats may not be there yet.
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7/1/2013 - CWilliam wrote:
Better than in 3/2010 - did not take good notes. Still a little closed down unless all 5 bottles that I ordered from a now defunct online site are bad. Will drink remaining 2 bottles 2014+
I actually preferred the '08 to this bottle but I won't rate as I'm drinking bottles that may not be in prime condition...
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5/29/2013 - falp wrote: 89 Points
not exactly my taste.
and this bottle should have been open within 5-10 years
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5/20/2013 - broadband013 Likes this wine: 90 Points
long, s est ouvert avec le temps
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5/18/2013 - Dr.F Likes this wine: 93 Points
plenty of dark fruit, berry on nose and palate. Great length
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5/4/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): #13 The joys of double-blind tasting. We had two of this wines show up in the line. This one was open for business with a nose of game, red fruit, leather, spice. On the palate rich red raspberry, garrigue, pepper, game, smoke. A little bit of heat on the finish. My guess - 2004 CdP.
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5/4/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote:
CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): #4 Shy nose of mineral, tart cherry, and leather. On the palate rich with sour cherry, raspberry, leather, game, spice. Substantial grip on the finish. My guess 2004 or 2005 CdP emerging from slumber. Not scored.
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4/25/2013 - VTLakeCellar Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very different from the 03 drank in the same night. The 04 had bright cherry flavors, light on the palate, and had much more prevalent tannins, the opposite of the 03. Still very much enjoyed this wine but was not what I expected from du Pape. Clearly this must have been a cooler vintage because this wine drank light and elegant rather than big and mouth filling.
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4/14/2013 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured from a 750ml. Medium-dark red. This showed young and somewhat closed, but at about 90-120 minutes this opens up quite a bit. Will have to check the Mourvedre content, as there was not much grenache showing, and a bit of graphite on the finish. Overall this just needs a bit of air (90 minutes), and likely a bit of time, to show its stuff - but right now is a bit one dimensional even when open, and not yet showing any secondaries. A-
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4/14/2013 - jsebiri wrote:
this was a bit thin or light , sweet , easy to drink , some complexity not a ton .....nice wine , generally under-appreciated wine from what i have seen/heard
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3/30/2013 - silton Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quintessential & Quixotic; 3/30/2013-3/31/2013 (Scott & Todd's): While I found this to be a well-balanced and classy CdP, Jim's comment reflected the anti-earth consensus of the group also reflected in the mixed reaction to the red Burg: "this is a French woman with her legs clamped shut." No, it isn't closed down, and not being a sultry Parkerized 2007 fruit bomb disaster is a plus factor in my book, but nor was it mind-blowing. I liked the balance of fruity and secondary elements.
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3/28/2013 - Porchino wrote: 91 Points
Kinda light and elegant
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3/26/2013 - Wrmcbratney Likes this wine:
Interesting nose of blueberries, thyme, sage, bacon, charred pork and pepper. The mouth was silky but intense with some dried blueberries, chocolate and bacon. Overall the wine was very intense but not heavy. Still very young.
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3/10/2013 - boreddoughboy wrote: 89 Points
Nice but not great
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3/3/2013 - kanjimoti wrote: 94 Points
I loved this wine. Though still on the tannic side, it's drinking very well right now. So unique, there are Chateauneufs and then there is Beaucastel. I remember tasting the 03 a couple of years ago, my first taste of a Beaucastel, and being disappointed as the wine was just shut down. The 04 sang in the glass with very ripe red fruits, lavender soap, and something tertiary I just couldn't place. The predominant varietals are mourvedre and grenache (35% mourvedre, 30% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% counoise, 5% cinsault). The mourvedre really shines here with it's sun-baked fruits. I think all connoisseurs should taste a Beaucastel at least once in their lives. The drink-by date is so far down the road I won't even bother.
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3/1/2013 - mclancy10006 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed some time in the decanter to open up, but was balanced with firm acid that paired well with food. Still very fresh with lots of fruit on the palate and definetly could have stay in the cellar or 10+ more years.
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2/22/2013 - kenthargis wrote: 90 Points
Took a little while to open up, but was beautiful when it did. Not a '98, but still very, very good.
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2/10/2013 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
2004 Chateauneufs du Pape (Rich and Peggy's House): Very good nose with some hints of sweetness. Very good palate, but it felt a little bit flat and one dimention.
My #6, Group's #4 (6 pts). Tasted blind and kind of a disappointment in today's tasting.
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2/9/2013 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured from split. Color is a nice, crisp ruby red. On the nose, there is sweet cherries, earth, some plumy fruit, and a bit of heat on the back. In the mouth, there is decent fruit, with some tangy spice, and a nice acid vein. The finish feels fresh and focused. Overall, this is a quality, classically-styled CdP from a less-hyped vintage. 91 points.
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1/21/2013 - BradKNYC wrote: flawed
A disappointing evening of Beaucastel 1995 - 2005. (Snooth.): Corked.
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1/16/2013 - WineSlim wrote: 91 Points
Pretty good but not wotn vs lesser priced CdPs...liked 2010 d. Giraud better
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12/27/2012 - BPidgeon wrote: 93 Points
Nice medium weight.. Cherry and kirsch.
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12/27/2012 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
Nose is sweet vanilla, fruit and floral. Nose is a 93. Palate is a 90 at best. Seems a bit thin. Some liqueur and generic red fruit. Hopefully there is some upside here.
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12/26/2012 - grafstrb wrote:
Annual CdP Dinner (Edina Country Club, MN): -- 3 hours of slow-ox before the event --
-- tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 30 min., and then another pour non-blind over approx. 15 min. about 1.5 hours later --
NOSE: weird: refried beans; cumin; raspberry; hints of petrol and citrus. Not off, just weird.
BODY: dark color; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: non-descript fruit (call it raspberry, maybe?); 14% alc. stands-out, but perhaps this is due to the slightly elevated acidity; not much going on here right now. I’ll continue to hold my one bottle in hopes that this was merely in a closed stage this evening. If this bottle was representative (and I have no reason to believe it wasn’t), this wine should not be approached right now.
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12/26/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Very dark red color. !.5 hr decant, drank 1+ glass over 2 hours. Nose is pleasant with a sweet edge of vanilla, florals, tar, smoke, kirsch, cherry. This developed a distinct Asian spice note (and almost an arm pit odor, which did dissipate ) after a bit, though seemingly distinct it may have been influenced by a somewhat aromatic soup nearby. The palate is medium-full bodied, black raspberry berry and cherry fruits, a bit of plum, earthy, licorice, nicely integrated tannins, medium finish. I'm optimistic that this has a better future down the road.
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12/26/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Not sure this is making me any more of a fan of Beaucastel. I think blending less of the 13 grapes would help. Dark in color with a soft nose of floral, wood and mild fruits. Palate was hard to distinguish a certain fruit. A bit of pine straw. Short to medium finish and lacks concentration. Not a great value wine.
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12/25/2012 - silton wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/22/2012 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine opened up over the 1st half hour and was wonderful. Rich flavors of on the mouth and a long finish with smooth tanins.
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12/8/2012 - canan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Christmas BYO (HSH): Plenty of christmas-style spices on the nose but also showing plums, sewer, barnyard and a hint of coffee.
Full-bodied and fresh young dark plum fruit on the palate with a young and impressive tannin structure.
Has opened up for drinking again but it still very young!
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12/2/2012 - stevedecosta wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for almost 2 hours. First impression the nose was muted but after sitting opend up to bright cherries with some red and black licourice and hints of cedar and pipe tabacco. This wine has very tart acidity that lead to rich red fruits and hints vanilla and cedar wood. Tannins are smooth and a great 04, very drinkable now
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12/2/2012 - Miceri Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark purple red; not much nose, a little caramel, a hint of sharpness but otherwise rounded; soft round attack, spiced, muted; not showing much at this stage, pleasant but dormant
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12/1/2012 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
---
COLOR: Deep garnet to the rim
NOTE: This one is full of garrigue on the nose, followed by macerated cherries, dried strawberry, cherry pipe tobacco, cinnamon and a tinge of heat. Mouth is medium+ weith, loads of pomagranate juice (like biting on a mouthful of seeds), bright acidity, black plum. Finish is fairly tannic but ripe, same flavors as the mouth but at the very end there's some pleasant dardk cocoa notes. Well-made.
DECANT: 1-6 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.3-
OTHER:
COST: 73
VALUE: 5.5
PREVIOUSLY TASTED:
TRY AGAIN: now - 2018
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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12/1/2012 - rlysecky Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking exceptionally well. Very nice nose and flavor profile featuring a nice balance between fruit and earthy notes. Decanted for several hours.
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10/29/2012 - WST wrote: 90 Points
Like other '04's, surprisingly open. Spicy raspberry, cherry and meaty nose. Sweet herbal and red fruited palate, moderately dense. Years left, but fine now as I have a few.
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10/21/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Spicy red cherries, strawberry, pepper, black raspberry and gamey notes along with fresh Provencal herb aromatics open to a medium to full bodied, bright, fresh Chateauneuf du Pape that is dominated by spicy, red berries. This is still young, with luck, time could add more richness to the wine.
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10/20/2012 - Francohead Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is the 4th bottle I've drunk since buying a half case in 2007. I'm disappointed in the lack of complexity. That said, it drinks wonderfully and was a great accompaniment to a grilled steak. As far as I can tell this wine will not get much better, and it was decanted for 1 hour prior to tasting.
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8/15/2012 - JenTomHank wrote: 91 Points
Very good, but way too young. Just hasn't developed yet.
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7/28/2012 - TheSauerKraut wrote:
A very nice, young-ish Beaucastel. This has years to go and I probably won't check in again for at least a few years.
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7/24/2012 - alion wrote: 94 Points
Rich, concentrated. Sweeter nose than dark, thick palate - hints of leather. Wonderfully complex. Fantastic. 94
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6/9/2012 - PeterMole wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and than tasted for 4 hours. Increasing in sweetness and complexity and loosing its acidity. With rib eye a great wine, earthy, figue, mushroom. Love it.
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5/2/2012 - LordHighSteward wrote: 93 Points
Exceptional bottle, should have waited 2 more years. Decanted for a couple of hours before consuming. Great with rack of lamb. 1st taste tart red fruit, still ample acidity, structure good but will get better. Nice finish. Regret this is the only one I owned.
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4/6/2012 - sreisgolf wrote: 91 Points
I expected a little more from this wine. After about 15 minutes in the glass it started to show. I actually think it might be shutdown. It will need some decant time if you want to try it now. Still very good though!
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4/5/2012 - Dokken wrote: 89 Points
It was supposed to be an outstanding wine but in reality it was kind of dissapointment, perhaps a lesser bottle...Expressive nose with mostly very ripe to the limit red fruit, spice and herb. No complexity. Solid on palate and tight with zesty acidity, huge extract and slightlly burning alcohol. High quality fine-grained tannins give an indication of wine's true character.
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4/5/2012 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
Rhone Magic (Le Petit Sommelier Restaurant): Not up to the level of the Beaucastels I have come across to date, but still very enjoyable. Medium garnet. Red cherry, herbs, spices, floral and herbal scents on the nose, combined with funky nuances of rubber and paint. Medium-bodied, solidly structured and round, with firm tannins and quite high acidity. Long aftertaste.
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4/5/2012 - Stefanos T. wrote: 89 Points
For me the wine did not show well this evening. Fruit seemed a little bit cooked. Given the quality and aging potential of this wonderful wine I dare attribute it to a badly stored bottle. Furthermore the structure (strong tannins and surprisingly high acidity) - not the aromas - of this wine showed that it has a long way still to go. Yet nose had jammy fruit along with some cherry flavors, rubber notes, caramel, prunes and ash. Difficult to assess in any way.
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4/4/2012 - KostaKats wrote: 90 Points
The Magic of The Rhône, Le Petit Sommelier. Garnet. The wind may cry Mary but this wine whispers of Provence. Concentrated ripe strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, meaty chocolate notes, coffee, caramel, cinnamon and the unmistakeable garrigue herbs. Liquid velvet and plummy palate. Good structure, medium + acidity, medium tannins. Good length, solid with some slight heat. Comes on like a Dr John voodoo funk tune.
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4/4/2012 - Laughs and Juice wrote: 92 Points
Still too young, didn't really start to open until 24 hours
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3/16/2012 - The Vinsider wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured a half bottle of this with Doug after drinking a great Bordeaux and a 2006 Chappellet Signature Cab--all of which probably wasn't fair to the Beaucastel. Even so, it was a beautiful wine, with lovely composition. The fruit was satisfying and layered without being overblown, nice leather, smoke and tar notes, touch of spice, drinking very well.
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3/11/2012 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful bouquet with ripe fruits, soft herbs and spices and a touch of sweetness. On the palate ripe black as well as red forest fruits, some earthiness, good tannin and freshness. A delicious and lush wine. Entering its maturity stage now. 93+
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3/11/2012 - truckseller wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Enjoyed with dinner last night. A seamless transition from the cherry and leather on the nose to the long, long finish. I can't imagine it can get better than this. We were offered a decanter from the restaurant, I took a taste and told the server we didn't need it. Wish I had bought more when I had the chance.
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3/9/2012 - ecnemergut wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful cherry nose with some solid earthiness. Clean on the palate. Long finish.
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3/2/2012 - jtinto Does not like this wine: 83 Points
I found this to be a bit harsh. Some fruit hiding behind herbs and a medicinal note. Pretty disappointing.
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2/19/2012 - Mingmong wrote: 91 Points
Green vegetal nose with some white peppery notes. Smooth, fruity, bitter cherries, not a wine of power nor structure, but it sits well on the palate, average on all accounts.
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2/18/2012 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Smells like a Cabernet franc with dark chocs. Not as powerful as the rest but drinking now. Powdery tannins with cherry compote. Some roots too
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1/26/2012 - Pknut wrote:
Excellent showing, my first time with this wine (I think). The first thing I notice is the precision, and even after the wine fills out with some air and expands in detail, it remains very well-proportioned. Nose and palate open to a smorgasboard of tastes and nuances, including wild strawberry, garrigue, cherry, underbrush, forresty earth, pot roast and fig cake. Tremendous array of flavors and nuances, and it's also very clean in terms of funk and Brett. Tannins are sleek, acidity moderate. I suspect that this is one of the best examples of CdP from 2004.
UPDATE: Half the bottle remained, didn't transfer to .375 and thus exposed to oxygen, and did NOT hold up well, sadly. Muddled palate, showing raisin-y. Surprised that this didn't have the fortitude to go overnight. I guess that's 2004 at this point?
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1/15/2012 - sdwineguru wrote: 91 Points
Mid-dark garnet; earthy, grapey, somewhat closed nose; opens with time; big tannins, good structure, long finish. long life ahead. With short ribs.
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12/29/2011 - PeterMole wrote: 90 Points
Drank alongside 1994 and 2004 Trevallon. Interesting comparison. More full bodied (although a light and early ripening year) than Trevallon. But needs more years, see 18/6 tasting.
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12/10/2011 - up4wine wrote: 90 Points
This was the expensive entry for the 2 Chateauneuf du pape bottles in the tasting. It did not fair well considering the price differential. The '05 Clos St. Michel for $25 held it's own and nearly surpassed this $70 bottle. This wine is probably not really ready for prime time drinking. It is uneven and has some hard edges, particularly on the finish that indicate it needs a lot more time in the bottle. It does have lots of fruit and will certainly stand up to more aging.
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12/3/2011 - Weston3220 wrote:
Vertical of Beaucastel [94-08 minus cpl yrs] (Vancouver, BC): Closed Nose, Nothing [everyone in the room agreed]
Med body, med+ intensity, med+ acid
Bitter finish, baby fat fruit, spice dark chocolate
Conc: Might of shut down for the tasting
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11/28/2011 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group #012; Southern Rhône (@ VD): Very fresh and youthful bouquet with red forest fruits and some eucalyptus. Very refined. On the palate a lot of good cherries and a lot of soft tannin and bitterness. Very juicy with a pleasant dose of sweetness and oak. Elegant and complex. Already a beauty and will improve over the next years. Wait until 2015 or 2016. 92+
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11/26/2011 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 94 Points
Incredible complexity... Old leather, anisi, pine... Well rounded.
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11/19/2011 - mukden Likes this wine: 91 Points
YES. Surprisingly good. I own a lot of BC and the problem is usually that it is closed. This is still young but feels quite integrated and really like a Bordeaux or Burgundy. There is no age or development but it is a very attractive wine.
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11/12/2011 - Darren747 wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this is a stunning wine. The nose is tightly wound, even after a 5 hour decant and doesn't give any hint as to what to expect on the palate.
The first thing to strike you is the elegance and effortless poise of this wine but there is tremendous power humming away underneath, just waiting for a chance to exert its authority. Absolutely pure blackcurrant fruit gently caresses the palate but is held firmly in place by sleek tannins and kissed with the merest whiff of tobacco. The finish is endless, never wavering from that pure fruit elegance.
This is a delicious wine that gives a great deal of pleasure now but will only get better during the many years of life it clearly has left.
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9/12/2011 - hammie1234 wrote: 91 Points
Very subtle for Beaucastel, still classic profile though
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8/3/2011 - silton wrote: 92 Points
1st Beaucastel. I was expecting to have to monitor this out of the decanter to get it into a sweet spot but it drank well for most of the evening and also on day 2. I was expecting something with even more game and more earth given the reputation of the winery, but I liked the rather balanced if not yet elegant rendition of CdP of this vintage and time. Not life-changing, but a high class Rhone heavy on the Mouvedre likely to improve and last for many years.
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7/31/2011 - traderspartan wrote: 95 Points
- Garnet color.
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6/27/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this is the whole package. Very well-structured, concentrated Rhone flavors without diving too deep into an olive bath. Not much 2004 greenness. This thing could sail on for years, but is drinking great.
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6/18/2011 - PeterMole wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby colour. In the nose some cassis. Decanted, not much there yet. Soft tannines, medium body, bit austere. Some animal flavours. After 1 hour some soapy smell and taste like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Interessting, but too young. Will leave it for 5 years.
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6/4/2011 - Booth wrote: 93 Points
Herbal, dark fruits (blackberries), strawberries, chocolate, tar. Before opening, I thought this wine would have been too young and overly tannic, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, I felt like we were drinking this at a great time.
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5/21/2011 - ronlite wrote: 92 Points
Excellent
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5/14/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 93 Points
Charlie's Retirement Party: After the Caymus SS. Popped and poured as we sat down to dinner (seared Ahi tuna, sauteed shitake mushrooms, wholegrain rice and portabella pilaf, asparagus). The wine paired well with all the food, even the tuna and the asparagus. Floral nose. Medium body. Strawberry rhubarb flavor. Very clean. The pilaf brought out a little additional berry. Really good.
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4/24/2011 - Tag01 wrote: 94 Points
No notes just a wonderful bottle of CdP paired with a roast leg of lamb. Beaucastel never dissapoints.
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4/23/2011 - CWilliam wrote: flawed
Dang this _isses me off! Oxidized so no note - my first bottle of this wine ~ 1 year ago seemed off as well - maybe it was the source "Drink the Grapes" which no longer sells online anymore.
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4/18/2011 - BigTarheel wrote:
not score as the wine is till very tihgtly-bound with fine-grained tannins. savory and slightly rustic on the nose but still not giving up much. probably needs 5 + years in cellar.
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3/30/2011 - remeny1 wrote: 88 Points
Upon first opening, very jammy with lots of heat and cherry notes. Almost like a pinot. Opened up a little bit later on, and expressed some other notes, but still WAY too young.
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2/17/2011 - Zingrrl wrote: 91 Points
Really good. Opened a 375 (greedy tonight and drank it all). Aired in glass for 30 minutes. Mineral nose with lean fruit. Cherry and tobacco. Slightly acidic. Good structure. Good end to a tough day.
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2/3/2011 - chrisa23 wrote: 90 Points
from half bottle. A bit light for its age but still a nice bottle. Closed at first but with air, rustic cherry tobacco leather. Went well with a steak.
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12/26/2010 - Tag01 wrote: 93 Points
Christmas dinner wine. Served with Roast Leg of Lamb.
Noted from memory.
Well integrated tannins, very typical Beaucastel nose and taste. A bit of sweetnes in the mouth.
A perfect match to the dinner
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12/24/2010 - philhh wrote: 76 Points
Don't know if this wasn't cellared well originally, but this was a disappointment. Lacking the typical Beaucastel nose and flavors, this was a thin sewery bottle.
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12/12/2010 - SevenDayMile wrote: flawed
Decanted for a few hours. Flat, inexpressive, but no blatant signs of spoilage. Bad bottle.
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12/8/2010 - KeithSurg wrote:
Woody, musty nose followed by tart cherry on the palate. Thin, short finish. Likely bad bottle. No score.
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12/7/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Rhone Varietals (for the most part) (Luke): Nose of cardboard and stripped of fruit. Unlike any other beaucastel i've ever had. TCA.
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11/21/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 3 hrs, gamy, leather, spice and red fruits in the nose. Earthy palate with spicey willd red fruits and a nice stewed tomato note on the finish. This is only going to get better, though approachable now. Had with Duck Wellington and they were a near perfect match. 92++
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11/16/2010 - dave747400 wrote: 90 Points
Farr Christmas Tasting 2010: Redcurrents galore, quite tannic - perhaps at an awkward stage. Tasted just after the 2009 was never going to do it any favours.. £400/cs (Sal 90 pts)
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11/5/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part One (oskiwawa's house in McKinney, Texas): Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slowly oxygenate about 4 hours before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, slightly cloudy looking. Nose of cigar box, soapstone and wet stones. Flavors of berries. Medium acidity, medium tannins. medium body. Drink now with some air time or continue to hold for at least another 4-5 years before trying again. 91?
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11/5/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 93 Points
CT Texas Offline #2; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Medium dark cherry color. Simple but very pure nose. Young, very acidic and undeveloped. This should age very nicely and be a superb wine in 6 to 10 years.
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11/5/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very similar to the one tasted last month. Tight nose Red and black fruits, leather, roasted meat, anise, pepper. On the palate, rich black fruit, raspberry, anise, pepper, vanilla. Finished crisp with smooth tannins. Hold for at least five years. Lots of potential, might be better than the 05 given enough time.
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11/1/2010 - kgh wrote: 95 Points
Vibrant fruit and spice aromas. Pleasing tastes of red and black fruit, spice, and cherry. Nice acidity lends freshness and the tannins are very soft and pleasing. Outstanding Ch-D-P.
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10/30/2010 - pilot360 wrote:
Opened and tasted, then placed in decanter for about an hour, then drank over 3 hours. Lots of toffee, blueberry compote, caramel, leather and chocolate. Red tart raspberries, vanilla on the palate, medium finish with moderate tannins. This became more interesting as time passed. Definitely young, will be great to try over the next 10 years.
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10/23/2010 - celtic67 wrote:
decanted 2-3hrs. deep dark red color in the glass. this isn't giving up too much on the nose even after the decant, but what's there is very intriguing... leather, meat, iron, kirsch. on the palate it's all dark raspberries, garrigue, a little dark chocolate & a hint of pepper. big yet smooth tannins. meaty/gamey note on the finish. very delicious.
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10/9/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with JAR and TWG (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Opened two hours and poured. Reticent nose, very young and primary still. Red and black fruits, leather, roasted meat, anise, pepper. On the palate, rich black fruit, raspberry, anise, pepper, vanilla. Finished crisp with smooth tannins. Hold for 2-3 years minimum. Outstanding.
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9/27/2010 - Miceri wrote: 88 Points
Very dark red bordering black; nice smooth nose, spices; in the mouth lively, somewhat lean, fruity, smooth attack but then going to lean, somewhat tannic at the end; lengthy aftertaste; elegant but lacking some complexity and missing normal CdP power
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7/21/2010 - Whinojb wrote: 92 Points
Young, but wow. Beautiful nose of dark, chocolate covered cherry, sweet vanilla and a bit of gaminess - just a hint. fruit was forward but subtle at teh same time. Rich and smooth. I found the finish to be adequate to good.
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7/2/2010 - Baron Samedi wrote: 88 Points
Young, super concentrated. Drinkable now but will doubtlessly age well. Much better than the 2003.
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6/26/2010 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Rhone / Rhone Ranger night (Snohomish, WA): The nose had dark cherry, spice and vanilla aromas. The palate had darker fruit flavors than the nose suggested - most notably plum and blackberry flavors. This was full bodied, and the big percentage of Mourvedre (35% I think) was evident in the mouthfeel and long finish. There was no brett in this wine either, though I think it just hasn't bloomed yet. I really enjoy drinking Beaucastel when it is young before the brett shows up.
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6/23/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote:
À la Paulée
Nez de réglisse noire, la bouche est d'une belle texture, un style traditionnel. Un très bon Beaucastel qui m'a semblé plus ouvert que je n'aurais cru. À garder quelques années afin qu'il puise développer la complexité typique du cru.
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6/19/2010 - traderspartan wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Flavor was very good but the finish was short, this kept me from giving it a higher score.
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5/9/2010 - azahoner wrote: 89 Points
Really nice ruby colour, completely opaque, showing beautitul conentration. Quite muted nose with some figs between some leather notes. On the palate it is wonderfully compact, structured, clean, and very well defined. Every element is in the correct place, with a velvety texture and a medium/long finish. It is so young that I am sure It will improve, give it ten more years or so. For the moment, it is somehow an uninspiring perfect mathematical blend from any place in the world. 89+
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4/28/2010 - lmodell wrote: 95 Points
A truly classic wine. Got better with every sip.. Velvety in texture with an every lasting finish.
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4/27/2010 - ekenneth wrote: 92 Points
New leather, iron, stewed plum. This is young, a little hot, but with great concentration, a little closed, but rich, lush, purple and delicious, almost like a Pomerol, but with dark licorish, fennel. There's not much of the garrique or brett you expect, but a long finish with a hint of beef broth/ blood.
Second day is better. Dark, viscous, smooth, black pepper, fig, espresso and saddle leather.
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4/27/2010 - Edward A wrote: 94 Points
Purchased from HDH, stored at 55 deg. Popped and poured. Garnet color. Initial nose was well balanced and rounded. Class CdP flavor - tannins were surprisingly toned down already. Well balanced medium-full body. Long finish. Saving the other bottle, but drinking well already.
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4/25/2010 - dre wrote:
3 Decades of Chateau Beaucastel with Tomas Perrin. (Ambrosia Event Center. Victoria, BC.): The nose on this is very clean. Leathered fruits and pretty perfume show very well. There is a touch of barnyard coming through.
Soft palate with moderate tannins and lush red fruits . Big body and balanced acidity, the oak is very well balanced here. Lots of garrigue and pepper on the moderately long finish.
Drinking well now but will become so much better... hold another 5 years.
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4/22/2010 - gunpwdr wrote:
One should ask me, "if you knew it would be closed, why did you open it?" Nose: Boysenberry, faint hints of anise, kirsch, and almond paste, otherwise very tight. Palate: Tightly packed fruit just wants to burst out on the attack, but is unable to do so. The mid-palate and finish are equally tight. And this is all with 4+ hours of air.
There is a veritable tension between a sheath of tannins and the fruit in this wine that I feel only time will unlock. The stuffing is unmistakably there, so the obvious conclusion for me is to let the other bottles sleep for a long time. No rating given at this time, but I have high hopes for this wine and expect that it will exhibit classic, aged CdP characteristics when it is ready to show its stuff.
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4/6/2010 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
Chocolate, tobacco, leather. A great wine.
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3/21/2010 - Jurgens wrote: 95 Points
Outstaning evening. Pegau(04),beaucastel (04)and bois de boursan cuvee des felix(07). Beaucastel: Dacanted 5 hours.Complex, dark, nose of tobacco and fruit and tested tobacco, choklate and fruit , fantastic but all 3 was fantastic
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3/18/2010 - ToddS wrote: 92 Points
Dacanted 1 hour then served over the next 2 1/2. Nice nose, somewhat restrained. Tobacco, chocolate, red fruits and a tiny bit of licorice. A little spice and meatiness, chocolate and red fruits. Medium finish.
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3/9/2010 - CWilliam wrote:
IMO, this needs time - decanted for 1 hour - good but not what i would expect. I'm going to wait at least 3 years before I try another bottle - maybe going through a "dumb" period? Not rating given I was not able to decant long enough.
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2/12/2010 - Philippe_C wrote: 89 Points
Nose of tobacco, fresh grass, red fruit, licorice... in the month, red fruit, a hint vegetal, slight tannins
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12/28/2009 - FShone wrote: 94 Points
Decanted, then re-bottled 2 hours prior to dinner. Ate with seared duck breast and truffled polenta. Very good CDP, with good tannins and strong finish. Held up well with dinner and is drinking beautifully now. May be better with time? Much better than the 03 and on par with the 05.
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12/25/2009 - EricB wrote: 90 Points
Still really enjoyed - well balanced strong wine. More new world flavors in this bottle - there is some gamy funk, but it is overshadowed by the fruit. Delicious wine, but not a classic CdP. Had with Chrsitmas goose and wanted more earty flavors. Would be great with a steak or a nice roast chicken.
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12/25/2009 - elbosco wrote: 93 Points
Decanted four hours. Nose still holding back in contrast to large, complex flavor profile. Expect score to improve with further aging.
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12/13/2009 - junglejuice wrote: 91 Points
Notes from memory:
Very good with clear upside potential, but this wine is just completely shut down at this point. Layers of dark briary fruit began to show through as the last drops disappeared. Hold for at least 5 more years as it will be MUCH better down the road or give it a long (5+ hour) decant if you open soon.
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12/13/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding CNDP, loved the spice, the smoothness and the spice of this wonderful wine, probably even better in 5-10 years - Dark red, well concentrated with a nose of cherry, plum, pepper, spice, earth and vanilla, fabulous balance and complexity, very well made, velvety smooth on the palate with terrific length, awesome! (94 Points).
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9/8/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. A bit closed at first but then opened up with lots of raspberries, cherry and vanilla. Hints of earth and white pepper. The Greanche seems to be in the front. Nice wieght and finish a very good wine. I love 04.
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9/6/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
@ Chez Bru, Eygaliere. Ordered after the 03 Clos des Papes. It was inferior to it. I think with Beaucastel they require Bordeaux like patience.
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8/28/2009 - Red Loki wrote: 90 Points
Still evolving and somewhat one (two?) dimensional. Clean fruit and nice soft tannins. Give it another 5 years. Two bottles.
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8/21/2009 - JJL wrote:
Served from magnum and unfortunately appeared to be shut down tight. Just blood and mud. Wait.
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8/15/2009 - Terkel wrote: 93 Points
Dark red color. Intense and pure, yet somewhat tight aromas on the nose, notes of blueberry, raspberry, ink and licorice. On the palate the fruit is very clean and pure with intense flavours of raspberry juice. Powerful and long taste with some spices and dirt on the finish, but at the same time it appeared to be a bit closed. While opening up immensely over the cause of tasting it, it continued to be restrained power, with scratchy tannins on the finish. The potential is most certainly there, but it is in serious need of time to find its elegant and refined side as well.
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8/11/2009 - thirstyman wrote:
way too young. Drinkable - but will be much, much better over time. Opened due to a request from a friend. Decanted for a half an hour and the decanted back into the bottle for an hour. Drank over the next two hours. Ripe fruit (but in no way jammy), leather and a little tobacco with hints of vanilla or caramel on the nose. Tannins slightly stiff on the finish, but plenty of fruit to outlast them. I'll try again in a few years,
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7/24/2009 - h12 wrote:
What is it about me and Beaucastel. After the two 99s that I that I didn't like, I thought 04 from a different source might be young but wouldn't be that nasty same. But it was. Have to assume that that's the way it's meant to be. Burnt chewy gamy nasty. Burns off a bit with time in glass but I don't like to drink this. 0/3. Five half bottles to get rid of now...
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7/16/2009 - beachnic wrote: 90 Points
Very closed down. Getting some licorice on the nose but not much else. Nice concentration of sweet fruit with slightly mouth drying sweet tannins. Med bodied. Would not waste opening this for another few yrs. Based on where it is right now 90 Pts. It will have to open up a lot more down the road to rate higher.
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7/14/2009 - sbschwada wrote:
Perfect bottle of wine from start to finish
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7/7/2009 - mye wrote: 93 Points
wow, what a nose. chocolate, cigar, and amazing fruit aromas. Decanted and opened up well after 2 hours. Absolutely delicious with some short ribs. Soft on the palate, medium long finish.. great bottle.
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6/19/2009 - jameswm13 wrote: 91 Points
Still needs a few more years
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5/26/2009 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 90 Points
no detailed notes; popped and poured. i think with a lengthy decant or a second night will do this baby some good
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5/11/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Showed much much better this time around then it did 6 months ago. Nice nose of fresh herbs, red berries and red licorice with a touch of pencil shavings. Not getting the sense of alcohol on the palate that I did in the previous bottle and the flavors are nice and ripe with good depth and a firm finish. This was what I was looking for. Very nice.
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5/10/2009 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
Rich and very powerful, should be better in a few more years.
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5/2/2009 - hammie1234 wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous nose: earth, anise, gravel all layered nicely. I forget how soft Beaucastel is on the front/mid palate, only to linger forever once you've sipped it. The tobacco/earth flavors just hang around in the mouth forever afterwards...
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3/28/2009 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
Good nose, interesting taste, somewhat off balance.
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3/28/2009 - J-Sho wrote: 95 Points
I love this wine. Typical CDP nose of cigar box/tobacco, tar, and dark fr;uits. Nice minerality as well. What I really like about Beaucastel is the wonderfully layered and soft palate displaying great fruit. Lengthy finish.
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3/23/2009 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
From a 375ml: A lovely plum color in the glass with scents of earth, plums, prunes, and raisins. I the mouth there is brilliant structure as the acidity, tannins, and fruit find synergy together. Flavors of plums, blue fruit, and rustic earth flavors blaze a path that leaves a silky trail in its wake.
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3/1/2009 - mmyette wrote: 95 Points
What can I say about this wine? Loads of cigar box and tar on the nose, with rhubarb and berry fruit. Mouthfeel is full bodied with integrated tannin structure, and some zip. Berry's, tobacco, autumn mulch, loam and wild forest fruit are here as well as tar, vanilla and brown spice hints. Really a pleasure, it will be interesting to see what this does.
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2/26/2009 - ChinonRouge wrote: 88 Points
Maybe my bottle was heat damaged. This wine had very little bouquet and almost no finish. A little peppery showing its moderate syrah content. Easily bettered by lower priced wines--Vieux Telegramme for example.
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2/12/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
A great and still quite young CdP from a premier producer enjoyed earlier this week at the monthly Hickory Wine Shoppe pre-Valentine's Day 'Wines of Passion" tasting with Kim, good friend and respected wine connoisseur neighborbill and spuse Debbie. Really good, still strong and tannic with just a hint of pepper on nose. Big, bold, meaty and peppery with primary flavors including black pepper, allspice, granite and dark cherry. Too expensive to be a good QPR but higly recommend this wine, anticipate really great things from it in a few years.
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2/9/2009 - GWE wrote: 96 Points
We went to a dinner party last night and had 9 beautiful wines. THe Chateauneuf-Du-Pape was a great hit by most.. Gentle and smooth were the terms being used to describe this great wine.
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2/1/2009 - Tejano wrote:
Firm and dark color in the glass...opened and poured...not decanted, with right off a tad of mustyness and earth, with the mustyness blowing off pretty quick, leaving a firm nose of ripe dark fruit leaning towards tart blackberry, with a nuance of herbs and a little of that earthy quality that almost gives a rustic edge. Firm mouth feel right off the bat that, while not resolved, was enticing...a wandering personality and showing lots of deep character. Paired at brunch... grilled Angus steak with eggs and fresh sauted potatoes...and cripsy fried onions. And yes...it all went well together.
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2/1/2009 - GWE wrote: 96 Points
Second bottle opened. Decented for 2 hours. HAd this with roasted filet and was just fantastic again. Flawless. beautiful finish...
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1/20/2009 - isdblm@lsu.edu wrote: 96 Points
Pouring forth black-fruits and cedar over firm structure after after 4 hours decanting--with L.
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1/3/2009 - dougsmith wrote: 93 Points
Saturday at Fernando's (Queens, NY): Medium ruby color. Somewhat musty, earthy nose, beautifully complex with elements of spicebox, strawberry liqueur, pencil lead, walnut oil and mint. Silky on the palate with ripe tannins and peppery spice finish.
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1/3/2009 - cgrimes wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful ruby color. Nose of dark fruits, red cherry, spice, cedar. Similar palate with some plum, spice, and tar. Still tannic but pleasantly so. Very balanced. Nice right out of the bottle but subsequently decanted for 4 hrs. This wine was spectacular and not closed at all in my mind. Time will likely give this even more complexity, but this was really good at this stage.
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12/26/2008 - GWE wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 2 hours... used as one of three offerings at or holiday dinner.. Fantastic hit!!! Just an extaordinary wine, I thought the match would be the biggest hit but no, the match did come in a close second though.
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12/23/2008 - kgh wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful C-D-P!
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12/6/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 91 Points
Two hour decant wasn't long enough. Should have been six. Still had this with our December finals meal, same as last year, with fruit and cheese and bread and salami.
Hold, be more patient than I was. Or else decant longer. I will wait on the others that is for sure;
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11/15/2008 - amred wrote: 94 Points
In a mini-Beaucastel vertical (98-04), this was a surprise winner. Does suggest that the 2004 is a sleeper vintage, especially when considering prices. We assumed it would be too soon to drink, but decanted 2 hours and it was the most forward of all the wines. Seemed very fresh, no hint of barnyard or gaminess, and quite rich. While the traditional elements of earth, garrigue, roasted meats where there, it was not a traditional ChdP for most of us. But very well received and drinking well already.
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11/11/2008 - EHF wrote: 94 Points
Had a bottle at a restaurant (Grace in Hollywood. $160/bottle. We had the tasting menu). I thought it was excellent. Great fruity nose with lots of rasberry. Very soft in the mouth, with none of the sharpness that one sometimes find in young CNP. That being said, the wine will clearly benefit from more aging, as it lack any sophistication that it will develop in 5 or 10 years.
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11/9/2008 - Alex H wrote: 84 Points
Simple night @ Liang Kee (Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant): Sweet blackberry pie and violets on the nose. Slightly flabby on the sides and lacking some fresh acidity to lift the flavours but I suspect that is because it has already been opened for more than a day. However, I could still feel the power and lurking oppulence in the fruit and tannin structure that prompted me to guess the wine as one with good lineage. It has an enveloping mouthfeel which seems to be destined to accomplish great things but at the moment is stuck as being an out-of-favour prince. My points are given in retrospect to how good the wine must have tasted on the day before when it was opened.
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11/9/2008 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Sunday dinner at Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant (Robertson Walk, Singapore): This 375 ml was popped as part of the Cellartracker Virtual Community Tasting II on Saturday, and I brought the remainder down to dinner to go with the duck, and it certainly went really well. Served blind, everyone on the table spotted this as a wine of some breeding, but it has really shut down quite a bit from the last time I tried it about a year back. It is now super-tight. The nose was all hot stones and bramble when I first popped it, with underlying dark berries and some savoury meat - very complex and challenging, but in a lurking subdued way, nowehere near as expressive as older Beaucastels or even the last bottle of 2004 that I had. On the second day, it began to show a little perfumed flowers, dark berries, and more bramble. The palate was dense and concentrated as expected but, refecting its vintage, clean as a whistle, with bright, juicy acidity bringing a really nice sense of elegance. As with the nose, there was lots of hot stones and other minerally notes, along with savoury meatiness and some underlying dark fruits undergirded by a layering of really fine tannins. On the second day, the intense brooding flavours and slight edginess integrated to reveal some licorice, more berries and meat - almost a touch of light blackberry jam here. Acid had dropped quite a bit though. Typically long Beaucastel finish, with bittersweet minerals and liberal dash of pepper and just the lightest touch of heat. All in all, this showed as a classy wine, full and concentrated, but perhaps lacking the richness of better vintages. I would not approach another bottle for a good half a decade at least.
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11/8/2008 - Maestro wrote: 90 Points
Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) II: Wines that are too young to be consumed come in two variants: the "shut down" and "tight" (such as Bordeaux and Barolo) and the over-the-top and not-so-well-integrated, like young CdP in general and this one in particular. There's no doubt that this is an opulent wine, displaying generous quantities of cherries, blueberries, garrigue, bacon fat, and wet earth in the aromatics, and with a solid backbone coming forth on the palate. But the wine is at turmoil at this stage, and hence it comes across more as explosive than elegant. Let it rest until 2012 and then it should really deliver an outstanding experience. (Unless, of course, you enjoy young wines in turmoil, where all components are screaming for attention. In that case, go for it now.)
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11/8/2008 - jhannah27 wrote: 91 Points
2nd CellarTracker Worldwide Virtual Tasting Event; 11/7/2008-11/9/2008 (Here, There, and Everywhere): Drank from a 375. Popped this wine open 12 hours before the tasting and let sit with the cork in in the wine fridge over night. God, I love the nose on CdP, so rich and aromatic. Notes of black and white pepper, green peppers, currant, plums, and forrest floor. Even after 12 hours exposure to air, this still didn't seem quite ready for prime time. I was shocked at how soft and elegant this wine was. Most of my experience with CdP is with big, powerful, chewy wines that really try to knock your socks off, but this had all the same green pepper, plum, and earth flavors that I love in CdP, but just done in a softer style. All the flavors are very bright and youthful. The finish lasted a good 20-30 seconds with lingering flavors of plums and peppers. My one complaint is that I was getting a bit too much heat in the mid palate and on the finish, something was definitely not in balance there, but not overwhelmingly so.
This is just a baby and really needs a good 5-7 more years in hopes of the flavors developing and integrating a little better, and hopefully the heat from the alcohol will subside as well. Never-the-less, really excellent stuff and without a doubt my wine of the tasting.
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11/8/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 88 Points
I had this from a 375ml bottle with the other CT guys as part of the virtual the community tasting event and I must say that my experience wasn't as good as theirs. I had the bottle open for probably a couple of hours prior to tasting and while the nose was quite nice with good spice and fruit, the alcohol poked through quite a lot and even after trying again several hours later, I could still detect the alcohol more then everything else, especially in the flavors. However, looking past that, I still feel that this is a really great wine with a lot of other nice characteristics but I wasn't blown away like I expected to be. A couple of months ago I had a bottle of the 05 and it was far and away better then this 04. I really want to give this a score in the 90s like everyone else but I've had much better CdP, especially from 04. I have another 375ml bottle that I will stuff in the back of the cellar and try to forget about it. Perhaps that alcohol will integrate a little better in the future and the wine will show much better.
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11/8/2008 - NiklasW wrote: 92 Points
Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) II (Virtual): Decanted for 2 hours. Appearance: a fairly dark red with a violet edge to it, still looking young (4/5). Nose: quite expressive, lots of red fruit coming out, like cherries, with a hint of leather in the background, very nice aromas! When I lifted the glass to my lips, there sudden whiff of toasty oak, just fleeting. After a couple of hours more, the leather comes out more strongly, as well as a hint of licorice and some cigar box. Next day, there were more meaty notes, some red blood coming through. (13/15). Palate: very smooth, tannins well integrated, not obvious at all. Red fruits coming out, sour cherries, quite delicious, leaving a bitter finish (16/20). Overall: my first Beaucastel, and it is good! This one is surprisingly ready for drinking, perhaps the notes of leather will develop more strongly with time. My number one of the VCTE (9/10).
Click here if you have any questions, this wine was part of VCTE II
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11/8/2008 - J2K wrote: 95 Points
2nd Cellar Tracker Worldwide Virtual Tasting Event (Virtual): I was worried about drinking this too early but it was drinking very nice. Decanted 4 hours. Nose of spice, pepper, a little vegetal, green pepper. Great balance of flavor and tannins which gives an excellent mouthfeel and structure. More of the fruit, mostly raspberry comes through on the palate mixed with spice. I think the fininsh is the best part of this wine. The finish stings and lingers with leather, spice, black cherry, raspberry, earth and pepper. Drinking well now but will last for years. My rating is anticipating its development for the future.
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11/8/2008 - Wrighty wrote: 93 Points
Drank as part of the Cellartracker virtual tasting.
1st Night. This had a meaty nose with some toast, smoke and juniper to start but after several hours in a glass it had faded. The palate however was lovely, chewy to start with a little hit from the alcohol but later it had a freshness and balance I wasn't expecting. Red berries with a fresh acidity which goes through the finish.
2nd Night. Initially raisin and porty notes but this disappeared to leave a wonderfully balance wine. Much more feminine than expected. Not much on the nose now (dried mint, menthal and cloves) but it's almost feminine on the plate with a strong clove finish. Later picked up a little meat but more parma ham than serano, with some salt/mineral (seems to have a salty finish)
3rd night. Meatier, bacon and still the salty mineral element and still standing up strong.
I think expectations played a big part to start and it wasn't as powerful as I'd expected. Initially I was slightly disappointed but over the 3 nights I was able to appreciate the class of the wine, in an old money, bred not bought, type of class. There was nothing showy about it but it left a lasting impression.
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11/7/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 86 Points
Dark, not especially dense, cranberry purple. Not overly generous, but in time showed grape, bacon fat, fennel seed, black pepper, and cigar box. Great acidity, firm tannins that remain in the background, alcohol that grows harsher with air. Overall quite thin, almost watery, no richness at all, a disappointment. Possibly a flawed bottle, I suppose.
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11/1/2008 - Junior wrote:
So not ready and yet so delicious. My wife and I had dinner at Restaurant Nora, in DC, where this wine was offered at a compelling price (for a restaurant). It seemed to be the way to go (even though--or maybe because--I have some in the cellar). This Beaucastel needs years, I think. To drink it now, it needed perhaps hours in the decanter. We gave it a few minutes. It was really beginning to come around as I finished my ice cream. And yet, even under immense pressure--that of time and wine-lust, of romantic wining and dining--the wine performed. What did it offer? Deep fruit, with lush (really? lush? yes, definitely) tannins, an exciting acidity, a brisk minerality. A brawny, beautiful, and graceful wine--an uncommon combination of qualities. Just give it time.
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10/12/2008 - cct wrote: 94 Points
A dark ruby color, with far more herbal and savory notes than those aoround it. Lovely meaty aromas, with a full palate of charcuterie, and more red than dark fruits. Fine peppery and herbal notes complete this excellent wine. Fleshy yet not flabby and very well balanced. Better flesh than many '04s, and I like this style of wine. Others may love it less. 94 pts.
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9/6/2008 - bilge316 wrote:
Initial nose of cherries, very muted after 10 minutes yo virtually no nose.
Taste: No Fruit. Very subtle and tannic, earthy and white pepper.
Possibility of heat damage to this bottle.
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7/3/2008 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed side-by-side with the 1988, this (no surprise) was monstrously young and muscular, with lots of black raspberry, blackberry, and cherry, with leather and a streak of iron and stoney minerality. I was surprised by the clear indications of the primary varietal characteristics of the mourvedre in the purple color and dense mixed berry flavors. This was more ready for drinking than I expected, with tannins still firm but not restraining the fruit, and it was probably the best '04 CdP I've had.
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6/13/2008 - mmyette wrote: 95 Points
My god this was excellent. Nose of cherry and hints of leather and berry fruit. Taste was profound, at once sharp and soft. Acidity gave it a crisp edge, but the fruit was ripe and the finish long. Tasted of raspberry and cherry with loam and autumn leaves in the background. Finish was long and tannin structure was velvetine. Every bit as good as the 05 Vieux Donjon.
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3/29/2008 - Terkel wrote: 93 Points
Small Châteauneuf-du-Pape dinner (Terkels appartment): Black color with a purple rim. Black currant, black berry, licorise and a bit of herbs on the somewhat closed nose, also a bit of marzipan after some time in the glass. It is also holding back on the palate, but showing some raspberry, blackberry, licorise and hints of pepper. On the finish it has some cherry liqueur and raisin. Great length and balance, but it is closed down right now, and needs cellaring.
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2/6/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Février 2008: dégustation verticale du Château Beaucastel (Steaf Frites Saint Paul (avenue Laurier)): Nez fruit noir agréable. Fraicheur, belle texture, richesse, un peu d'alcool en finale. Très bel équilibre, un vin puissant, droit, un très beau CNP qui est quand même plus agréable que prévu. Wow. Très beau vin d'un grand potentiel. 93+ pts
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1/2/2008 - ScottG wrote: 91 Points
Nice and balanced beau at this point. No formal notes taken. Won't be a super long ager- should peak in 7-12 years.
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12/27/2007 - the drops of god wrote: 94 Points
I am not a fan of CDP but decided to open this because the lable on this wine was getting moldy so I decided to drink it to celebrate after purchasing my new condo. Bought it for $68 in VA, saw it selling it for $99 bucks here in CA and was upset because the wine was still way too young to drink it. Consummed over 3 day period. First night the wine was too closed. Tasted amazing next day when I had a glass for lunch. Died down on the third day. Long finish.
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12/25/2007 - jim dixon wrote: 91 Points
Very nice but also very young and hard to grade. Tasted alongside the 99 and both lead me to think Beaucastel is overpriced for CdP.
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12/19/2007 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
At a Booze CdP tasting. Had this in a flight with the Perrin & Fils and Clos des Papes 2004. This easily beat the other 2 out. Immensely impressive wine. Darkish red colour, reflective of its unusually high Syrah content for a CdP. Really lovely, complex nose of meat, smoke, dark cherries - lots and lots of stuff going on there. On the palate, beautiful dark, brooding fruits woven into a really firm yet refined tannin structure, resolving in a long, complex finish. A wonderful wine. Would have scored it higher, but it is really far too early to drink. Almost a crime. This should keep for another 8-10 years easily, and will be drinking well far beyond that.
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11/25/2007 - Gioba59 wrote:
heavy leather on the nose very complex on the finish
phyllis did not enjoy
not ready yet
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11/6/2007 - Double-A wrote: 85 Points
Blackberry jam, mineral and milk chocolate nose. Med-full bodied; good fruit; sweet-spiced finish.
3/5
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11/4/2007 - endoit wrote:
Big wine, still very tight with a long finish.
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9/1/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Silky, black cherry, tons of berry and complexity/structure. Not anywhere close to being ready to drink. Sleep, sleep.
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8/29/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 89 Points
Chateauneuf-du-Pape dinner (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna Beach, CA): A very meaty and hearty but ultimately very young CdP. Notes of beef blood, red cherries, and peppercorns. Needs more time to mellow out.
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7/13/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
Chateau Dr. Z (Chateau Dr. Z): Decanted 3 hours. Better out of the gate than with air, lost a lot of its punch and surprisingly its fruit. Started very primary, with hearty blasts of minerally raspberry and some iron. A light touch of garrigue and herbs. Midpalate needs some time to flesh out, the finish was excellent.
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7/7/2007 - kris.h wrote: 94 Points
Dark garnet red, nearly opaque in color with strong concentration. The nose is inviting and complex giving off aromas of leather, plum, grenadine, strawberry, and some garrigue. The palate shows firm structure with lots of fine tannin and acidity. Medium weight with a clean medium length finish. This needs at least 5 more years to enter its drinking window. A good showing after the slightly disappointing 2003 (Which is a good wine but is more like a California grenache than a southern Rhone). This will not be a great Beaucastel but it contains what I am looking for in Chateauneuf du Pape and Beaucastel. For that, I am pleased. 50 + 5 + 13 + 17 + 9
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6/20/2007 - Mondial wrote: 93 Points
smooth and delicious
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6/17/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Ruby red. Meaty nose with hints of pepper. Very nice palate – a bit juicy with distinct strawberry character. Very good. (90)
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5/12/2007 - BradA wrote: 91 Points
Last night at Campagne we dined as guests of the local newspaper at a client dinner. Most of the table wasn't in the mood for wine, so Jake Kossof the excellent somielier, poured us the remainder of a bottle he had opened with the Perrin's the night before. The airtime had really mellowed the wine, surprisingly, it lacked any rough edges and presented a smooth and tasty drink with good balance and richness. The fruit was not overly noticable, but the wine remained full bodied and paired well with the lamb dish.
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5/7/2007 - espia wrote:
Delicious CdP
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5/2/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
A touch of brett on the nose. Herbs, spice, earth, BBQ meats, blackberries and black cherries. The mid palate is beginning to close down. Pretty finish. Don't touch for at least 5-10 years. This will be a fantastic wine with some time.
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4/25/2007 - EricB wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding - firm tannins some beautiful purple fruit underneath. Will need some time to open up, but should be worth the wait. Rather woody aroma and taste. After opening for an hour and having with food - tannins become more subdued, and tobacco leather notes come out.
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3/31/2007 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
HDH Auction (Tru): Full soft purple color. Tight spicy nose of briar black and red fruit. Spicy red fruit on the palate, but still very young and difficult to really evaluate.
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2/8/2007 - greenblanket wrote:
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting at Pike and Western 2/8/07: Perhaps not a perfect bottle but perhaps my favorite of the tasting. Light purple red in the glass. Raspberry, cherry, herbs, light smoked meat, licorice and minerals throughout. Quite subdued on this tasting but the bottles were literally popped and poured. (one bottle opened before the tasting was thought to be corked) It might just have been the reputation (and the price) but I could imagine this improving with more air and with more time in the bottle.
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1/5/2007 - ColinR wrote: 92 Points
Deep crimson; herbs, cherries, cola, meat; blackberry, cedary, medium body, good balance, good structure, good grip, firm tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 4 hrs. A powerful wine with good structure and balance but difficult to enjoy as it was so tightly wound. Should peak in 15 yrs. Expensive stuff.
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12/30/2006 - llink wrote:
Ruby red color. Oak resin and raspberry on the nose. Fantastic mouthfeel, robust, spicy and mildly tannic. Long finish. Great material, could be as good as the 1998 eventually.
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12/28/2006 - beachbum wrote: 92 Points
Much better bottle tonight - Not that integrated at this time, purpley hue. Nose is cherry cough syurp, leather, alcohol peek through. On the palete the waves of fruit run with the herbs and forest floor, softer tannins and a long finish. Silky already. Good concentration, although it is not the size of the 2003 by any means. Really a nice wine, I am wondering at the QPR at this point, but since my last is born in 2004, I need some.
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12/27/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Somewaht subdued nose of red fruit and light garrigue. On the palate, brambly red raspberry fruit, garrigue, spice. More ripe than expected. Shows a touch of heat. Overall, nice balance. To be sure, this is a young wine, and Beaucastel is generally difficult to evaluate when young and recently shipped... Very promising.
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11/30/2006 - ken-yyz wrote: 93 Points
Colour: Bright ruby red on the edges with a darker purple core.
Nose: Some mint, green tea, cedar and darker fruits. No baby funk.
Palate: Yummm.... Medium to full bodied with several waves of flavours ranging from earthy blackberry, spicy cherry & strawberry and a finish that goes on and on. There's plenty of tannin but acts as a frame, not a wall.
93 points tonight with lots of upside.
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