Very elegant and deceptively complex. Certainly nothing terribly advanced from a maturity perspective, but there are definitely secondary characteristics poking their heads out. Dark plummy fruit with wonderfully fragrant spice and saddle leather. The fruit is very much in the driver's seat and texturally this is very fine. Good length on the finish, these will go on a very nice adventure.
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This had more pronounced Bret in it than I remember with other vintages. More than just earthy. Also more pronounced than than what I see in a Pegau and it did not blow off. Will try again and evaluate. Behind the Bret was nice red fruit and partially resolved tannins. Good balance
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Au nez...poussiéreux, notes florales et végétales, prune broyée, épices...beau nez complexe. Souple, gras et ample, rond avec des saveurs de fruits mûrs et d'épices...cannelle. Équilibré. Finale moyenne sur une note de noyau de cerise. Pas un grand millésime mais très bien tout de même.
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En verticale avec 3 autres millésimes : 2010-2011-2012-2013…Le 2ième meilleur. Superbe équilibre . Semblable au 2011 mais un peu moins de longueur en bouche. Il a pris plus de temps à s’épanouir en verre que les autres. Fantastique !!!
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Very nice indeed. Chateauneuf du Pape is a delight at any time and especially from this producer. Perhaps it is peaking. The light berry fruit is present but well balanced by solid tannin and the right amount of acidity this wine should age more but what effect that will have is a mystery. Perhaps I won’t find out.
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Beaucastel in early maturity - vibrant, woody, classic Mourvèdre notes of earth and tree bark, fleshy Grenache, great tannic structure. Showing some development, but still toyrhfulZ touch of tobacco and floral notes. While not a “great” vintage, this is a great wine.
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1st of 6. Still a young presentation. Dark red color. This has a lot of fruit, acidity and elegant tannins to hold for quite some time. The wine has nice persistence, finishing long. Nicely balanced and elegant despite the 14% abv (which does show a bit on the nose and palate, but just a bit). Drink now through 2038.
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I opened this bottle with the director of the Famille Perrin at a trade lunch as practically no one outside of a few of us had actually ever tasted this wine. I didn't take any notes as he was busy describing the Vintage. But considering that 2013 was a weaker cooler vintage I think this wine has lots of potential. It will not age like the grape vintages, but there are surely no harm letting this reach year 20. A real treat to share this with the director himself. This is my favorite producer and I'm happy to have a lot of it in different vintages.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): Beautiful and expressive bouquet with red and dark berries, garrigue and some earthy impressions. On the palate juicy dark and red berries, garrigue, some chocolate, some slightly green impressions, good acidity and round tannin with a friendly bite. Beautiful and elegant wine.
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Decent CdP in a meh vintage. In a passable drinking window, although no rush to drink now. Fruit-forward at this point and I doubt it will pick up prominent secondary/tertiary flavors/aromas of great Beaucastels.
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My favorite Chateauneuf de Pape. Drank in Millieu at Haevich Hotel Jeju. Full of fruits, balanced acidity, and controlled tanin. In an hour it gets more harmonious and balanced. It tastes good now; but, it could age well over next ten years. Try older vintage next time.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Perrin Family (By JdB): In the bouquet dark berries and cherries with also garrigue and a pleasant dose of oak. On the palate a slightly sweet start with juicy fruits like strawberries and cherries, some oak and good acidity and friendly tannin. Already a great pleasure to drink. 92+
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"Good, not great" someone wrote below. I would agree. This is by no means a stellar Beaucastel, but a tasty offering nonetheless. Do not expect much funk or the traditional aromas and tastes that old school chateauneuf delivers. Nine years in and I would venture to say that it is entering its maturity level. Drink up and enjoy.
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2013 Chateau de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape was layered and restrained, entering its early maturity. The developing Southern Rhône blend was clear and medium garnet in colour with traces of fine suspensions. It took three hours of in-bottle aeration to open up welcoming aromas of blueberry pie, dark cherry, fennel and Mediterranean herbs. These were accompanied with notes of dark chocolate, leather and decaying autumn leaves.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-full-bodied, balanced by medium levels acidity and softening tannin. Flavours of black plum, dried mushroom and tobacco led to smoked meat and saline minerals in a long, liqourice-tinged finish. The 14% alcohol was well-integrated. The empty bottle weighed 853 grams.
Surely, it does not have the richness nor the concentration of the stellar vintages. Tasters expecting ripe Grenache flavours of kirsch and brandied red cherry will be disappointed. Nonetheless, it has great restraint and appreciable complexity, and delivers early drinking pleasure at the moment.
Detailed information about winemaking, vintage condition and critics' reviews is available on the winery website. The blend is composed of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise and the balance of other permitted varietals. Each variteal is harvested and vinified separately. Reductive varietals (Syrah and Mourvèdre) are vinified oak fermenters. Oxidative varietals (all others) are fermented in enameled concrete tanks. The blend is raised in oak foudre for a year before being bottled.
2013 was a complicated vintage marked by slow crop development. The winemaker's notes suggested that Syrah and Mourvèdre matured beautifully, and the result had more of a Northern style than Southern.
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We used to drink far more southern Rhone wines than has become our recent preference, so when I go downstairs to fetch something from the rhone rack, I’m not always sure how much we will still savor and enjoy what I decide to bring upstairs. No question about (any of) Beaucastel wines, though: the wine is medium+ bodied, dark red fruit with a hint of smoky gaminess, almost pure umami. Yum.
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Another disappointing Beaucastel. Mid weight, well balanced, slightly woody, yet without anything memorable. If blind, I would have guessed 2010 Haut Medoc....Mehh....Drink, this is not getting better.
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Enjoyed over 2 days, notes & scoring from day 2 as the wine was much improved on day 2. Great balance/acidity providing a soft mouthfeel. Flavors of berries, plum, cherries & spice. Nice length as well.
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For some reason I have no prior note on this vintage although I must have tried it before now... decanted for 2 hrs. Medium ruby red with just the beginning of some age showing towards the rim. Comforting and familiar nose of mostly red and some black fruits, cedar, leather, tobacco, some gaminess, lots of garrigue and even a bit of fennel in there. Medium bodied, tart fruit extract, highish acidity, soft tannins and a mouth watering, spicy finish. The flavours are well aligned with the nose. Dusty red and black fruits, freshly cut cedar, leather, tobacco and graphite. No apparent sweetness to the fruit unlike in warmer, drier years. This is a crisp, dry, food-worthy Beaucastel. Lighter on its feet but lovely all the same with decent complexity.
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Entering its young maturity stage with fresh berry fruits and good garrigue. Beautiful acidity and round tannin. Five more years of ageing should be no problem and the wine will improve over at least the next 3 years.
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Oct 2017: Had in a blind tasting with 4 other southern French reds before and with dinner. Notes: dusty nose, lean, complex, garrigues, brett? bite on the back end, pepper, rich, concentrated, red fruit, long. Silky, polished.
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This 2013 Beaucastel probably needed more time in the decanter. We picked up some raspberry fruit and provincial market aromas, but the power of the wine was clearly below what we see in the strong CdP vintages, like 2007 and 2010. I think 93 pts is the ceiling for this wine, and it probably is a vintage thing. We are still sitting on the 2016s (for now) - very excited for those.
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Drank after decanting for 4+ hours. Back to back with an amazing 1989 Beaucastel. Still very primary. Heaps of dark fruit. Wait at least 10 years. Beaucastel is best enjoyed aged!
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, black berries and dark plums. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries and dark plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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From magnum. I wonder if this is still in a quiescent phase but I was expecting a little more of a full bodied CdP. Nonetheless paired very well with lamb chop. I would wait another 3-4 years before enjoying.
Normally I’m not the biggest Chateauneuf fan. When I think Chateauneuf, I often think big, bold wines without any finesse but this Beaucastel disabused me. I’m not familiar with Beaucastel but this 2013 seems to be in a first drinking window. A lovely nose with a mix of different red fruit, wild herbs, grilled meat and just a hint of super fine oak. On the palate a lively acidity gives the wine the vitality it needs to flow down easily. Worked very well with our meat course. 92+
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Mixed berry, garrigue, cedar. There is an impressive density and purity to fruit on the palate but there's a bit of excess weight to the 2013 Beaucastel. Those who love the last decade of these wines will find this ready to go but otherwise I would cellar these for close to a decade.
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Drank with friends without food. Likely more appropriate with food, but very smooth, well balanced, nice nose - excellent lingering taste. Likely get even better.
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Beautifully rendered wine. Pure fruit quality, great ripeness, suave but present tannins. Still primary, but a sense of earth, herbs, and a touch of animal add up to a fine example from the vintage (no doubt helped by the Mouvedre). Drinks well at the moment, but based on previous vintages, I expect this to close down in a year or so. Excellent and will improve. 91+
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Au nez on dirait qu'il y a beaucoup de Sarah. Du cigar et des épices. Très différent de ce que j'ai l'habitude de boire régulièrement. À l'aveugle j'aurais été pour du Rhône Nord. C'est fin, C'est soyeux. C'est vraiment bon et ça vaut la peine d'en acheter pour faire différent.
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Reserve Wine Bar at Grand Sierra Resort, Reno: Aromas of red fruit- currant & cherry; with garrigue, pressed flowers, and a range of spices. Seamless on the palate- primary fruit and broad & profound secondary depth. Beautiful weight, density and elegance. Medium acid, fine tannins, and great length.
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Complètement champs gauche des autres CHNP que j'ai bu dans ma vie. Très peu de tannins, la couleur est pâle et loin de l'opacité des vins de la région, on est plus sur de la Cote-Rotie ou bien Beaujolais de Desjourneys que du CHNP. En bouche on a que du fruits et un peu de caramel. Je suis étonné, je m'attendais à un vin pas accessible du tout, mais au final c'est moderne et ca se boit tout seul. J'aime la longueur, le potentiel est là, j'ai hâte de boire un plus vieux millésime.
4/5
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dark crimson red, nose on tangy red fruits (cranberry, sour cherry), then plum, menthol, thyme, liquorice. the tannins are fine grained, the wine is is layered with freshness and acidity undercutting any heaviness. Long finish
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A beautiful young Beaucastel. Dark purple. Dark and bold fruit on the nose (black/red cherry and currant) along with lots of sage, tobacco, black tea, violets and smoked meat. Full-bodied, sturdy yet fresh, great backbone for the long haul but so pretty so young. Pure blackberry and black cherry fruit laced with coffee, charcoal, pepper, roasted herbs, violets. Long life ahead full of evolution.
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Chateau de Beaucastel vertical tasting (Wine-Route, Hashalom Rd branch): translucent dark red-purple quality dark red fruits nose with sweet Grenache-typical notes medium-full bodied, firm tannins, excellent balance & harmony, very good structure, good complicity, earthy, smoked meat, fresh tobacco leaves, sour plums & tannic finish & long aftertaste. still young and will improve with ageing.
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This young Beaucastel drinks quite well to my tastes. It lacks the meatiness and savory complexity of mature Beaucastel, but it has a soft and pretty character that I find lovely. Primary notes of lavender and black cherry. Supple tannins.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #245: Rhône; Perrin (@ BS): Beautiful and not yet very expressive bouquet with ripe red and dark berries and some garrigue. On the palate juicy red and dark berries. Juicy, but also still quite locked. Good acidity and garrigue, cherries and chocolate. Good tannin. Overall a fairly elegant wine which will improve with another 5 – 8+ years of ageing. For today 91 – 92++
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Ruby ink with aromas of cherry, berry and licorice. After a couple of hours you may notice more complexity on the nose, with floral notes, peppersmoke and mineral, and dark chocolate. Tight entry with intense bitter black cherry and berry fruit flavors, balanced with acidity and a powerful, yet smooth, elegant tannic finish.
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Very wet mouthfeel. But not because it’s watered down. It’s just high quality wine that coats the tongue well. At first, the complex flavors are hard to place. You get different tastes at each part of the tongue. You even get a little sweetness towards the back, where you usually don’t have any. I taste plum and blueberry at first. On the long, clean finish, I also get citrus peel with a bit of ginger.
As the bottle is open longer, the citrus peel flavors become more integrated with the initial taste as it hits the mouth. Tannins not harsh at all. Super easy drinking, but very tasty.
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Obviously still young but starting to show itself well. Lots of Southern Rhone spice, red and black fruits, touch of green, liqueur. Bet this will be good with black truffles in 10 years. [92+]
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Superb bottle in a challenging vintage. Very approachable with integrated fruits/berries and soft tannin's. If the tannin's can hold on as the juice continues to integrate this will continue to improve to a remarkable place. Just took a final sip in the glass. The richness of the fruits/berries is enveloping like a warm mist flowing over a cold lake. I'd do a check every 5 years to gauge the progress. The sweet spot will be memorable. Looking forward to the half bottle in the cuvee.
Fresh, lively, and elegant, there are more than enough sweet and tart red cherries and plums with the added complexity of earth, herbs and animistic character to make it sing.
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Attractive nose shows mixed berry, tobacco, and garrigue. Rich and layered on the palate, with well delineated flavors of red & black fruit and an underlying minerality. The 2013 Beaucastel seems poised to offer both near-term accessibility and the structure for aging.
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Concentrated bouquet of purple berries, fig, herbs, kirsch, and terroir. Showing impressive poise and definition. Taut, but more than hinting at substantive depth. Well balanced, medium plus acid, medium tannin, well built. This will be interesting to follow over the next two decades. 93-95.
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Syrah and mouvedre aged in wood, the rest in concrete. Getting some initial creaminess on palate
Otherwise quite aggressive at this stage; Dark red berries, meatiness and spice, with tannins not too pronounced. More approachable than the 12 but not as attractive
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Hdr Closing Tasting: Different than the Coudoulet but not necessarily better at this point. dark cherries but clean on the nose. Tannins and dark cherries on the palate. Obviously some upside development to come. Good finish.
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What a wonderful bottle of wine. Soft silky finish and very approachable now despite a poor vintage and being so young. Can't wait to see where the rest of my case goes with this one. I promise not to peak until at least 2020.
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Medium ruby. Strong tobacco and garrigue. Medium weight, clean, supple, ripe enough, and polished. Bark and blueberry, herbs. Very approachable for young Beaucastel, although the acidity and soil at the end provide more structure than is initially apparent. This is excellent, and I imagine destined for mid-term drinking.
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Showing great restraint for young CdP, classic character, dark fruit, meaty, not heady, graphite, blackberry, raspberry, not showy, good focus, structured; overall I thought this had good clarity of flavors though probably not as deep as some vintages; one that should be accessible in its youth.
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I tasted this yesterday at the store before buying a bottle. I was surprised to find a few second delay before the flavours started coming through with strong fruit but lacking the robustness and depth I am accustomed to in Beaucastels of other years. I plan to drink it after a couple of years.
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En primeur tasting. Almost soft on the nose, expressive, pure, open. On the palate very well structured with juicy fruit, round tannins and nice acidity. Slightly drying, this is elegant and rather subtle. Great finish. Beautiful. Easily the best 2013 Chateauneuf-du-Pape of the tasting. 92-93+(+)
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Barrel sample en primeur. Very pure fruit on the nose, dark berries and cherries, also floral notes - very elegant and fine. On the palate juicy fruit at first, then ripe tannins and acidity are kicking in leading to a long and persistent finish. 92-93+
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2/25/2024 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very elegant and deceptively complex. Certainly nothing terribly advanced from a maturity perspective, but there are definitely secondary characteristics poking their heads out. Dark plummy fruit with wonderfully fragrant spice and saddle leather. The fruit is very much in the driver's seat and texturally this is very fine. Good length on the finish, these will go on a very nice adventure.
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8/19/2023 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent CDP. Syrah flavors dominate. Long finish . Excellent now but no hurry .
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8/13/2023 - jaumealaska wrote:
This had more pronounced Bret in it than I remember with other vintages. More than just earthy. Also more pronounced than than what I see in a Pegau and it did not blow off. Will try again and evaluate. Behind the Bret was nice red fruit and partially resolved tannins. Good balance
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7/20/2023 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 92 Points
Au nez...poussiéreux, notes florales et végétales, prune broyée, épices...beau nez complexe. Souple, gras et ample, rond avec des saveurs de fruits mûrs et d'épices...cannelle. Équilibré. Finale moyenne sur une note de noyau de cerise. Pas un grand millésime mais très bien tout de même.
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7/3/2023 - Martin Ferland Likes this wine: 94 Points
En verticale avec 3 autres millésimes : 2010-2011-2012-2013…Le 2ième meilleur. Superbe équilibre . Semblable au 2011 mais un peu moins de longueur en bouche. Il a pris plus de temps à s’épanouir en verre que les autres. Fantastique !!!
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6/24/2023 - gingerbreadman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice indeed. Chateauneuf du Pape is a delight at any time and especially from this producer. Perhaps it is peaking. The light berry fruit is present but well balanced by solid tannin and the right amount of acidity this wine should age more but what effect that will have is a mystery. Perhaps I won’t find out.
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5/28/2023 - Marc wrote: 94 Points
Beaucastel in early maturity - vibrant, woody, classic Mourvèdre notes of earth and tree bark, fleshy Grenache, great tannic structure. Showing some development, but still toyrhfulZ touch of tobacco and floral notes. While not a “great” vintage, this is a great wine.
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5/20/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 92 Points
1st of 6. Still a young presentation. Dark red color. This has a lot of fruit, acidity and elegant tannins to hold for quite some time. The wine has nice persistence, finishing long. Nicely balanced and elegant despite the 14% abv (which does show a bit on the nose and palate, but just a bit). Drink now through 2038.
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5/18/2023 - Gas Station Wine Guy Likes this wine:
I opened this bottle with the director of the Famille Perrin at a trade lunch as practically no one outside of a few of us had actually ever tasted this wine. I didn't take any notes as he was busy describing the Vintage. But considering that 2013 was a weaker cooler vintage I think this wine has lots of potential. It will not age like the grape vintages, but there are surely no harm letting this reach year 20. A real treat to share this with the director himself. This is my favorite producer and I'm happy to have a lot of it in different vintages.
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3/5/2023 - AAJR wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with last encounter.
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2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): Beautiful and expressive bouquet with red and dark berries, garrigue and some earthy impressions. On the palate juicy dark and red berries, garrigue, some chocolate, some slightly green impressions, good acidity and round tannin with a friendly bite. Beautiful and elegant wine.
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12/3/2022 - urban_dk wrote: 89 Points
Decent CdP in a meh vintage. In a passable drinking window, although no rush to drink now. Fruit-forward at this point and I doubt it will pick up prominent secondary/tertiary flavors/aromas of great Beaucastels.
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7/14/2022 - djscipio Likes this wine: 93 Points
My favorite Chateauneuf de Pape.
Drank in Millieu at Haevich Hotel Jeju.
Full of fruits, balanced acidity, and controlled tanin.
In an hour it gets more harmonious and balanced.
It tastes good now; but, it could age well over next ten years.
Try older vintage next time.
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5/14/2022 - RajeshA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose: Dried figs, very subtle but pleasant.
Taste: Fruity, notes of coffee, tannic with notes of acidity nice length.
A bottle that will keep for another 10 years and develop wonderful new aromas and tastes.
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2/9/2022 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Perrin Family (By JdB): In the bouquet dark berries and cherries with also garrigue and a pleasant dose of oak. On the palate a slightly sweet start with juicy fruits like strawberries and cherries, some oak and good acidity and friendly tannin. Already a great pleasure to drink. 92+
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1/27/2022 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
"Good, not great" someone wrote below. I would agree. This is by no means a stellar Beaucastel, but a tasty offering nonetheless. Do not expect much funk or the traditional aromas and tastes that old school chateauneuf delivers. Nine years in and I would venture to say that it is entering its maturity level. Drink up and enjoy.
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1/19/2022 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2013 Chateau de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape was layered and restrained, entering its early maturity. The developing Southern Rhône blend was clear and medium garnet in colour with traces of fine suspensions. It took three hours of in-bottle aeration to open up welcoming aromas of blueberry pie, dark cherry, fennel and Mediterranean herbs. These were accompanied with notes of dark chocolate, leather and decaying autumn leaves.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-full-bodied, balanced by medium levels acidity and softening tannin. Flavours of black plum, dried mushroom and tobacco led to smoked meat and saline minerals in a long, liqourice-tinged finish. The 14% alcohol was well-integrated. The empty bottle weighed 853 grams.
Surely, it does not have the richness nor the concentration of the stellar vintages. Tasters expecting ripe Grenache flavours of kirsch and brandied red cherry will be disappointed. Nonetheless, it has great restraint and appreciable complexity, and delivers early drinking pleasure at the moment.
Detailed information about winemaking, vintage condition and critics' reviews is available on the winery website. The blend is composed of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise and the balance of other permitted varietals. Each variteal is harvested and vinified separately. Reductive varietals (Syrah and Mourvèdre) are vinified oak fermenters. Oxidative varietals (all others) are fermented in enameled concrete tanks. The blend is raised in oak foudre for a year before being bottled.
2013 was a complicated vintage marked by slow crop development. The winemaker's notes suggested that Syrah and Mourvèdre matured beautifully, and the result had more of a Northern style than Southern.
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1/1/2022 - Twowinechicks Likes this wine: 91 Points
We used to drink far more southern Rhone wines than has become our recent preference, so when I go downstairs to fetch something from the rhone rack, I’m not always sure how much we will still savor and enjoy what I decide to bring upstairs. No question about (any of) Beaucastel wines, though: the wine is medium+ bodied, dark red fruit with a hint of smoky gaminess, almost pure umami. Yum.
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10/22/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
Another disappointing Beaucastel. Mid weight, well balanced, slightly woody, yet without anything memorable. If blind, I would have guessed 2010 Haut Medoc....Mehh....Drink, this is not getting better.
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2/21/2021 - soyhead wrote:
needed time to unfurl. nothing too funky going on here. juicy dark fruited spectrum. good not great
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2/20/2021 - DrBad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic tasty Beaucastel with stewed fruits, blueberries, black pepper, garrigue.
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2/20/2021 - greedy wrote: 88 Points
Not very interesting. I hope this gets better with age I still have many balls left
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1/30/2021 - AAJR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed over 2 days, notes & scoring from day 2 as the wine was much improved on day 2. Great balance/acidity providing a soft mouthfeel. Flavors of berries, plum, cherries & spice. Nice length as well.
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1/10/2021 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 91 Points
For some reason I have no prior note on this vintage although I must have tried it before now... decanted for 2 hrs. Medium ruby red with just the beginning of some age showing towards the rim. Comforting and familiar nose of mostly red and some black fruits, cedar, leather, tobacco, some gaminess, lots of garrigue and even a bit of fennel in there. Medium bodied, tart fruit extract, highish acidity, soft tannins and a mouth watering, spicy finish. The flavours are well aligned with the nose. Dusty red and black fruits, freshly cut cedar, leather, tobacco and graphite. No apparent sweetness to the fruit unlike in warmer, drier years. This is a crisp, dry, food-worthy Beaucastel. Lighter on its feet but lovely all the same with decent complexity.
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9/10/2020 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Entering its young maturity stage with fresh berry fruits and good garrigue. Beautiful acidity and round tannin. Five more years of ageing should be no problem and the wine will improve over at least the next 3 years.
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3/14/2020 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of black pepper and stewed fruit.
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3/6/2020 - phynes wrote: 92 Points
Classic Beaucastel - came out on top of an informal blind tasting of six wines. Spicey, mid-weight and very smooth. Drinking well now.
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2/18/2020 - elyaz wrote: 89 Points
Oct 2017: Had in a blind tasting with 4 other southern French reds before and with dinner. Notes: dusty nose, lean, complex, garrigues, brett? bite on the back end, pepper, rich, concentrated, red fruit, long. Silky, polished.
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1/4/2020 - awitz78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a 3L on NYE. Delicious but couldn’t finish.
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12/31/2019 - cab_fran Likes this wine: 91 Points
This 2013 Beaucastel probably needed more time in the decanter. We picked up some raspberry fruit and provincial market aromas, but the power of the wine was clearly below what we see in the strong CdP vintages, like 2007 and 2010. I think 93 pts is the ceiling for this wine, and it probably is a vintage thing. We are still sitting on the 2016s (for now) - very excited for those.
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12/30/2019 - danckie Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank after decanting for 4+ hours. Back to back with an amazing 1989 Beaucastel. Still very primary. Heaps of dark fruit. Wait at least 10 years. Beaucastel is best enjoyed aged!
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12/24/2019 - despore wrote: 90 Points
Dark/black fruit, high alcohol, oak/smoke/spice on the nose, good structure, well made, not my favorite GSM from the Rhone, but good wine nonetheless.
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10/9/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, black berries and dark plums. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries and dark plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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6/22/2019 - streethawk wrote: 89 Points
From magnum. I wonder if this is still in a quiescent phase but I was expecting a little more of a full bodied CdP. Nonetheless paired very well with lamb chop. I would wait another 3-4 years before enjoying.
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2/10/2019 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP'd at at local BYOB, no formal notes. Really good - medium to full bodied. Robust fruit & spice flavors.
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1/5/2019 - Hell78 Likes this wine: 91 Points
It was light, fruity but still needs another year or so to mature.
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12/31/2018 - m_arcon wrote: 92 Points
Normally I’m not the biggest Chateauneuf fan. When I think Chateauneuf, I often think big, bold wines without any finesse but this Beaucastel disabused me. I’m not familiar with Beaucastel but this 2013 seems to be in a first drinking window. A lovely nose with a mix of different red fruit, wild herbs, grilled meat and just a hint of super fine oak. On the palate a lively acidity gives the wine the vitality it needs to flow down easily. Worked very well with our meat course. 92+
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11/22/2018 - rlove wrote: 90 Points
Mixed berry, garrigue, cedar. There is an impressive density and purity to fruit on the palate but there's a bit of excess weight to the 2013 Beaucastel. Those who love the last decade of these wines will find this ready to go but otherwise I would cellar these for close to a decade.
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9/9/2018 - dalemosier wrote: 92 Points
Drank with friends without food. Likely more appropriate with food, but very smooth, well balanced, nice nose - excellent lingering taste. Likely get even better.
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6/15/2018 - GiWineDoc Likes this wine: 90 Points
After 3-hr decant not quite ready but still enjoyable
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6/1/2018 - Kcornett Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great complexity. Good nose. Tannins were spot on. Sad to see the bottle end.
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12/25/2017 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Beautifully rendered wine. Pure fruit quality, great ripeness, suave but present tannins. Still primary, but a sense of earth, herbs, and a touch of animal add up to a fine example from the vintage (no doubt helped by the Mouvedre). Drinks well at the moment, but based on previous vintages, I expect this to close down in a year or so. Excellent and will improve. 91+
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6/18/2017 - Etienne U3R Likes this wine:
Au nez on dirait qu'il y a beaucoup de Sarah. Du cigar et des épices. Très différent de ce que j'ai l'habitude de boire régulièrement. À l'aveugle j'aurais été pour du Rhône Nord. C'est fin, C'est soyeux. C'est vraiment bon et ça vaut la peine d'en acheter pour faire différent.
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6/17/2017 - MattMauldin Likes this wine:
Reserve Wine Bar at Grand Sierra Resort, Reno: Aromas of red fruit- currant & cherry; with garrigue, pressed flowers, and a range of spices. Seamless on the palate- primary fruit and broad & profound secondary depth. Beautiful weight, density and elegance. Medium acid, fine tannins, and great length.
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6/17/2017 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Complètement champs gauche des autres CHNP que j'ai bu dans ma vie. Très peu de tannins, la couleur est pâle et loin de l'opacité des vins de la région, on est plus sur de la Cote-Rotie ou bien Beaujolais de Desjourneys que du CHNP. En bouche on a que du fruits et un peu de caramel. Je suis étonné, je m'attendais à un vin pas accessible du tout, mais au final c'est moderne et ca se boit tout seul. J'aime la longueur, le potentiel est là, j'ai hâte de boire un plus vieux millésime.
4/5
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4/30/2017 - fipile Likes this wine: 93 Points
dark crimson red, nose on tangy red fruits (cranberry, sour cherry), then plum, menthol, thyme, liquorice.
the tannins are fine grained, the wine is is layered with freshness and acidity undercutting any heaviness. Long finish
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4/5/2017 - czender1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice young chateauneuf but still tight. Depth is there but layers haven't developed. 3 yrs and I'll try another
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2/23/2017 - isaacjamesbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful young Beaucastel. Dark purple. Dark and bold fruit on the nose (black/red cherry and currant) along with lots of sage, tobacco, black tea, violets and smoked meat. Full-bodied, sturdy yet fresh, great backbone for the long haul but so pretty so young. Pure blackberry and black cherry fruit laced with coffee, charcoal, pepper, roasted herbs, violets. Long life ahead full of evolution.
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2/20/2017 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Chateau de Beaucastel vertical tasting (Wine-Route, Hashalom Rd branch): translucent dark red-purple
quality dark red fruits nose with sweet Grenache-typical notes
medium-full bodied, firm tannins, excellent balance & harmony, very good structure, good complicity, earthy, smoked meat, fresh tobacco leaves, sour plums & tannic finish & long aftertaste. still young and will improve with ageing.
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2/19/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 91 Points
This young Beaucastel drinks quite well to my tastes. It lacks the meatiness and savory complexity of mature Beaucastel, but it has a soft and pretty character that I find lovely. Primary notes of lavender and black cherry. Supple tannins.
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1/30/2017 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #245: Rhône; Perrin (@ BS): Beautiful and not yet very expressive bouquet with ripe red and dark berries and some garrigue. On the palate juicy red and dark berries. Juicy, but also still quite locked. Good acidity and garrigue, cherries and chocolate. Good tannin. Overall a fairly elegant wine which will improve with another 5 – 8+ years of ageing. For today 91 – 92++
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12/26/2016 - jollyroger.vin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby ink with aromas of cherry, berry and licorice. After a couple of hours you may notice more complexity on the nose, with floral notes, peppersmoke and mineral, and dark chocolate. Tight entry with intense bitter black cherry and berry fruit flavors, balanced with acidity and a powerful, yet smooth, elegant tannic finish.
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12/1/2016 - camdawg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very wet mouthfeel. But not because it’s watered down. It’s just high quality wine that coats the tongue well. At first, the complex flavors are hard to place. You get different tastes at each part of the tongue. You even get a little sweetness towards the back, where you usually don’t have any. I taste plum and blueberry at first. On the long, clean finish, I also get citrus peel with a bit of ginger.
As the bottle is open longer, the citrus peel flavors become more integrated with the initial taste as it hits the mouth. Tannins not harsh at all. Super easy drinking, but very tasty.
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11/21/2016 - marko2016 Likes this wine: 92 Points
dark red color, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, lots of expression on the nose, extremely well balanced, long aftertaste (1min+)
score: 92+
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11/20/2016 - englishman's claret wrote:
Obviously still young but starting to show itself well. Lots of Southern Rhone spice, red and black fruits, touch of green, liqueur. Bet this will be good with black truffles in 10 years. [92+]
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11/19/2016 - reinnovate Likes this wine:
Slightly more fruity than 2011 vintage
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10/16/2016 - Viking 61 wrote: 93 Points
Superb bottle in a challenging vintage. Very approachable with integrated fruits/berries and soft tannin's. If the tannin's can hold on as the juice continues to integrate this will continue to improve to a remarkable place. Just took a final sip in the glass. The richness of the fruits/berries is enveloping like a warm mist flowing over a cold lake. I'd do a check every 5 years to gauge the progress. The sweet spot will be memorable. Looking forward to the half bottle in the cuvee.
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9/14/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Fresh, lively, and elegant, there are more than enough sweet and tart red cherries and plums with the added complexity of earth, herbs and animistic character to make it sing.
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9/2/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
1549, Pierre de Beaucastel acquired a farm.
Red berry fruit aromas. Shows more fruit vs herb in the aromas. Red raspberry. An elegant wine, well-balanced, not flashy. Great drinking.
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8/19/2016 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Attractive nose shows mixed berry, tobacco, and garrigue. Rich and layered on the palate, with well delineated flavors of red & black fruit and an underlying minerality. The 2013 Beaucastel seems poised to offer both near-term accessibility and the structure for aging.
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6/18/2016 - greidy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red/ruby, lots of red and blue fruits, some wood and earth. tasty and fresh with nice acidity, medium plus finish. Wow...
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6/14/2016 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Concentrated bouquet of purple berries, fig, herbs, kirsch, and terroir. Showing impressive poise and definition. Taut, but more than hinting at substantive depth. Well balanced, medium plus acid, medium tannin, well built. This will be interesting to follow over the next two decades. 93-95.
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6/14/2016 - bajayngo wrote:
Notes from CDP tasting - Showing well in it's youth with graphite, gravel dust ripe dark fruits, mineral streak, herbs and layered on the palate.
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5/21/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 90 Points
Syrah and mouvedre aged in wood, the rest in concrete. Getting some initial creaminess on palate
Otherwise quite aggressive at this stage; Dark red berries, meatiness and spice, with tannins not too pronounced.
More approachable than the 12 but not as attractive
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5/11/2016 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent, but still way to young. Sad to see restaurants offering this for $200...
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4/19/2016 - Double-A wrote: 85 Points
Subtle nose with mineral and smoke notes. Full and textured. Long, solid finish. Compact but not very expressive - time may correct.
3/5
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4/19/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Hdr Closing Tasting: Different than the Coudoulet but not necessarily better at this point. dark cherries but clean on the nose. Tannins and dark cherries on the palate. Obviously some upside development to come. Good finish.
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4/2/2016 - greedy Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a wonderful bottle of wine. Soft silky finish and very approachable now despite a
poor vintage and being so young. Can't wait to see where the rest of my case goes with this one. I promise not to peak until at least 2020.
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2/6/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby. Strong tobacco and garrigue. Medium weight, clean, supple, ripe enough, and polished. Bark and blueberry, herbs. Very approachable for young Beaucastel, although the acidity and soil at the end provide more structure than is initially apparent. This is excellent, and I imagine destined for mid-term drinking.
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1/6/2016 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Showing great restraint for young CdP, classic character, dark fruit, meaty, not heady, graphite, blackberry, raspberry, not showy, good focus, structured; overall I thought this had good clarity of flavors though probably not as deep as some vintages; one that should be accessible in its youth.
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12/4/2015 - macaujames wrote: 89 Points
Undecided. It had good component parts but was completely closed with short to medium length. Needs more time or more aeration.
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12/4/2015 - rchunter wrote: 89 Points
I tasted this yesterday at the store before buying a bottle. I was surprised to find a few second delay before the flavours started coming through with strong fruit but lacking the robustness and depth I am accustomed to in Beaucastels of other years. I plan to drink it after a couple of years.
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11/2/2015 - Double-A wrote: 85 Points
Cherries, florals and spice on the nose. Fresh, dark and focused with a firm, peppery finish.
3/5
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2/25/2015 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine:
[L&W Rhone tasting] exceeded expectations. Agree with Rossi again - this is the best red Châteauneuf-du-Pape displayed in this tasting.
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2/25/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
En primeur tasting. Almost soft on the nose, expressive, pure, open. On the palate very well structured with juicy fruit, round tannins and nice acidity. Slightly drying, this is elegant and rather subtle. Great finish. Beautiful. Easily the best 2013 Chateauneuf-du-Pape of the tasting. 92-93+(+)
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11/17/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Barrel sample en primeur. Very pure fruit on the nose, dark berries and cherries, also floral notes - very elegant and fine. On the palate juicy fruit at first, then ripe tannins and acidity are kicking in leading to a long and persistent finish. 92-93+
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