It’s been a year since my last bottle and it’s just as good. Garrique,,black olive, and black cherry. Fruit is ripe but everything else keeps it in check. A wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
general remarks: the wines are in general more on the elegant side. red berric. high acidity. almost no wood (they only use 5000+ liters „foudres“) intermixed with some spices and flowery aromas. especially the older vintages gave me some "burgundy vibes". there was some bottle variation (some oxidative bottles), especially with some warmer and better rated vintages such as 1995 and 1999… the younger the wines got the more similar they became and were hard to distinguish. also hard to tell where the younger vintages will end up in future. highlights were 1991 and 1996 (both 94 points).
in the cellar they use as low intervention as possible. every grape gets fermented on its own. they choose oxidative or reductive ageing for each grape separately according to the characteristics of the grape. the chateau is owned and ran by the family perrin (7 ppl).
Tasting note Beaucastel 2001: more cooked and ripe aromas, more masculine than the other vintages as this was a warmer vintage. red berries, but they are mature and more pinchy. I also found some animalic aromas in the wine. less elegant and fresh than the other vintages such as 1996 and 1991. I‘d go for 91 and 96 any day.
on the palate more tannins, younger, and more fruit driven. should be held for some more years, will improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CellarTracker me rappelle qu'au fil des ans, entre la SAQ, Iegor et un particulier, j'ai acheté pas moins de 17 bouteilles de cette cuvée! Issu de ce qui est un de mes millésimes préférés, ce vin m'a suivi longtemps et m'a toujours plu beaucoup à travers les différentes expressions que la patine du temps lui a laissées.
Cette bouteille là n'apparaissait même plus dans mon inventaire, comme une erreur de la banque en votre faveur au Monopoly.
À plus de 22 ans, il est méconnaissable, paraissant léger, avec une texture délicate, aérienne, subtile et envoûtante, tellement bourguignonne! Quelle finesse! Il faut le boire sans trop tarder car ce chant du cygne en format volnaysien est d'une exquise beauté, enchanteresse.
Un grand Beaucastel qui nous montre une autre facette de ses grandes qualités. 94 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Previous btl was 5-1/2yrs ago. This is in a lovely resolved & healthy place! Might still improve but terrific now! Slow-oxed for 3hrs in 2 Riedel Burgs & btl b4 dinner. Served between high 50s / low 60s. Mature semi opaque mahogany red. Big, glorious nose of garrigue, mushroom, dark fruit & other harmonics out of my descriptor range. Velvety but plenty of lift keeping it from feeling too large. While most CdP no longer appeal to my Burgundy centered palate this is completely in my wheelhouse. Complex range of flavors w/ red fruit, meat, earth and more on an elegant expansive palate. Sourced locally for $60 on release and stored in temp control sense. Cork was in excellent condition. 13.5% alc is wonderful for CdP! Fantastic tonight w/ Nita's cast iron seared bone in pork chops! 1 left that I'll hang onto for a few more yrs.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my previous two bottles. This was the last one. Not sure it's going to get much better, so no reason to not drink soon and drink at it's prime.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Among the better examples of this wine I've had. It's still quite furry/fuzzy, but this one is relatively clean. Meaty notes on the palate, with a slight brothiness that doesn't quite play well with the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well soaked corked. Lightly decanted off some light sediment. Full reddish garnet with a mahogany rim. Cranberry, dried red currant, creosote, leather, incense, spice, menthol and maybe even a bit of struck flint. Medium-full bodied, fully integrated tannins, dried fruit extract, good acidity, dry finish. The palate follows the nose quite quite closely. Lots of dried, sweet-tart red berries, leather, spice, tar, a bit of animal funk, tangy acidity and a long, sweet dried fruit finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for Xmas dinner and the perfect accompaniment, robust enough to stand up to the variety of flavours on offer, but subtle enough to not overpower the turkey. Deep ruby/garnet, the nose is beautifully layered, with plenty of secondary and tertiary notes but this is also clearly still in its prime with a few years left in the tank. Aromas include mushrooms, loamy earth, red/blue fruits and hint of truffle. Palate is likewise complex and silky smooth, with slightly baked fruit, mushrooms, hint of red spices and truffles again. Quality stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3+ yrs since my last tasting and not nearly as good as the last time around. ...nose is quite tart, like cranberry cocktail, a little smoke, eucalyptus. palate is tart, peppery, herbal. little to no fruit left (which is to be expected in these mature beaucastels) but it doesn't have the funky, bretty or pruny notes i'm looking for. it's a little sour, finishes bitter, and overall, it lacks the flavour profile and depth i've come to expect from these CdPs. drinkable but disappointing. 89
2nd day update. having let it sit in bottle (no vacuvin) overnight, it is much improved, palate in particular. much softer, smoother, slightly oilier texture. an enjoyable finish has emerged as well. 91
3rd day update. nice thing about christmas holidays... you have an excuse to open several bottles and take your time with them. i cannot believe what massive evolution i'm seeing with this bottle. it has completely turned the corner and is demonstrating all kinds of depth and development since my first glass two days earlier. ...it's more fragrant on the nose, with sweeter notes of blackberry and cola and savoury deli meats. palate is silky and lithe. this beauty has life in it yet! 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby red. Lots of earthy warm berry, black cherry and forest floor in the nose, quite fresh for a 22 year old Beaucastel. Pure earthy berry, cherry and spice flavours and a warm textured dry slightly rich finish.
A bit more Grenache character in this one. Cleaner and more fruit than the 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.
Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.
As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years.
Thanks dear Hangi for sharing this, my most prized and aged CDP bottle in my cellar, and I had been saving this for a special occasion.
Bottle-breathed after pouring out a full-pour for L, for 2 hours, and we drank this slowly through the 3 hour dinner.
As always, complex cépage in every Becaustel. In this case, this 2001 is made of: Grenache noir 30%, Mourvèdre 30%, Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, and Roussanne totalling 15% Syrah 10%, Counoise 10% and Cinsault 5%.
15,000 cases produced, very grateful for the gift which Hangi reminded I had to share with DQ and SKT too! Maybe because we had it so soon after DQ's stunning E Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto 2005, brother SKT pondered hard and confidently described this as similar to DQ's. DQ then called out that this is a Rhone too. Such masters that these two are!
Appearance: Inky ruby colored cuvee. 3mm rim and browning at the edges. Nose: Truly signature and classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs and garrigue. Blue fruits too. No barnyard! Mouthfeel: Earthy expression of this Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Full-bodied and powerful. Fully integrated, complex and elegant too.
Acidity: Medium++ and builds. Tannins: Great finesse, now softened with rounded feel. Length: Long, over 40 seconds. Chalky minerality on the finish.
This is a beautiful vintage that has it all, concentration of flavor, ripeness as well as that signature uniqueness of character. 2001 was described as a stunning vintage in Southern Rhone.
Whilst it was rainy and wet until the mid to late summer, the strong mistral (Northwesterly wind - A strong, cold wind that blows from southern France) helped at the end of August.
This was then followed by sunny warm conditions which really helped everything. August and September were picture perfect!
Such is the amazing vines and winemaking at Beaucastel, each variety is harvested manually and separately.
Vinification is completed in truncated oak barrels for the reductive grapes (Mourvèdre and Syrah) and in traditional tiled cement tanks for the oxidative grapes (such as Grenache).
After the malolactic fermentations, the family blends the different varieties and then the wine ages in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled.
Thanks once again to our dear friend Hangi who gifted this to me over a year ago, and it had been cellared all this time to be shared especially with dear L, and brothers SKT as well as DQ. ET, TC and LMC were very fortunate to have been there to taste this wine last night too!
6th Dec 2023 La Sense next to Farm to Plate Damansara Kim, Malaysia
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So happy this was a good bottle. Arrived and kid down for 2 weeks and then drank. On the back side of the hill but a great mature cdp. Garrigue on the nose and soft on the palate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a good CDP! I recall a Close des Papes 2001 CDP which was really a bad wine, with almost only alcohol in my notes. But this is very good, with lots of spices, spiced liquorice, and super balanced and no sign of hot/alcohol. Well made wine with elegance and representative of the region
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mature with nice balance and wonderful nose and palate, but lacks the freshness of earlier vintages such as 1990 and 1998. Long finish. Still has life left but I intend to drink up most of my remaining 9 bottles over the next 2 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
ESTG Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Mmmm, cranberry, rust, a bit of brown sugar. Also very red fruit, a bit linear, quite focused, white pepper, a sharp finish. Upon reveal, clearly young and still rather primary. Pure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
{Bought on release, #9 of 12, minimal ullage of 2-3 mm, tasted in flight with the 1999; tasting also included the 1989}. Great bottle, great aromatics, full, rich, complex, lots of length; for me the next great vintage of Beaucastel after the 1989/90.
Was a pop and pour. Tight on opening but within 20 mins in the glass opened nicely. Should decant an hour if you have one. Fruit came out , was very good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear with some age showing on the rim but not yet bricking. Leather and some spice on the nose, palate still has some sweet fruit followed up by some mild spice/white pepper. Lovely long, lingering finish. Truly a wonderful wine drinking superbly.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Now fully mature with broadening meniscus and slight browning at the edges. Dark, mellow, brulé hedge fruits with earthy and leathery nuances and some dry spice. Dusty tannins and a hint of viscosity. Just enough acidity to hold the elements together. Off its 93pt peak and for drinking over the next year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started opening bottles from a case of this in the last couple of months and have had 3 bottles, each one yummier than the last. Drinking great. Fully integrated, no barnyard (although I wouldn't mind a bit of it).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An Impromptu Wine Night (Mostly Rhones) (Los Olivos, CA): A stellar showing, clean and pure, and much more complex than prior bottles I have had, though not for 4+ years. The wine showed its polish in the best way, seamless and silky, with sweet red fruit, pepper, smoke and truffles. The finish was rich and enveloping.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Singing pure grenache tunes. Less barnyard than other vintages, which is not necessarily a good thing. I think this will go at least 5 more years. Great with duck breast dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
W wild morels/pasta. Yummy dish and good selection of wine. This was good but definitely drink up. We had the 2005 afterwards and that was remarkably better bottle, rounder and more powerful. This is medium weight with still decent fruit and length but not super impressive. You taste that it was well made. Anyway - drink up - 1 bottle left
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Beautiful brick colour, wide yellow/orange edged, 4.5. Dusty slightly oxidized bouquet. +4h: Grenache liqueur sweetness, garrigue, red fruits. Quite intense on the palate, lT, hA, mB, dry, surprisingly high acidity which gives freshness, long elegant finish. Drink now-onwards. This is my third bottle and they have all been different. This bottle was deliciously balanced and elegant but lacking the complex tertiary notes.
With a necessary 4-hour decant (and to remove a whole lot of sediment), I can report that it is in its drinking window to be sure. Medium-bodied, but boy, is it a classic tasting CDP. All the aromas one expects as well. To be sure, it is time to start drinking any bottles you have.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose shows black olive, garrique, dark cherry. Fruit holds strong on the palate with game and florals. Fully mature with a lingering finish. Kept getting better and better the longer it was open
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I drank this bottle, decanted, over about two hours at The Oven, with my good friend Antonio. I drank this bottle alongside an '01 Rayas CDP Reserve. Very disappointing night overall. Both wines underperformed, and never seemed to show a hint of their esteemed pedigrees.
I love Beaucastel wines, and have had many vintages, including the '01 several times previously. Tonight, the wine just never came together. The initiail nose was musty, sweet pruney-resiney, dark, although not lacking in oomph. Dark color, various notes, not very harmonious or pleasing. This might be simply a bad bottle, or the early signs of this vintage falling apart. Still drinkable, just not particularly good. Antonio thought it was pretty good, so maybe opinions can vary.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): In the bouquet dark berries, cherries, dark chocolate, garrigue and rustic impressions. On the palate juicy red berries, herbs, salty licorice, slightly rustic, beautiful acidity and soft tannin which still has enough power for some more years. Overall a beautiful and elegant wine with still youthful notes. Impressive!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
12th of 24, opened an hour, perfect cork and level, oddly underpowered relative to previous bottles, elegant and involving as ever, last glass best however, nice enough but I would normally regard this wine more highly and at the pinnacle of CdP, ie VF (eg last Sept's bottle), this bottle merely F (17.5).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful crimson colour showing its age. Stored in temp controlled cellar. Hints of leather on the nose. Still very spicy. Smooth to drink with spicy tone. Good drinking right now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stored in cold cellar since release. The best bottle by far. Intense, powerful, real depth and grip with time in hand. Impressive. Classic but needs plenty of air. A surprise! And I thought it would be in decline!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
5 years ago, I opined that this wine was near its peak, but this bottle seemed to have plenty in reserve. Initially it was dark complexioned, deep and reserved but as the bottle emptied it revealed greater complexity with a certain discreet fragrance overlaying dark fruit with dabs of spice. The best glass was the last with heeltaps falling to the bottom of the glass. With hindsight, decanting would have been beneficial. Very good.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a great bottle. Fresh floral and fruit aromas are unleashed upon opening. Decanting required and about 1 hour needed to revitalize the wine. Flavor profile is plum with a hint of the youthful cotton candy notable some young Beaujolais. Smooth mouthfeel and cool finish. Minimal interference from the leather, tobacco side of things - which is fine by me. All in all this is excellent at the 20 year mark. I'd say that there will be bottles that can hit 30 years old.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfect cork. 3rd of 3 bottles bought on release. Best bottle yet. If this wine is wild and aggressive in its youth, it has certainly evolved to be suave and sophisticated. Earthy nose with minerals and crisp red fruit with a deep satisfying palate. Light dried herbs and lingering finish. Enjoy now!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – CDPs, Chave, Schrader and etc. (Q by Peter Chang - Bethesda, Maryland): Crumbling cork. Fully mature nose displaying black and red fruit, blackberry, strawberry jam, fruitcake, tobacco, leather, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered black and red fruit, good balance and detail, bright acidity, earthy mineral, and a medium to long ripe black and red fruit driven finish with tobacco at the end. Drinking nicely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely complex nose with deep black fruit, graphite, vanilla. Much less funky than I was expecting and not particularly herbal on the nose. Really fresh on the palate, but with a glycerol richness of fruit arriving immediately, then the herbs. There’s a nice tension here between the fresh acidic frame and the rich fruit. Intense acidity on the back end then a moderately long finish on the herbs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, creamy, full bodied, very local with sweet Grenache showing along with plenty of garrigue. Mature but still plenty of primary fruit here. Needs time to open, hereafter maybe the best showing yet. #ElectionNight
WineBerserkers dinner (Chicago, IL): The best bottle of this wine I've had. A good mix of red and black fruit; good complexity on both the nose and palate a mix of herbs, earth, and leather. Mercifully clean. The one strike against it is the relatively high and present alcohol.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux/Cabernet with Special Guest Lail (Orsay): Probably just starting to get into the drinking window although it's a bit on the early side. It's black and spice and a bit more heft than the other wines even in the slightly cooler vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I dumped two bottles of this a decade ago and saved the last two, hoping for improvement. It's better, but all I get from the nose and palate is eucalyptus. Beucastel is noted for bottle variation, and perhaps this is the problem. I considered not rating this. The '89 and '90 remain some of the best wines I have ever had.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
11th of 24, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level - consistently wonderful, showing its mourvedre side tonight, complex, fresh and silky fruit, balance nigh on perfect, long and persistent as ever, in similar class to the 78, 89 and 90, limited upside, 10-15 years. VF (18.5)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Braun-orange an den rändern. Leicht alkoholische nasekräuter gewürze, auch Gemüse. Röstaromen etwas port frucht schon sehr zurückhaltend. Noch recht präsente Säure. Langer Abgang
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last one of these 2001 Beaucastel and they've been a mixed bag. Still a little too much funk for me to fully enjoy the wine but this one was a little better than some of this and other similar vintages. Still hanging onto some meaty savoury fruit. But the "stewed prune" is always lurking...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last of my bottles from the case I bought at auction from La Tour d'Argent cellars in 2013. Great cork, color and the wine showed fabulously over the next 2 hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
These two bottles were stunning and mirrors of each other. I was compelled by the dark fruits, dark, aromatic cherry, cut persimmon, and green and aged tobacco leaf. Added to this perfectly pure are beautiful earth/soil components, spice cake, and a pretty floral thing.. this wine has many secondary traits, and really keeps its head up!! Amazing!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Having had the '89, '00 and '06 recently, this was a nice add at the end of the evening. Very little decanting time, but it seemed to work. I'd say it was between the '00 and '06 in its evolution. Not nearly the smooth elegance of the '00 but a lot more of the dominant and overly rip fruit of the '06 without all the still firm and course tannins. This bottle probably had another 6 to 9 years of quality drinking in it and it will likely get better over the next couple years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Anise and dried fruit with a hint of tobacco on the nose. Palette of strong but mature red fruit with a dose of more dried fruit and black cherries. Mild/pleasant spice. Wonderful balance of tannins and fruits. Perhaps missing a bit of complexity/layers or maybe just so well integrated. Definitely drinking well now and has some staying power. Limited evolution over 2 hours.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At a very good place now, tannins well integrated, really like how the fruits have come together. Clearly I’ve not found what I reported in prior tastings. I liked this, positively unabashedly. I have come back to enjoying many not all CDP. I think I overdid with 2007s and maybe drank some too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Daughter's 21st birthday dinner celebration. Drinking great with a half hour decant mainly for sediment. A bit of brown bricking at the edges, showing some of its age. Some old barn funk that quickly blew off leaving leather and cherry aromas. Sweet cherry and black raspberry fruits with licorice and mint on a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick colour, oxidised, mushrooms, some sweetness, medium body, medicinal notes, past it’s prime. The 1995 was holding on so much better. Can’t believe the 2001 is already past it’s prime, will try another bottle this summer. Drink up.
Vin de la soirée, nez explosif et parfumé de lavande, épices, fleurs, suave et on y retourne sans cesse. La bouche est moins complexe mais fine, tanins parfaitement fondus, c'est abouti et irrésistible à table. Superbe Châteauneuf à maturité.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a fabulous point of it’s life. Wonderful red fruit and still structured to last. The nose was a bit barnyard to start but when that blew off it was a classic terrior driven bouquet. Very balanced and nuanced to go with a variety of dishes. Was worth the wait but I don’t see how it can get any better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cristal clear, fresh, no signs of fatigue. Colour is getting lighter on the edge, but no browning signs what so ever. The nose is spicy with sweet fruit - and certainly some power behind. Needs time to open ... intense wine. Much, much better on day two (took only a glass in the first day, and I am glad); the wine has opened, the juice is running free, the taste is broader, all is well. Will live.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick red. mahogany rim; classic bouquet, warm leather, suave, signs of lift, five spice; black olive, enticing touch of piquancy, supple vestiges of fruit; a C(P of verisimilitude. Enjoy now & next handful of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 3L bottle was phenomenal. For me it was the WOTN and being un-biased as there was also another 6L CDP Croix-de-Bois from Chapoutier (also 2001). The 6L one was till very young and not ready but still pleasure to drink side by side. There was distinct difference between the regular and double magnum with the regular bottle having advanced tertiary characters of earth, leather, prunes, dates and tobacco. The 3L CDP Beaucastel, was younger, lovely with much rich fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and medium to full palate. It had an aroma of camphor and spice as well. Could keep another 10+ years too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stood upright 7 hrs prior to opening. Cork in great condition, not decanted, followed out of Syrah somm stems; initial sampling was more delicate than from standard Syrah stems, which produced a darker and heavier .
Cherry, earth and aged barrel on the nose. Faint tannins offers a dry approach before the red fruit kicks in mid-back palate with a lingering finish. Fine on its own before dinner and a perfect Turkey day pairing; Everything I’d want and expect from this wine, and pleased its none the worse from 2 relo’s.
Not sure how much longer I’d hang on to this based on our preference, but there’s certainly no need to open in the next year or three.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. The nose shows garrigue, herbs, red fruits and a little funk. Lighter weight palate, medium fruit intensity, and very subtle tannins. Strong showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mixed bag (The Kenwood): I was expecting this to beat the 2000 Pegau it was served alongside. Not quite. Really really really floral, violets stand out. The spice shows up in 30 minutes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Luis rides again @ The Kenwood: PnP - The first word that comes to mind here is smoooooth....this wine is just classy. There is a nice balance between red fruit, black fruit and tertiary flavors. As balanced as the 2000 Pegau it was paired with, but slight alcohol distracted a touch. Still, a very nice wine in a great place right now. Nose showed dark fruit, red fruit, wood and beef blood....palate was full of red and black fruit, with a slight touch of heat. Should hold here for a while. A solid wine and a solid showing. 93 points with ease.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over a hour. Like the 01 Pegau two nights ago, this was tighter and bigger profiled, consistent with the vintage. Tight, kirsch, mineral, iron, garrigue, blackberry. The palate shows blackberry liqueur, kirsch, pepper, some heat, and full body with medium tannins. 91+ to 92pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color of dark cherry red with no bricking on the rim. Opened and left in bottle for about 30 min. did not decant. A nose and taste of cherry. Background notes of plum, leather and provencal herbs (for lack of a better description). Incredibly smooth with no tannins remaining. Fully mature but with some life remaining.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
{Bought on release, bottle 3 or 4 of 12. Sound cork, perfect fill} Big, aromatic, very complete wine, tons of sediment, yet elegant and full of life. One of the best Beaucastels after the 1988-89-90 series. Can hold at this level for another decade.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Do not decant! If you must, pour half the bottle in a carafe and watch the two parts develop side by side. Perfect cork, slightly lower fill compared to the Vieux Télégraphe 2001 that I was going to open to compare. More Mourvedre in my evening, 30% vs. 15% for the VT. Classic, non-Hommage Beaucastel. You know the elements --sauvage, to say the least. No need to keep this years longer. Drink up and enjoy! Good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinetasters: 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape et al. (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Mix of strawberry and cherry here. Maybe some sharpie marker and some balsamic. This just got more and more volatile and unpleasant. High alcohol, seems far past its prime. My 4th, group's 5th.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Single long piece cork, no sign of seepage, good fill level. Sieving recommended.
Beaucastel is generally a cut above most in any vintage, according to my taste on a 15-20 year age curve. They might be ordinary when tasted younger, dunno. This one is no different. On the lighter side, not much if any brett on this occasion. Nice, mid weight palate, the blend seems dominated by grenache and cinsault. Plush and well integrated, tasted secondary at most.
Drink or hold to 2026, limited upside anticipated from this vintage. Enjoy it now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was quite good and tasted balanced and age appropriate. I just let it breathe for about thirty minutes in the bottle. Not my favorite vintage of this wine but decent. I do have two different cases of it so that may account for the variations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is in a nice place right now and is almost too easy to drink. Medium-bodied with feather weight framing. Drinks well on PnP and over hours with some unfolding, but fairly consistent. Has a thread of pleasing funk / brett. Shows much more Grenache character, so perhaps the Mourvedre in this vintage just couldn't go for the long haul? Really lovely. Paired great with a grilled NY steak. 13.5% abv.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Heavy tertiary flavors of caramel and some balsamic reduction. Not as good as I had hoped, but not a failure either. The fruit is nearly gone so uncork this soon, if not sooner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and decanted for <1 hour as we prepared a hamburger on the grill dinner. Preface: it is excellent. Bright ruby color, sweet nose of rich Carmelo zing black cherries, balanced, ripe dark fruits.
Another voice says sugar, sweet and fruit forward.
Lingers on the palate….
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pandemic Party Time with Beaucastel and Anthem (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, red cherry, warmed cranberry sauce, saddle leather, dry earth, with hints of licorice and cinnamon, medium/big body, very tasty, at peak or slightly passed it, mouth filling fruit, lovely but paled next to the 2006, long finish, photo uploaded.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
À point. Brooding deep black/red colour when a well defined meniscus. In the c.5yrs since my last note all the rough edges have smoothed out. Concentrated mellow dark hedge fruits with baked damson; liquorice, dry spice and dusty tannins. A touch of strap. All elements fully integrated and working in harmony. No where else to go so I doubt holding will benefit this splendid CnP further - but no desperate rush. Say till 2026 max.
Red fruit, soil and a very strong, sharp, slightly bitter sage component. Rich and glycerol, but not at all heavy, the acid keeping all balanced and fresh. Excellent CNdP. This probably has years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Poured blind. This has held up well, and at 20 years old, maintains a fruit freshness that is notable. Has a bit of astringency still left in the wine, which to me suggests the wine is not going to fade anytime soon. Holding up well.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is amazing for things I don’t usually mention in this forum. The cork was fresh and tight. It required considerable effort to pull out the cork to the sound of a considerable “pop”. On the wine end I found a very distinct small dark ring about ¼” wide. The rest of the cork was clean and clear. The wine itself showed no signs of age. It was a dark garnet that poured with a purply transparency. We decanted it about an hour prior to consuming. It evolved from a tight leather, tar, and licorice set of flavors to something fruitier and lighter tasting. All along it was balanced, clean, and lingering on the tongue. It could be bigger and bolder.
Wow, this bottle is an absolute stunner! Earthy, deep and umami laden (not really something I have ever noted before in Beaucastel). This blends cranberry, spicy Herbes de Provence, and meaty/bloody notes with a deep and sweet core of gorgeous fruit. It's still fairly primary in terms of flavor profile, but the palate has softened nicely and is finally approachable at age 20. This balances sweet and savory with aplomb, an energetic and simultaneously rather deep and brooding wine. I love it, and it feels like a wine that will explode with secondary notes over the next 10 years.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First bottle opened of two. this one was showing advanced age in color and taste. Odd as the second bottle was much better and they both came from same case.
Hazy reddish brown in color. Intense aromas of herbs and licorice framed by bright red berries and potted earth. The palate shows muted red fruits, wet earth, soy, medium (-) acidity and a rustic/short finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Friday Wine Group - CH (Blind Dinner): Tasted blind - nose of blue fruits and black tea. Ruby in the glass. More red fruits, cherry and raspberry on the palate, but not bursting flavors. The black tea aroma stumped me a bit and I called an older Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red, orange rusty hue; light caramel, light spices; sweet acidic and rounded with light spices, long slightly acidic caramel-like aftertaste; very agreeable and tasty; very nice 20 years old, the last bottle, think it is absolutely fine right now, not sure it will improve / develop further
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Two Rhônes Diverged in a Wood.... ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): Double(ish) blind in disappointing Châteauneuf-du-Pape flight.Rich and dense cherry throughout with some meaty hints. Sneaky good+ length with good balance start-to-finish. My #1 fav (of 9) in flight, group's #1 as well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mostly tertiary leather and raw steak notes in this fleshy wine. Underlying subdued fruit is blackberry and redcurrant. Medium+ bodied, medium tannin and acidity. medium finish some complexity. I imagine it will last another 10 years but you've missed the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10th of 24, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, lovely, fresh, nuanced, still grippy, mature but good for 10+ years . VF (18.5).......consistently a top wine in a top vintage!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Reddish-purple in color moving to rusty red around the rim. The nose was extremely unique - started off with intense roasted root vegetables and garrigue, licorice, dark raspberries and cherries, leather and underbrush. Palate shows sweet, ripe and reddish black berries, licorice, roasted herbs and root vegetables, savory brown sauce, medium (-) acidity, no tannins and a toasty finish. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderfully clean on the nose with raspberry and garrigue. No hard edges on the palate but not lacking structure either. Much of the weight has fallen away. Terrific drinking now and one of the best old bottles of CNdP I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice, lively, young with a lovely flowering fruit middle. Fairly light bodied with some sap, dark in the middle. Good for an other 5+ years, but nicely mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice, lively, young with a lovely flowering fruit middle. Fairly light bodied with some sap, dark in the middle. Good for an other 5+ years, but nicely mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was fantastic and Laura says it is the best bottle of wine she has had in a while. Served with a bit of a cellar chill that may have helped it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not decanted, slow ox, over 24 hours. No drop off. Almost too refined. Fully integrated. Moderate brett. Nice red bricking at the rim. Fully mature. Enjoyed it more in its precocious youth, but no complaints, nice wine. Decent sediment. If drinking in one sitting, stand up day before and decant. Good run with my three bottles, tasted now, 2011, 2004.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From DMag, very nice expression of classic, not (too) hot CNDP, opens up nicely in the glass and has developped quite interesting exotic/spicey aroms after 20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully here with a good pairing. We did bacon wrapped quail breasts and elote, which worked really well, which suggests some nice acidity to work with the fat. Here it has ample fruit and is beautifully balanced. No rush but hard to improve.
Popped and poured. This is a brilliant ruby wine. The end of the bottle had some modest sediment, but not enough to make decanting a necessity. On the nose, I get red cherries, thyme, pink Himalayan salt, seaweed, and leather. In the mouth, there is a nice display of red fruits with a peppery undertone, all showing an enjoyable, integrated balance. The finish is medium length, with some nice spiced fruit and juicy aspects (there was a subtle raisin note that showed up during a few sips). Overall, this was an excellent showing by one of the world’s classic wines. This is great now, but also has some years left in the tank if one likes Beaucastel more than 20 years old. 94 points.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A real stunner! Needs a big burgundy glass - very umami and spicy. Got even better with 2h decanting. Found some animal notes (horse sweat), forest (black truffle), smoked black kalamata olives, some iron (blood / red meat), cold smoke, crushed slate, all interwoven with black dried fruits. On the palate silky medium tannins, medium body, great (medium plus) acidity, fresh minerality in the long saline, spicy and peppery finish. Southern rhone full spectrum wine, with a cool sexiness and only 13,5% alc: power without weight, high drinkability!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened two hours in advance New Year lunch and filtered last quarter in order to eliminate fine-grained sediments. Cork had one third soaked, on the other hand with mold on top (pictured). Undoubtedly a quality seal. These are long legs. Pitch black colour, purple watered down rims no more. Now offering a brick to ruby tone for a bright, almost crystal wine. Beautiful and amazing with only a 30% of grenache. Same on the nose where oxidative aromas prevail with notes of iron ore, flesh, leaf litter from the floor forest, ... only a few balsamic accents (mainly white pepper and menthol) are remembering us that Mourvedre and Syrah are here too. Where are those traditional ones like lavande, black pepper or Chinese ink is still a mystery.Endless complexity anyway. On the palate showed warmer still softie and friendly. Delicate, watery mouthful with direct yet savoury and succulent apple acidity. This is salivation even to jaws indeed. Good length and an finally an extraordinary garrigue aftertaste. Evolves constantly during lunch giving more and more. Aged to perfection but I wish it even a longer pleasure. Until the last drop. Very Rioja like. Once again I have to recognise that in general speaking, I am not a big fan of Rhône wines but this one is damn good. Congrats family Perrin. One bottle remaining.
Abierta dos horas antes del almuerzo de Año Nuevo y filtrado el último cuarto con el fin de eliminar los sedimentos de grano fino. El corcho tenía un tercio empapado y de otra parte con moho en la parte superior (en la foto). Sello de calidad sin duda. Estas son lagrimas largas. Tono de color negro profundo, bordes de un púrpura diluido nunca más. Ahora ofrece uno a rubí-ladrillo para un vino brillante, casi de transparente. Hermoso y sorprendente con sólo un 30% de garnacha. Lo mismo que en nariz donde predominan los aromas oxidativos con notas de mineral de hierro, carne fresca, hojarasca del suelo del bosque, ... sólo unos pocos acentos balsámicos (principalmente pimienta blanca y mentol) nos recuerdan que la Monastrell y la Syrah también están aquí. ¿Dónde queden los más tradicionales como lavanda, pimienta negra o tinta china sigue siendo un misterio. Complejidad sin fin de todos modos. En el paladar se mostró más cálido y aun así suave y amigable. Delicado, bocado acuoso con acidez de manzana, directa pero a la vez sabrosa y suculenta. Esto es salivación incluso hasta las mandíbulas. Buena longitud y finalmente un regusto a garriga extraordinario. Evoluciona constantemente durante el almuerzo dando más y más. Envejecido a la perfección, pero deseo hasta que no pare de dar placer. Hasta la utima gota. Para amantes de lis vinos de La Rioja. Una vez más tengo que reconocer que en general, no soy un gran fan de los vinos del Ródano, pero este es puñeteramente bueno. Felicidades familia Perrin. Una botella me queda.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drunk from the Magnum of NYE. Still going but and I totally get that some people like the older tasting wines but this is not for me. Just a little too old tasting with the prune-like flavour being a little too prominent for me. Enjoyable for a glass or two but not stand-out for me. Think I enjoy CndP when younger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium garnet color. Raspberries and Christmas poupourri on the nose. Immediate garrigue on the attack with soft red berry notes and a vague sense of pine. Quite tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
As with the previous bottle, this is just brilliant now. So silky in the mouth and exquisite maturity and balance. Drank this on Christmas day over the course of many hours and it remained enjoyable to the end.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red, good nose, very little sediments. Still rich in taste of berries with good tannins, fill your mouth with joy and long taste afterwards. Same note as 2015 but this producer really surprised me from the very first bottle. This is the last one. High quality and stored at 12 degrees celsius.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Arômes de fruits rouges mûrs, de garrigue, de grange...épices à bois et selle de cheval ainsi que des notes minérales...galet. Un vin fruité...sur le noyau de fruits noirs, acidité fraiche, mi-corsé. On perçoit très bien sa composante grenache. Moyenne à longue finale. Délicieux avec le repas.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, great from the get-go but even better after open 2 hours. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Enveloping nose with earthy, floral notes and cigar wrapper melding with black cherry. Full body, great balance, ripe/mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent - outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
{Case bought on release, bottle #2 of 12; 0.5 cm ullage, PopNPour} Within 10 minutes of opening just gorgeous, sweaty, leathery wine, brick red color without any browning. At 2 hours black cherry fruit forward that just saturates the palate, and the leather was gone. Not a trace of heat, superb balance, length, richness, gentle maturity. Great. Magical. Better than the '81, '83, and '85 were at this stage in their evolutions (~ 20 years). Will hold here for another decade, I think.
Tons of flaky sediment - even the sediment from this bottle tasted good. Back label reads: "Decanting is recommended." Did I decant? no ....
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow what a wine. Today 19/20yrs later this wine is right in the majority wheelhouse. Right now is all the CDP taste like. Amazing youthful but rich meaty fruits, cigar smoke, saddle leather, plumb sauce all come to mind. Decanting is highly recommend! It will nice to follow this wine over the next decade.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thoroughly enjoyed and I think at peak. Very dark fruited, the mourvedre and syrah are certainly forward in the blend, with a subtle edge of funk. Very well integrated and resolved, dark, brooding without being at all heavy. A joy to drink and came alive with a very tasty shepherd's pie made with ground lamb and a cauliflower (rather than potato) crust. I didn't get the black olive tapenade I sometimes get with beau, just dark dark yet sweet fruit. Delicious. Of the recent tasting notes, the following was closest to my impression:
Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1st 5 mins had me worried regarding the raisins comment...but after my tastebuds and nose overroad any negative expectations...stunning. Wont get bettter but no rush either
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
here's the trouble with Beaucastel's CdPs... they're excellent. but. ...none (that i've had) hold up to the '89 or '90. that said, this one was delightful. paired with the most expensive short rib ever (but worth every penny, WolfInTheFog, and thank you, uncle victor!). beautifully balanced, it has all the characteristics you're looking for in an aged Beaucastel - damp understory, leather, stewed fruit. highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted one hour, consumed over 2.5 hours. dark garnet core, w/rusty red edge; nose initiates as spiced red fruit confiture, evolving to wild herbs, cracked fennel seed & black pepper, complex & evocative; med-full bodied, but in no way syrupy; exquisite balance of fruit, soil & resolved structure, at peak & an exemplary bottle. continues to remind of '85, a pleasure to drink tonight.
black peppered pork loin chop, tomato chutney & dijon sauce; braised Romano beans w/bacon & garlic; confit crushed bintje potatoes
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is still drinking well despite it being 19 years old! Lots of garrique on the nose and on the palate. It still has nice dark red fruits, garrique, dried cherries, black olives and even some tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Finally opened the first of three and won't sit on the next two. IMO, fully mature. The cork looked brand new, did it's job perfectly. Deep red, with an amber rim. Black and dark red berries, dark plums, anise, garrigue, leather, thyme. Soft. It did throw a lot of sediment. Really nice.
Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1st 5 mins had me worried regarding the raisins comment...but after my tastebuds and nose overroad any negative expectations...stunning. Wont get bettter but no rush either
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 90 minutes and drank over the following 2 hours. Dark, brooding wine. Tar, leather, heat. Many of the 2001 CDPs are just not for me, and I will put this one that category as I have tried it from multiple collections and just do not enjoy it vs. other very good to great vintages. B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfect cork, only 1-2mm stained. Nose of leather, game, black fruit, but not especially effusive. Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat, garrigue and a bit of tutti-frutti. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It’s sure nice to be settled on a warm Sunday watching the sunset over the harbor and sipping a fine aged CdP. A slight whisper of orange peel on the nose and back end, this is clearly a wine that is softened and should be enjoyed now. Garnet in color with a slight amber rim. Delicate flavors surge across the tongue like a gentle incoming tide..... further notes with dinner forthcoming.
Night 2. A much softer wine. Elegant, but soft and showing a bit of prune on the close... I would drink- not hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hours before service - throwing a fair amount of very fine sediment. In the glass, pinkish-auburn at the rim, shading to auburn/maroon at the center. On the nose, raspberries and a faint hint of orange peel. On the palate, leading with raspberries and cherries, secondary notes of plums and herbs, and hints of anise and smoke, with a pure, lush texture and a moderately long finish with mild tannins. No funk or brett whatsoever, and other than the color, no signs of aging; if this bottle was representative, there are still many years ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needed time to open up in glass. Garnet tone with rim bricking so it looks advanced in age and shows off predictable earthy tones. About 30 minutes in glass you get cinnamon orange spice, creosote, plum and cherry liqueur and jam, but also some brighter floral notes. I like the “depth” of the nose! Complex and long. The palate is smoothly textured with a hint of edgy tannin but overall refined. Full body. Stays lovely in glass over a two hour period with a long finish. In a good spot now, but likely not getting any better. Be ready for sediment. Good pairing with goulash.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Après plusieurs expériences avec des jeunes Beaucastel qui m'avait déçu, je dois dire que cette fois-çi je suis comblé. Nez suave avec des arômes de fruit rouge mûrs, fines herbes, du sucre brûlé et légèrement florale (lavande). Les tannins sont fondus et c'est tout en finesse. Cette bouteille est dans son prime et je la boirais sans attendre tellement que c'est bon! Belle expérience!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Looks and smells of advanced age. Quite a bit of sediment. Mid garnet in colour. Forest floor, dusty nose. Fruit is intact, but this is past prime, and in gentle decline. Still has concentration and richness and would have been fabulous in its prime. Probably not going to last much longer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this from a magnum. Absolutely stunning. It had aged gracefully with the fruit in a stewed manner and earth notes surrounding. Great producer and great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tremendous. Decanted for about an hour; some slight sediment and brownish tones, but to be expected in a wine of this age. What was not expected was still how vibrant it was and the depth of the flavors. I don't think I'll wait too much longer for the other 2 bottles, but I also don't think it has yet begun its steady, inevitable decline.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle is just lovely. Great colour & well balanced. Lots of dark fruits and so refined. An uplifting experience. NB: I have drunk a fair few of the 2001 over the years and the bottle variation is significant.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprisingly pale colour and loads of bricking in this 19 yr old wine. On the palate there's a sense of raspberry and some lovely tertiary notes that might be described as leathery. What really marks it out is its seamlessness and balance. There's still really good body and intensity. Altogether beautiful. With that balance and intensity I see no reason these can't be drunk for another 3 years. Decanted for 3 hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3 hours and it needed it. Not much at all in the first two hours. At 3 hours it is open, but just not what I was looking for tonight so will not comment any further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's loaded with solids. Decant carefully and filter to remove them. This wine needs lots of air to really open up. Dark red and black fruit flavors against a tarry background. Great moutfeel and length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes, cigar wrapper, black cherry on the nose. Full body, great balance, savory and mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. May develop additional complexity over time but drinking beautifully now. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ripe dark fruit, violets, wild strawberries, and dates on the nose. Well integrated tannins with plums, berry jam, and herbal notes on the palate. Nice finish. This is in a good spot right now. Clearly ripe and somewhat bold, but also interesting and delicate at the same time. I liked the nose more than the palate, though.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really good especially after 3 hours or so. Goes form a solid, easy to drink bottle to something ‘Wow’ and complex. Lots of spices, tea leaves, tobacco kind of like a richer/fruitier Barolo or bar Ares I
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Youthful and vibrant. Clove, pipe tobacco, blood. Gentle spices and herbs on the palate, with softening tannins, and light, juicy acidity. The wine is not super exciting, but its balance is near perfect. Should be great for drinking over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is really lovely. Quite lively with a strong bright cherry core, rubber, cassis, cinnamon and a bit of dark tar. Intense, tight. Great long finish. This is so much better than my last bottle. Great complexity, perfect maturity. Drink now or wait, based on this bottle this wine should be fine to hold for a few more years. That said, my last bottle was approaching over the hill.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So this is what a good bottle is supposed to taste like. Smooth entry, medium bodied, rich, plummy fruit and surprisingly little to no Brett. This was a treat with mesquite-grilled steaks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, dark reddish garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries & strawberries with kirsch & garrigue overtones with floral notes, herbs, earthy, spices, beefy/bacon, pepper, some red licorice notes, minerals, leather & smoky oak undertones. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balance & silky smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, tart cranberries & red plums with herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of toasted oak. Long lingering finish. Drinking quite well at 19 years of age & has the structure & fruit to hold onto this plateau for a few more years if cellared properly but I doubt any further development would occur. Cork was clean & intact with fill level well in the upper neck.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Colour: Definitely looking tawny to me. Nose: Plenty of cherry and hints of leather. Palate: Cherry, pepper, red fruits etc. Still some tannins, although obviously fading. Comes across as quite refreshing for a Southern Rhone a pleasant surprise. Doesn't come across as to hot either, just checked the alcohol 13.5%. Oh and the length, very good for sure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dusty berry and bright cranberry on nose. Nice soft, slightly earthy berry on palate with a freshness that is surprising for 19 years. Really good. Taste like a much younger wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holding up nicely. Cork came out cleanly with about 1/3 staining. Decanted for an hour. Medium-plus opacity and body. Plum, blackberry, red licorice and dark tea with smooth, silky tannins. Medium length finish. Opened next to an '98, which was losing some structure, lighter in body but nice fruit. Christine preferred the '98.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Again, a scary bottle immediately after opening - brown color, raisin nose, overripe taste. Only after two hours in the decanter did it become approachable - interesting cherry on the mid-palate. After three hours, as an accompaniment to a tomahawk steak, it was excellent - classic notes of leather and tobacco, and a long finish. After four hours, it seemed somewhat subdued, though very pleasant, finish not as long as I would hope. If you have this, my advice is drink soon, decant at least three hours, and have it with steak or lamb.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour. Amazing seductive nose of elegant red berries, perfumey lilac, with a hint of leather, simply delicious. On the palate there are refined tannins, excellent mature fruit. I agree with others, this is at peak now, just great, but won't get better. Drink up!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Is it just me? I don't get the Beaucastel hype. This was a good bottle of wine but against the Clos des Papes 01 and Telegraphe 01, both of which I had drunk very recently, it didnt even get near. The other two have such charm and elegance....Beaucastel 01 is an ugly sister against them....but why do so many other people want to dance with her?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kleur: Oranjebruin, opvallend licht rood. Aroma / bouquet: Zacht, verleidelijk maar tegelijkertijd 'vermoeid'. Een restant van zoetig rood fruit, vooral aardbeiencompote, zacht zoete drop en kruidkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Boterzachte, fluwelige wijn in het laatste stadium van zijn drinkbaarheid. Aangename zachte en frisse zuurgraad, fluwelig zachte tannines. Lange afdronk met een inmiddels toch wat afgenomen complexiteit. Algemeen / potentieel: Volgens WA heeft deze wijn een drinkbaarheidshorizon tussen 2008 en 2025. In de afgelopen week proefde ik drie totaal verschillende flessen. Eén fles met opvallende harde zuren, één fles die in alles 'over the hill' blijkt te zijn. En nu de laatste fles uit de kist van 12, die gelukkig (in veel opzichten) de klasse vertoont die deze wijn eerder openbaarde. NU DRINKEN!!! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 92/100
Color: Orange-brown, striking light red. Aroma / bouquet: Soft, seductive but at the same time 'tired'. A remnant of sweet red fruit, especially strawberry compote, soft sweet licorice and gingerbread. Pleasantly soft and fresh acidity, velvety soft tannins. Long aftertaste with a somewhat reduced complexity. General / potential: According to WA, this wine has a drinkability horizon between 2008 and 2025. In the past week I tasted three completely different bottles. One bottle with striking hard acids, one bottle that appears to be 'over the hill' in everything. And now the last bottle from the box of 12, which fortunately (in many respects) shows the class that this wine previously revealed. DRINK NOW !!! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 92/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at the new TableAt7. Bottle off the wine list. Appearance fine sediments, deep intensity, ruby going garnet colour. Legs. Nose medium intensity, with aromas of dark red plums, red berries, garrigue, earth, minerals, red licorice, bits of honey caramel and herbs. Initially tight. Animal meat just a tinge of brett, and blackberries with more air. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), silky elegant smooth integrated tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of dark red plums, ripe strawberries, macerated raspberries, red licorice, grilled herbs, sweet spices. Bits of animal meat and blackberries with air. Medium+ finish. Very good quality. Complex, integrated elegance. Seems to be a lot of bottle variation for this bottle from the CT reviews. Based on this particular bottle, it seems to be holding well, but unlikely to improve any much more with further age. Balance of structure and acidity may unravel. Drink earlier is safer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
La vedette du Superbowl ce soir là! Nez suave de fruit rouge, laurier, de la lavande!! Un vin d’une grande finesse, les tanins sont fondus, le vin parait aérien, savoureux et d’une rare finesse. Une superbe bouteille et un vin à boire sans trop attendre. 93 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Odd showing. Started out a wee bit pruny and all over the place, then quickly came together and at the end, it seemed rather tight, firm, young and concentrated - I think the latter description is correct. #Fogheads
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Final Summer Meal with Rob and Gord (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Absolutely stunning example of a mature Beaucastel. The 2001 is an even more structured example of Beaucatstel, with a firm tannic backbone and clear and clean acids. Very farmyard, very tree bark, beautiful fruit, but the tertiary hung meaty aspects of the wine lift this very far from the ordinary. Great intensity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for sediment. A little muted to start. Darker fruit profile for a CdP. Very clean - no funk at all. Real depth and refinement though, esp on the palate. As a wine it grew and grew over time so that after around 6 hours this was singing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Luftet i 2 timer før konsum. Dyp rød med oransje kant. Flott aroma uten preg av fjøs og stall, men med kirsebær, sur-søt frukt, skogbunn, lakris og litt svak røkelse. I munn har den flott integrerte tanniner, medium fylde og god lengde. Smaken følger aroma. Oppleves som perfekt moden. Ser at andre har litt forskjellige erfaringer(både kvalitet og modning), men dette var en god flaske uten urenheter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Funk and figs. Drank this alongside a 2008 Hermitage chave (which was the better wine by a landslide, even if 2008 is not the best vintage in northern Rhône...). This was good, and could last longer, but i don’t see a lot of upside here
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just a quick taste at a holiday party. Somewhat shutdown, perhaps in a dumb phase? Muted red fruit, some pepper and mild spice. Concentrated and backwards.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit too raisiny for my palate, unlike any Beaucastel I have had and I have tried them back to the early eighties. Has some vibrancy on the finish to counterbalance it. If you like The Paso or Aussie style you should like this one.
Nose a little bit closed and dusty, red cherries... Sappy red fruit, still quite primary fruit, still quite primary for it's age, still plenty of potential ahead!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for a few hours to try and shift the inevitable Barnyard you often get with aged CndP's. Last time I had a bottle this blew off revealing a lovely balanced aged savoury Rhone wine but this bottle never shook it off. It wasn't undrinkable by any means but the harsh stewed prunes never gave way and were the lasting impression of the wine..
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The best bottle of the ~10 '01s that we have drank over the past few years. On opening, I could immediately tell that the bottle had promise - none of the overripe nastiness that we experienced on many of the other bottles, just a strong scent of ripe fruit, and a promising first taste to check quality. Developed very nicely after three hours in the decanter - leather and earth, medium body, long finish - as it was meant to be.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistant to previous note. Great wine with 5+ years ahead. Give em at least one hour in the glass. Gains length power and complexity. This wine is on the elegant side - great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Allowed to breathe in glass for an hour. Clear intense deep ruby-garnet color. Fabulous notes of juicy red cherries, pomegranates, fragrant wood chips, potpourri, mincemeat, stony soil, hoisin sauce. Medium body, seamless, excellent balance. Improved steadily with several hours of air. Seems to be in a peak drinking window with no sign of fatigue.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dissapointing at first, opened up for the first time after 15 min, then another layer of complexity at 5-6 hours. Sour-sweet, moderate intensity and length, yougurt with more air, not much brett or garrique. Tannin absent, still: hold another 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The first of four bottles consumed by our group at dinner at my cousin David's house. Opened for an hour, the nose was dark cherry and leather. The palate was dark cherry, bramble, leather and white pepper. The finish was moderate to long.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: Only slow O'd a couple hours. Completely consistent with my last 2 notes, and probably brought by the same person as well. This needs more time or a long decant. The 2001 Beaucastel is very youthful still. It is clearly a CDP of great pedigree.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Guys Night Out: Bring Something You're Looking Forward To Drinking (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color. Brief decant. Drank a glass over 2 hours. I've had this wine about a dozen times now and it has been pretty consistent. While this is still youthful in a sense, it has a lot of classic CdP character and complexity. I love the spice profile on this, very nose tickling and provocative, dark cherry, leather, plum, wood spice. The palate opens more gradually, tart cherries, a little plum, kirsch, excellent Provencal spices, and then later a lot of scorched earth. Do yourself a favor and give this a healthy decant and then enjoy. 93+(+)pts.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
D2h. Garnet red, yellow tinged, 5.5. Generous complex bouquet, forest floor, mushrooms, sweetness of maturity, red fruits, lightness. Elegant harmonious palate, still some tannin, fine acidity, well balanced finish. Drink now - onwards
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another bottle that required 3+ hours decant. Brown with an unappealing nose and taste at opening, after significant time in the decanter it eventually reveals deep leather and tobacco flavors with a long finish. Drank after a 2005 Croix du Bois - it's shocking how much livelier wines that are only a few years younger than the Beaucastel are in comparison. Net - a great wine, but continues to be disappointing relative to expectations, with wide variations between bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
the first bottle did not seem flawed on the nose but the fruit had abandoned the wine as it it were corked. The second bottle as I remember from a year ago; soft, full in the mouth with caressing flavours of black plums and cherries.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
När vi drack den senaste flaskan för fyra år sedan sa vi att den sannolikt tunnlade. Nej. Det här vinet är över. Tycker detta är en gravt överreklamerad producent. Tyvärr.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We are guessing an off bottle as its a far cry from the 93 we rated this albeit 9yrs ago and the rest of the ratings in CT . Ours was a bit sweet and on the dull side so we will refrain from rating this time round.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. Drank at room temperature with no decanting. Room temperature was around 18 degrees celsius. Soft tannins. Low acidity. Perfetc balance of tannins and acidity. Dark sweet stewed fruit. Very jammy. Thick and juicy. Excellent. Lots of cassis. I just had one small glass now and I am reluctant to pair it with food. I think this is a wine to sip on on. I am so glad I still have another bottle in my cellar. I would have given this wine a 100 had it not been for the slight chalkiness in the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml. Popped and poured.
A wine of place. Bold, roasted fruit dominated by a wild gamey Mourvèdre funk that played off the sweet kirsch liqueur of Grenache. At the same time remarkably perfumed and imbued with a warm stone minerality across the palate. A pleasure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes, black cherry on the nose. Full body, great balance, savory and mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. May develop additional complexity over time but drinking beautifully now. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Servi sans aération préalable Nez complexe épices truffe, fumé, fruit mur Bouche ample très élégante qui reste structurée par un fond tannique et surtout une belle fraicheur. puissant sans être envahissant. Long. Pas d'urgence a boire.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-dark garnet color. Nose of Hawaiian Punch, sweet and delicious. Delicious, juicy wine with notes of raspberry, strawberry, tobacco, and the aforementioned fruit punch.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My last bottle and this one was drinking beautifully! After reading my last notes from about a year ago, I was afraid the stewed notes would dominate this bottle(which I don’t prefer), but to my pleasant surprise, they were in perfect harmony with the earthy, garriquey, cherry fruit roll up flavors with supporting pipe tobacco, floral and white pepper undertones. Drinking well very shortly after opening.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This needed a long decant - an hour was not enough and the wine was initially unbalanced - acidic and tannic. After several hours it has mellowed to a very nice wine and was just as good a day later. Mature but should keep going for a few years yet.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravined. Bricking on the rim and getting tired. Sediment present to be sure. The color throughout is even quite brick-reddish. Aromas of stewed berries, garrigue, dried flowers, leather, salt air and moss. The wine had flavors of stewed prune, vanilla, salt, meat, licorice, some mint, and dark chocolate. Medium bodied. Seems older than it is, but I will give that feeling to its old-world charm.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle 5 of a six pack purchased on release and stored properly.
I knew this bottle was done 10 seconds into a Coravin pour- the color was reminiscent of a pale Tavel !
Filled the glass and no aromas and nothing left on the palate. No evidence it was corked- just nothing- suggesting there was a problem with bottling or its just too old?
Puzzling as I have had stunning examples up to 2 years ago.
Would be interested in anyone else's experience with this.
After an hour and a half, this one settled down. Quite "weedy" initially, but then became a very nice wine, almost with a youthful kind of nose. If tasted blind, I would have said this was a 2009-2011 high end CDP. But, there's a HINT of mushroom on the nose and front of the palate, along with raspberry tart and some mature pipe tobacco and worn saddle leather, hint of clove. Finishes with a lot of fruit influence. Tannins have resolved quite nicely on this wine. The youth of this wine is starting to give to a more mature side. Nice. In a good spot right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wining & Dining with Cy: no score - Not giving what it should. Yesterday there where dark cherries, power, spices, earth, but today flat, raisin, over the hill ...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wine still young, but old enough that it should have been slo-ox’ed opened. As part of the line up of Beaucastel at R&RR with ‘78, ‘89’ (regular and hommage), ‘90, ‘94, ‘98, ‘00 (regular and hommage), ‘01, ‘07, and ‘10. Not a bit of brett in the bunch of them despite the wide range of years. Loads of iodine, black raspberry, bacon, and rosemary. A wine lighter in body than the ‘00 (the Hommage from that year was the favorite of the line-up), but not light bodied in any respect. Precise and classic next to the fatter ‘00. Maybe a bit tight; plenty of life ahead of it. 14% alc. With lamb and brisket at the Souths as part of R&RR. Recommended leaning toward Highly Recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes with a hint of green are more prominent on the nose than the black cherry fruit. Full body, great balance, more savory than fruity on the palate, complexity comes forth after about 90 minutes, medium-long finish. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I can't help but feel that there is something missing from this wine... We've had a few bottles which have been wonderful, but it's been a bit hit or miss despite the same storage conditions, etc. This bottle had some excellent earth and leather notes, but there was a sour and unbalanced undertone with food. Not sure that more age will help, just feels like every other bottle we've had has not lived up to expectations
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very complex aromas of red berries, soil, leather and smoke. Flavors were an interesting mix of high-toned black cherries and low-toned smoked meats, charcoal and earth, with herbs and spices spiking in. Still a lot of acid and tannin structure. More so interesting and complex than delicious; it was still enjoyable to drink.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Looking quite tired with major bricking at the rim after a crumbling cork was removed. The wine had definite pruney notes to it and seemed older than it should have, though not entirely unpleasant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Relatively cold cellar since release. This is beautiful right now. Bright, fruity, little to no barnyard, pretty well resolved. No need to wait, but no need to fear.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gamey initials, dark plums bouquet. Deep, dark fruits, bitter grape skin, haw with menthol aftertaste. Medium body, rather straight forward; not complex. Smooth, rounded. Enjoyable. Open now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious with Asian food. Lots of secondary notes, roasted golden raisin, plum fruit and almost a sherry like quality with a long, integrated finish. Delightful bottle
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow ox'd for three hours. Upon pouring, vanilla nose and dark fruit palate, perhaps a bit pruny as other have mentioned, with a long ... vanilla finish. But the lively acid kept me hopeful. Poured into the decanter for another hour. A rich nose of leather, herb and incense emerged, and these notes enhanced the earlier flavors noted on the palate, as well as flavors of earth, cedar and cardamom , building to a voluptuous, spicy finish. Excellent savory minerality as well. Unfortunately quite a bit of vanilla flavor remains when all else dissipates. More time?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Expressive fully mature nose displaying slightly dry red and black fruit, dry cherry, strawberry jam, crushed blackberry, strong tobacco and leather, garrigue, a hint of fruitcake, dark spices and earth. Beautifully integrated palate, very finely layered dry cherry and blackberry, silky and polished, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, nicely resolved tannins and a long dry cherry driven finish with strong tobacco and leather at the end. The palate is lean. This is a classic Beaucastel that is drinking perfectly, a CDP that AFWE can love!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Yazawa. Deep garnet. Expressive aromas of dark fruit. Medium bodied, well balanced with generous sweet fruity notes. Soft rounded tannins. Overall a beautiful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kleur: Oranjebruin met een opvallend lichte rand. Aroma / bouquet: Verleidelijk bouquet. Zacht, zoetig en tertiair maar overtuigend. Een hint van aardbeiencompote, marsepein en kruidkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Boterzacht en verfijnd maar tegelijkertijd krachtig en vitaal. Prachtige gerijpte Ch9dP met accenten van zoete zachte drop en bosaardbeien. Prachtig gerijpte tannines, fluwelig zacht. Een perfecte lange, zachte maar indrukwekkende afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Briljante Chateauneuf-du-Pape, subtiliteit en complexiteit 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 95/100
Google Translate:
Color: Orange-brown with a remarkably light edge. Aroma / bouquet: Seductive bouquet. Soft, sweet and tertiary but convincing. A hint of strawberry compote, marzipan and gingerbread. Taste / Finish: Smooth and refined but powerful and vigorous at the same time. Beautiful matured Ch9dP with accents of sweet soft licorice and wild strawberries. Beautifully ripened tannins, velvety soft. A perfect long, soft but impressive aftertaste. General / potential: Brilliant Chateauneuf-du-Pape, subtlety and complexity 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 95/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Suave and polished. A “classical” style from magnum no less, better on day 2. Ripe fruit with tertiary aspects starting to show. Like the orange freshness that lends nuance to the red fruit character. Keeps you coming back for more, as the wine has breadth and spice but never heavy. Went well with the Cefalonian meat pie. I dare say a subtle style. Nice!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
shows some mature looking red and brown hues, big aromas of dried flowers, licorice and spices in the glass, bright acid, softened tannins, plum, raspberry, red licorice, cherries, anise seed and leather flavors, bright and lifted, mouth watering, complex, aromatic, long, drinking perfectly but shows no signs of fading
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium deep black cherry red. Rich, almost vintage Port nose, some perfume, cassis. Sightly drying on palate, but the flavours are excellent - smooth black fruits, cassis lozenges - really gorgeous - restores my faith in CDP - some saddle leather - good complexity. This is definitely very fine wine, and CDP enthusiasts might well rate it higher. Definitely ready to go.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Opened an hour without decanting, then drunk over 2 days. Dark red core, lightening at the rim. Potent nose of blackberry, plum, black cherry, fresh earth and floral notes with a mouth-watering savory element. Full body, excellent balance, good acidity and integrated tannins, layers of complexity, flavors follow the nose, medium-long finish. No deterioration on day 2 after a night in the fridge. In a great spot now and should hold there for another 5-10 years. Excellent to outstanding.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Weekly tasting group RWP #314; Mysterious theme: What could be Christmas wines….. (@ VD): In the bouquet black berries like blackberries and blueberries as well as good herbs and spices. On the palate dark berries, garrigue, some soy, but also a lot of fresh acidity and firm, still slightly sticky tannin. The wine has a good length and there is no hurry at all to drink it. Can easily last another 4+ years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beaucastel through and through, even if not quite as expressive as other vintages I’ve had. I generally like these around the 18 year mark, give or take, so I figured this would be in top form - still a very tasty bottle, but maybe I just missed the mark a bit with timing. It still showed classic character, from ripe red fruit and garrique to cedar, licorice root, and ample gravel/cigar, all in excellent balance. Signs of age were more prevalent here than in the VT, with stewed tomato, brown sugar, and a murshroom/vegetal sense all making notable appearances. Though lacking a bit of mid-palate depth, the tannins have rounded out nicely the wine was drinking quite smoothly. It may not have been up to the ‘01 Vieux Telegraphe’s challenge, but a very enjoyable bottle nonetheless from a long-standing favourite of mine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In my cellar since release. Decanted at 4:15pm. As I was decanting the bouquet was quite effusive, smelling it easily from at least a foot away. The color is a translucent medium to dark garnet with a light ruby edge. On the nose it has blackberry, black plum, sous bois, chocolate and a touch of leather. Acidity is medium to high. Tannins are fine and integrated. The palate has earthy black fruit, leathery chocolate and a super long finish. These notes reflect the first half hour. More later... throughout the rest of the evening the wine evolved moderatly but never really flattened out or deteriorated until none was left around 9pm. There was a little Brett detectable after about the 2 hour mark but it was quite subtle and did seem to add some complexity. This was unanimously the #2 wine of the night with only a 1997 Spring Mountain Vineyard Cab unanimously drinking better among a melange of wines including 1989 Forman Cab (admittedly left over from the night before), 2016 Dom. Camille Giroud Ladoix, 2012 Dom. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Les Clos, 2006 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese and 1997 Nichols Soleil and Terroir Cab Reserve Vinas del Sol Vineyard.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thanksgiving dinner pop and pour. Needed about five minutes to come to room temperature and open up. Breadfruit, strawberries and rhubarb on the nose. Medium to light in weight, this began to lose structure within 45 minutes of opening but was still an excellent pairing. Well a drink my remaining bottles has quick pop and pours by 2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kleur: Oranjebruin met een opvallend lichte rand. Aroma / bouquet: In eerste instantie opvallend tertiair, het eerste aroma is dat van maggi. Daarna vooral zoet rood fruit en subtiele kruidigheid. In dit stadium in eerste instantie wat gesloten. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullend. Frisse start, krachtig en geconcentreerd, zachte en romige tannines. Algemeen / potentieel: Niet onaangenaam. Maar op dit moment ook niet groots. Flesfout? 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 86/100
Google Translate:
Color: Orange brown with a remarkably light edge. Aroma / bouquet: At first strikingly tertiary, the first aroma is that of maggi. Then mainly sweet red fruit and subtle spiciness. Initially closed at this stage. Taste / Finish: Mouth-filling. Fresh start, powerful and concentrated, soft and creamy tannins. General / potential: Not unpleasant. But not great at the moment. Bottle error? 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Taste / Finish: 15 + General / potential: 7 = 86/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours. From the same case as previous bottles but this was on the roasted/pruny side and not what I was expecting given previous bottles. Not flawed, but showing heat and a roasted element that I did not enjoy, so hoping this was an off bottle or I was not in the mood. B+
Small Rhone Tasting w/Aussie Ringer (R&D's): Our contribution to the flight, decanted for forty five minutes before being rebottled for travel then poured with the flight, perhaps two hours or so after the cork was initially pulled.
Single blind. A touch of mint to start, turning to eucalyptus (this is the Grange, right?), along with plum and dark fruit underneath. Balanced. On the full side of medium-bodied, with flavors of red plum, mint and herbs with a finish showing more dark fruit than red. Develops a nice licorice note to complement the mint and red fruit notes. Lengthy finish; adds a nice soice element as it opens in the glass. I initially rated this 93+ but it developed very nicely in the glass. My guess: given the nice minty herbal edge this displayed, something I often find in Aussie syrah, I guessed this was the Grange.
My #3, Domino's #3 Group #2, 15 pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3.5 hrs of slow o. Very rich. Aromas of blueberry, gingerbread, saddle leather, mint, roast pork. Palate had dark berries, licorice, fig. Lots of grip, so I don’t think this is in any danger of cracking up. Score: 92-93. Relative to expectations: +
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a good showing for this wine which at times has been verging on pruny. This is all about dark ripe fruits, rocks, licorice and cooling minerality. Tasted youthful and powerful, but certainly a cool weather wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Terrific. The nose on this wine is fantastic with notes of black fruit, tobacco and roast meats in a lovely complex bouquet. The wine is maturing nicely but has not yet peaked as there is still quite noticeable tannin. Structurally it is well integrated with a long finish and terrific balance. A great wine which will continue to evolve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP but at room temperature, which I think mattered vs. my last note. This time, not so disjointed out of the bottle - was pretty good. Still big, primary, with some tar and leather - but balanced. Likely will improve over time but pretty good right now. A-
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Over the hill unfortunately. Developed nose with mature strawberries, figs, dates, brown sugar, coffee, mocca, leather, campfire, Christmas spices, madeira and some burnt notes.
4th time from my cellar, but its been a while since last one. Never understood the high CT scores for this wine. Somewhat rough on opening. After 2 hours a nice fruit emerged with some spice and charcoal. Still black in color, but mostly earth and charcoal on the nose. I suggest a several hour decant to get the most out of this wine as well as dealing with some sediment.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not as funky as all that, the sweet fruit takes center stage; a broad wine charming, creamy and layered, yet a wee bit more polished than the Beaucastel of old. Seems mature. #VeddingeBakker
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
9th of 24, decanted 30 minutes, perfect cork and level, back on top form, still youngish and with lovely drive and complexity to fruit, scope to improve, WOTN, pipping attractive and peppery 03 and smashing a tiring Bosquet Chante Le Merle 01. VF (18.5).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking so great right now. Dark berries, slightly stewed fruits, smoked meat, leather, mesquite on the nose. Dark plum and blackberry. Soft tannin with just enough structure. Long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious wine. Does not need a decant. Actually tasted better after short 15 minute decant vs 60 minute mark. Only negative, sediment, but flavor sooo good right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not a great showing tonight - perhaps a less than stellar bottle. The wood notes and leather overpowered for almost 2 hours . After that it tasted dull without any acid to carry it. Nose had great black fruits, but taste was dominated by stewed. Oddly I’ve had bottles from the same case that were singing! Assume a flawed bottle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit disjointed out of the bottle, but with an hour in the decanter this mellowed and came together. Big wine, still somewhat primary, with dark fruits, tar, leather. Still plenty of structure, but tannins are enough in the background you can enjoy this now. Again, big - but balanced for such a big wine. My guess is will improve from here. A-/A
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beaucastel Birthday dinner (Bistro Moncur, Sydney): Leathery, gamey, meaty, earthy, Garrigue, spicy and peppery over sweet berry fruit. On the palate it's initially tight with sweet berry fruit but, over the evening it get's more gamey and the tannins soften. Yum
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin fun - Beaucastel review (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Leather, mushrooms tending to truffle, sweet spice, dense, but not over ripe, red and black fruit, a little barnyard. Juicy, fleshy, a touch of bitterness; like cherry stones, black and red berries and soft, leathery, tannic grip. Umami on finish. Long. Lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinetasters: Beaucastel (1979-2006) (Skokie, IL): Served double-blind in a Beaucastel lineup. A bit of heady alcohol on the nose here. This is clearly a relatively recent version of this wine. Almost a slight hint of mint to go with all that extreme fruit. Then, the palate. How weird! It's almost sour, and the tannic structure, while young, is clearly unresolved. Really chewy. 2006? (My 8th, group's 4th.)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Big Mix at Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Popped upon arrival, open for about 90 minutes before pouring. Drank a glass over an hour. This was flighted with an "01 Clos des Papes, and while both were good and the table seemed split on which they preferred - I found the Beaucastel,tonight anyway, to be more integrated and more exciting. Fairly typical for what I've experienced with this wine. Sappy dark red fruits, garrigue, tons of Provencal spices, kirsch and tart red cherry along with a touch of anise. This is still youthful and really does need air to put this the best light.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This should be my WOTN if only because its the very first 2001 Beaucastel that has lived up to its potential and finally is drinking very well. This showed up at the venue with the cork still in so I immediately pulled the cork for my buddy and all of our benefit. Think, we started drinking it about 90 minutes in. This showed excellent resolution of the structure but more importantly this is the first of three btls I've tasted that was balanced and starting to show mature nuance & complexity on both the nose and the palate. Really enjoyed THIS btl. Hopefully more perform this well. I'm inclined to still sit on mine for another 3 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at home with friends, Mill Valley, CA. From Magnum. Opened (but not decanted) 1 hour prior to serving.
A stellar showing for this wine. A wild, complex nose that followed through into a mutlifacted palate, which continued to fascinate throughout the evening. Mourvedre was prominent in a good way, balancing out the sweetness of Grenache on nose and palate. With its mellowed complexity, this CDP certainly has benefited from aging, but it strikes me that there's still many years left (at least from magnums).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Un vin qui a développé une élégance et un côté aérien, avec une texture qui évoque presque la Bourgogne. L'aromatique reste toutefois résolument sudiste avec de belles notes de laurier, de garrigue et de cerises à noyaux. Il lui manque un poil de fraicheur sur cette bouteille et je crois qu'il ne faudra pas trop tarder à boire ce vin, il est sur son plateau et va tranquillement amorcer son déclin sur la prochaine décennie. 92 pts
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened yesterday. Good ruby color, bricking at the rim. Big-time legs. This really struts Mourvedre, both on the nose and in the mouth. Gorgeous nose of garrigue, red berries and olives. Nice secondary autumnal notes. Drinking beautifully right now, this is redolent of fruit and earth, and it finishes with a very long and satisfying finish. Still has tannin, but it is well-integrated and chewy. Great balance of all components. Best bottle of this vintage I have had, alas it is my last bottle. 5-14-18-9: 96/100.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An evening of Rhone (Bobo): Started off almost a touch hot but that calmed down. My pour was a touch grainy and suspect could have done with a strain and decant, but so it goes. Nice wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
French WTDS at Bellecour (Bellecour, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color; PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Also drinking pretty young, but showing the most tonight of the three CDP's. Spices, deeper fruits, garrigue, baked cherry, kirsch on the nose. The palate is similar, full bodied, kirsch, black raspberry, baked cherry, garrigue, mineral, long and powerful. This also needs time or air to fully show. These '01's are still young and intense.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 90 min. Right away I knew we had a clean one this time, as my last bottle was over the top pruney right out of the gate. Here, the bottle had a plummy like character but very fresh and almost crisp. A lovely wild lavender note carried the mid palate and back end is seeing some tertiary development via mineral and earth tones. If representative, this is hitting a plateau of maturity and should hold for a good while. When Beau is on Oh baby....
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Warren's. And his notes were perfect: "A very clean Beau, decanted a few hours. Still young, it's just starting to show some tertiary notes. Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs. No horseshit, sweat nor other barnyard".
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bellingham blind tasting party; great champagne, loire whites, old nebbiolos, CdP, & a Bdx (Samish Hill, Bellingham, WA): Coincidentally, two of us brought Beaucastels. I thought I was done with CdP, and hadn't opened any bottles in a couple of years. This one brought me back. A very clean Beau, decanted a few hours. Still young, it's just starting to show some tertiary notes. Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs. No horseshit, sweat nor other barnyard visitors. None of the prunes nor BBQ sauce that has marred some bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delightful wine, many years of pleasant drinking to go. Not in the class of 2005, 2007, 2009 or 2010, but has a long lingering finish of characteristic Beaucastel appeal. Double decanted a couple of hours ahead - developed further nuances over the dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre (pas typique de CH9 - le Beaucastel en utilise plus que d’autres), Syrah 10%, Counoise 10%, Cinsault 5%, autres 15% (Vaccarèse, Terret noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne). Ouvert et épaulé 5 heures d'avance. Les arômes sont ceux de fruits rouges mûrs cuits (fraises) avec une douce amertume de sucre brûlé et des fines herbes. Les tannins sont fondus. Malheureusement les lies remontent rapidement en suspension et le 2e verre de chacun est empreint de l’amertume, de la texture un peu épaisse qui en résulte.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open up very silky smooth ink Chinese herbs after 20 min is ready and almost drink over 3 hour not much change let see next hour like other said after 3 hour ........after two more hour not much change I think it can drink just open.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
John Rater hosts at the Edina Country Club: Despite a 3 hour decant, this was incredibly youthful. This has all stuffings that would suggest a great wine, but it hasn't turned the corner into that lovely, friendly, funky, complex beauty that I'm looking for. My friend brought this, I brought the 2000, and I expected to be amazed by the 2001, as I have liked it better in the past. I ended up liking the 2000 a lot more tonight, although the opposite has occurred on previous engagements. What are you gonna do? What is clear is that this wine has a longer lifespan. I would drink the 2000's now with minimal decant, and they are truly great. The 2001's require a long decant or a little more cellar time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Celery, floral, underbrush and light fruits. Got better throughout the night but this underwhelmed. Good acidity. Decanted 3 hours and I wonder if 30 minutes would have been better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Revival of the ECC Group: Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Very dark red color. Decanted for 3 hours, drank 1 glass over 3 hours. The nose is really subdued, just brooding and introverted for the first 20 minutes. It very slowly starts to emerge, almost at a snails pace it starts to reveal hints of itself, black cherry, dried spice, pencil, subtle dill and much later some damp earth. The palate, on the other hand, is open for business immediately with full body, dark fruits, juicy blackberry, cassis, tar, pencil, glycerin, dried herbs, big, but well balanced with a medium finish. Much more youthful than the precocious '00 tonight.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A better cared for bottle than our first, so there was fruit and tannins after 40 minute decant. The nose was all vineyard after a rainfall - dirt, trees, leaves, green and mushroomy.
The start was silky earth that opened into very floral red berries, mixed with mushroom risotto, with a medium tannin finish that was medium plus.
I don't see how this wine gets better, the balance and integration were incredible, but I don't feel a rush to open up our last bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needs a four hour decant before it shows any complexity. Medium weight black fruited wine with a bit of pine/menthol on the nose. No real complexity yet, needs five more years at least.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really lovely Chateauneuf. Plum sauce, blackberry pie, barbecued meat, and licorice. A bit of pine resin. Plentiful acidity to balance the full flavors. Pop and pour or give some time in the decanter for slightly more tertiary flavors. Has the acidity and fullness to hold up for many more years and will probably develop for slightly longer.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not the biggest Beaucastel but medium/full bodied+ and both generous and harmonious. It showed mature dark fruit showing good depth and length and infused with herb, balsamic touches and hints of forest floor with enough acidity for balance and still some firmness and gentle bitterness on the finish. Close to or at its peak, I guess. Very good.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose initially had feral element; more than the usual gamey aspect of beaucastel. Settled after one hour decant. Drinking very well with food. precise but with tannic structure and long finish. Age evident from colour but this has plenty of life left. I wouldn't serve above 15 degrees.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opens up with a red-fruited nose and palate, almost Burgundian in style, but then with air firms up considerably and takes on more weight. Shows darker fruit, some brown tones, but still cool and upright, marks of pepper and garrigue. More nuance and complexity on day 2. A very young showing, this is some years away from showing its full potential.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was really nice tonight with lots of rich, penetrating, dark red fruit, that has reached the cherry fruit roll up stage, abundant earth and garrigue and firm peppery tannns on the long finish. To my tastes this wine has reached its peak with the stewed fruit notes in harmony with the remaining structure. Soon, I fear that the stewy notes will become dominant, which I don't prefer. I think I'll be drinking up my remaining 2 bottles in the bearish future.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted for three hours. The wine seemed very young when tasted along with other Chateauneuf du Papes from 1989 thru 2005. Good balance overall with big red fruit but a little heavy on the acid. I won’t taste again for another five years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Even after some time in the decanter this was just raisin city on both the nose and palate. After two hours in the glass the nose has some pretty florals and dusty intrigue, but mostly it's like a blueberry liqueur or something. Palate remains raisiny and hot. Metallic. Grippy tannin.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark plum red... spicy nose with red currents, leather, licorice. Sweet yet tart with the fruit wrapped in soft tannins, good mineral finish. Fully mature and delicious... drink up if you own it!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful wine 🍷 that is certainly ready with 2hrs decanting. The nose is so pure. Hints of fresh flower of honeysuckle with loads of fruit like strawberry 🍓. The taste is very smooth and the tannins are shedding off. The tatste gives you lots of warm Strawberry compote. Chocolate cake and tabbaco leaf. It goes on for a min and this wine is ready today but will give lots of pleasure for another 10yrs for sure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best bottle I can remember from last 2/3 years. Quite vibrant cherry fruit but with pronounced white pepper and also Mouvedre character, some leather notes but in particular classic Southern garrigue, a slightly sunny feel. I am not sure it is a top Beaucastel but it will show nicely for the next 5-10 years. ****
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened as a tester really as I've had a bad run of aged CndP recently - wanted to see if there were any legs left in this as I have a few left. Always worried that I'll get that whiff of fusty stewed fruit on the nose but early signs were good. Only given two hours of air in the bottle. Colour is medium with some bricking around the edges. Luscious fruit on the nose and one sip was enough to restore all faith in this wine. Beautiful balance of fruit and acidity, smooth and long finish. Excellent.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last bottle and drinking just as well as the prior two. Decanted for 45 minutes and served with steak and heirloom tomato salad. Love the mature fruit and brambly quality to this wine - kind of makes me think of eating warm berries right off the bush as a kid in summertime. Want to find some more of these - just a lot of quality for the price.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely wine, complex and interesting with lots of nuances. Red plums and cherries are the predominant fruit, but with earth , leather and tobacco notes. Tannins are fine but still dry and there, acidity is well balanced. Overall comes across as a really well made tasty wine, with enough complexity to merit a high score.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Friends (Giant, Chicago): Popped and poured, given a few minutes in the glass to open up. Dusty garnet in color showing a little bit of age. Aromas of dark fruit, red currants, spice, roasted game, rose and floral notes. I could have spent the rest of the night with my nose in the glass except that the lamb ragu with gnocchi and pecan-smoked baby back ribs had arrived at the table. Tannins have almost completely integrated. Red berry fruit, pepper, spice and rare beef flavors. There's a garrigue-like element that develops with a bit more air and the beefy/iron quality on the palate deepens a bit as well. Long finish. Impressive depth and balance throughout. Simply an awesome bottle. 96 pts for Domino and 96-97 pts for me.
Lovely. Soft spicy cherry and camphor on the nose. Wonderfully expressive. In the mouth you get a hint of some powerful spiciness but age has given it a feminine wrapper. The result is very harmonious and round with just enough edginess and grip. Menthol, cherry, and barbecue grill. This is in a great place and should be enjoyed in the short-term. The epitome of mature CDP. Fine pairing with New York steaks with a fresh herb rub and anchovy compound butter.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Next up in my line of Beaucastel CDPs, the 2001: like sipping wine in a smokehouse surrounded by BBQ meat and spices. This bottle was a bit of a departure from the previous I’ve had (95, 98, 99) – sure they all shared a smoky, meaty quality, but those older bottles also showed a fair bit of both ripe and dried fruits, as well as more intense sweet spices and forest notes. Here, the smoke and cigar really did dominate, for better or worse. Currants, raspberry, black cherry, and spiced plums all showed up, and with a decant the smoke did give way to oak (vanilla, biscuit), cinnamon, and stewed tomatoes. The wine showed good structure, though it was a little thinner on the palate than I would have liked – I suppose it could just be vintage variation, but my impression could also be staying true to my preference of 17/18 years for these bottles to really hit their peak. I think perhaps this one could use at least a few more to fully round out! Regardless, and as always, this was a delight to drink. 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez finement épicé, avec des notes de laurier, du fruit rouge (au lieu du fruit noir et de l'anis habituel). La bouche est douce, tant par le raffinement de ses tanins arrondis, que le coté mûr et sucré du fruit. Un vin large, raffiné, à point. À boire sans trop attendre toutefois. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation. Friends came to our house for a dinner on the patio overlooking the Pacific. This was the first experiment with Chateau Beaucastel. We had two bottles of the 2001.
Decanted for 6 hours. Color: Inky, ruby. Aroma: dark cherries, plums and blackberries. Palate: Smoked meats, prune, earth and mineral, with hints of truffles.
The vintage was very light like a Pinot Noir showing very well. Hard to believe it is 16 years old. I wish I had two more bottles cellared. It was enjoyed by all!
This is the first bottle I have tried of the 2001 vintage of Beaucastel. This is an excellent CdP. This bottle has been open 2 to 3 hours and the nose is offering somewhat muted aromas of garrique. On the palate, there is ample fruit of dried cherries, black olives, garrique, saddle leather, minerality and a medium finish. It is a very mature (and earthy) wine at this point, but I believe it will hold for many more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateauneuf du pape tasting (at Eli Raban's home, Rehovot): Dark transparent red brown. Delicate tertiary mature fruits nose with tart and fine aged oak-vanilla notes Medium bodied, soft integrated tannins, well balanced and harmonized, fine structured, delicate layered complexity, mature fruity flavors, Grenache dominant sweetness, smoked meat, earthy, long fine finish and alcoholic aftertaste
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
initial funk on the nose but good soft, mature CNP fruit and gentle finish..not a blockbuster but pleasant to drink and tannin well resolved...pretty wine
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: Ruby core with brick orange leading to a clear meniscus. Smell: Scents of dried red fruits, clove, leather, and dehydrated plums. Taste: Golden raisins, cherry, Levi Garrett chewing tobacco, and blood oranges. Overall: This is showing quite well tonight...the complexity is on full display as the wine is an ever changing enigma that has shifted with each glass over the course of an hour with 2 hours in the decanter prior. Medium body, Med-high acidity, Med tannin, med+ fruit, and a long...long finish. I love when Beaucastel is on...and tonight this bottle is on fire! Outstanding!!! (Save the last bottle until 2025)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yet another disappointing Beaucastel. Have 80% of my bottles really been "off." It sure seems like it. The cork on this was stellar, and there wasn't even seepage past 1-2 mm of the cork. Moreover, the color is a strong bloody red, with only a bit of lightning at the rim, and the legs are strong. Yet the nose is high-toned, and has a distinct iodine aroma, without much more except a shoe polish note. And on the palate, though there is some red fruit, it is muted and even somewhat dirty. I just don't get it! 4-7-13-6: 80/100.
Popped (perfect cork), decanted, and consumed over four hours. This started out very simple: almost like fruit juice. Within an hour, though, it had really come into its own. Still very fruit-forward, but with balanced tannins and a forever finish. Going very strong right now with years and years left.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It had some funk and dirt on nose, but with time this has blown off. The nose is more fresh mulberries and cherries along with some barnyard. The taste is more subtle and moves towards dusty cherries and shows a bit more advancement than the nose. Very nice. I would drink these up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Whow what a blast. My first CdP from the Beaucastel Estate. Basically don’t like the Grenache characteristic but the 30% in this blend are perfectly integrated. Very elegant wine, great freshness, only little licorice, no excessive medicinal taste. Medium+ bodied, dominated by red berries with a vibrant acidity and perfect smooth tannins. A phenomenal volume in the mouth. This tasteful wine has a long long finale that last for at least 30 seconds. Rated one point higher on day 2. My first bottle out of OWC – fully matured now, but will last for another 10 years. The only negative point is its one dimensionality, compared to high level Bordeaux wines.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted in a temp controlled room for 4 hours before serving. It was very good and drank nicely, but I didn't find it to be particularly special, for the cost.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bam! What a terrific wine. Big nose, deep dark berry, garnet hue, acidic. Dark fruit in a wonderful balance, tremendous flavor. licorice, pencil lead, soooo smoothhhhh! One of my favorites of the evening. Drinking exceptional at this time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Joli nez de fruit rouge un brin compoté, avec des nuances d'anis, un côté floral, bien épicé. La bouche nous montre un vin évolué, qui parait un peu fatigué à l'ouverture, mais loin d'être moribond. Avec l'air il a graduellement gagné en énergie, finesse et définition, se montre encore bien fruité, avec une certaine amertume. Le grand intérêt de ce vin tient à sa très belle complexité aromatique qui se révèle après plus d'une heure d'ouverture. Il se montre alors magnifique, savoureux et abouti. 93 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
8th of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, consistent with my best previous notes, still very youthful, focussed and pure, yum (and best match with pot roast)! VF (18.5).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fogheads@HSA - Østerbro (Østerbro, Copenhagen): Tasted vis-avis the Pegau 2001, this comes out as leaner, even somewhat Burgundian; elegant indeed, still with a core of fresh fruit and a long way from unfolding, I think. Certainly approachable, but will gain depth... 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
There are a lot of strawberry porridge going on here. With some spices and pepper to keep it funny and interesting to drink.
Its luckily not as sweet and thick(i.e dull as the Roger Sabon Le Secret 2007). This has more muscle and body to it. But I reckon this is better in a couple of years!
Great bottle!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Slightly vegetal nose with some added notes of smoke and black berries. Seems muted, likely very mildly tainted with TCA. Tasted OK with some basic black berries and cherries on the palate. Yeah, I know...never taste a TCA tainted wine. Bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Not rated for obvious reasons but I sure did want it to be pristine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. Really coming into its own now and showing signs of tertiary development. Nice now, but should continue to age and improve for quite awhile.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red with rusty browny rim; expressive nose, star anise and licorice, delicious; very agreeable approach, silky and soft, lean and intense, a hint of caramel; very very good
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aged Beef Dinner (Pine Close): A really strong showing - this was just delicious. The Mourvèdre is really starting to come out after 15 years, with lovely dark aromas of blackberries, dried earth, menthol herbs, and a bourgeoning meatiness, along with a panoply of sweet perfumed tones, with violets, licorice and garrigue coming out with time. Tons going on. The palate was absolutely lovely too. It has put on weight and thickness since the last time round, with a robe of velvety tannins and soft acidity draped over pure, juicy flavours of blackberries and cassis, all seasoned with blushes of peppery spice, herb and garrigue, and the patted down with a bit of dried earth and a suggestion of stony minerality a long finish. At a beautiful place now, really wonderfully integrated, even if still just a touch on the youthful, primary side at points. If I had any bottles left, I would leave them aside for another 3-5 years, but there is really no harm in popping them now. Previous bottles were half asleep, but this one was clearly awake and starting to sing. It was the perfect pairing with a 60-day dry aged sirloin too.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Next to the 89 (3 bottles left), this is our favorite Beaucastel. Everything you want in a CdP with just enough of the barnyard to let you know what it is. Bricked color, powerful nose and lovely balance on the palate. Stood up well to the city ham cooked sous vide at 140 for 5 hour. Yum.
PnP - this was lovely but would have been even better with a proper decant. On the nose this is full of red fruit and bramble. Complex and layered on the palate with the red grenache fruit softening and complemented by the earthy components of the wine. Really enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red and purplish in the glass, oodles of red fruit, with tons of rock, spice and earthy notes in the glass. Get a strong red strawberry taste mid palate and this CDP actually shows the acidity to keep all the Grenache tasting interesting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a sneaky wine. Opened a bit pruny and disjointed. However, with 30 minutes of air, it opened into an amazing bottle of Chateauneuf. Wild berry and garrigue nose - rich and full. Perfectly mature palate with fruit, earth and structure perfectly in balance. Old style, classic southern Rhone. Delicious. (95)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum. Double decanted back into bottle after two hours and served after another hour and a half. Although bought retail, was well cellared for the last 10 years. This was everything it needed to be for a great CDP. Wonderful ripe fruit (not raisiny) complimented by fabulous secondary notes of charcuterie, mushroom, and terror. Can't image a 750ml holding up as well as this magnum.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted one hour. two years since the last one, this really reminds us of the '79 and '88 at the same age, although maybe less rustic & animal. no longer young & primary, although the fruit mid-palate is quite sweet & pure without being overripe. mourvèdre lends a dusty, earthy funk to the finish that truly delights. fairly elegant & drinking well, in a good place.
This was my second consecutive off bottle with the same shortcoming: stewed fruits and not much else. Purchased both from WineBid around 2006 so no clarity on provenance prior to then.
Stunning wine. This has more structure to it than the '98, '99, and '00. This wine is bigger and bolder than the wines in this flight. This one needs a decant for a couple of hours to show its best now. However, in a few more years, this wine should be even better.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted this for two hours. Had a slightly strange aroma that I thought would blow off with some air but it stayed there and followed through onto the palate. There was some good nice blackberry / cassis fruit there but altogether not as good as I was expecting and not as good as the 1994 bottle I had a few weeks ago. Might just be an off bottle and I have three more that will hopefully be better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely wine decanted for 2hrs. Amazing nose of cassis, lavender, and fresh boxed raisins. The taste is smooth and lovely. Caramel, leather, blueberries come out. The wine is mature but will age well for another 5-7yrs. Great juice.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So smooth and elegant! Lots of solids in the bottle, so filtering or decanting is in order. Delicious velvety wine with dark purple appearance in the bottle. Tastes and smells of red fruits, spice, and a hint of smoke. Terrific mouthfeel.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Even with a cold the flavours of dense cooked plums, dark berries, spice etc were amazingly concentrated and shone through my blocked up system. Must show restraint and hold my remaining bottles till 2020 to see if there are further developments. Problem: drinking beautifully now. Solution? Buy some more!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought on release and stored perfectly...amazing...love this. deep purple and doesn't seem 15 years old. deep nose of currant and flowers. currants, cassis, blueberries, floral kiwi, layered cinnamon and spice...long finish..can age more but great now. Will try and find more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3rd bottle in a set of 4 bought on release from a local retailer who is notorious for all sales final (no store credit, no nothing The first 2 bottles were extremely ripe and pruney, to the point that blind, one might have thought 2003. This bottle was corked beyond belief. After 2 hours in the glass, it almost made me gag. Hugely disappointed considering the producer and vintage. One last bottle and I'm not expecting anything drinkable.
Drinking very well tonight. Second to last bottle of a case. I found the wines over time had a lot of bottle variation, but this bottle was right at its peak and showed the essence of a fine Beaucastel.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yolanda's Birth Month Wines (Chagrin Falls): Not the best showing for this bottle but still quite good. It was pop and pour and really should have been given more air. The nose was very clean with cherries, black cherries, spice and even dried flowers. There was also a note that a couple described as asparagus. I got that when it was pointed out, but would not describe it that way. I think i was more going with the dried flowers, I think. Anyway, that was not there on the palate, and much younger and fresher on the palate. Showing some dark cherries, spice and black raspberries. Some complexity. Lighter tannins. Good balance. nice finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
[from 375, purchased on released, perfect fill] My experience is that the 375s and 750s can be quite different, this is 375 -> Garrigue and lovely top notes on nose, palate very good but not the same you get from 750s right now, respectably long length but not remotely a mind-bender. Impressive sediment, this wine has stuffing, but will drink up remaining 375s in cellar. This half (a satisfying quaff) not as good as some recent other 375s which were 90 pointers.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright, semi-translucent ruby colour. Nose is wet furry rabbit, fresh figs and fresh black ripe cherries. Palate is silky smooth and velvety seductive, lots of vibrant acidity and a bit too high alcohol still. Lots of ripe fresh red and black cherries. Reasonable length. Is still in its adolescence. Revisit in 5 years and is probably good for at least 15.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rhone wines with friends (The Posk's): Great showing for this wine which certainly seems to be coming into its peak (it has a long life left though). Purple/ruby in color. Dark cherries, black raspberries, violets, leather, slight earthy funk but a clean wine and some cigar tobacco. On the palate, full bodied. Juicy black cherry fruit with some black raspberries, some earthiness. A lot of complexity here but fresh and vibrant fruit. Long finish. Just outstanding and the WOTN.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
barnyard on nose initially. blows off with 30 minutes of air. on riper side but with balance. A very nice plum, prune compote with all spice and enough verve to keep it interesting. on 2nd day after day in fridge it is quite silky and very much alive with the classic garrgiue flavor of CDP. At a slightly chilled temp, this is quite nice and am enjoying very much.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is the stuffing of a real Beaucastel, but it's less funky than that; the new regime makes a bit of a mark. Nevertheless, this is a classic wine, that adds to the usual local notes of B. an elegance and a minerality, that is 2001. This has entered it's drinking windöw, but will live on for a decade - and could improve.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
7th of 24, decanted 20 minutes, perfect cork and level, better than May bottle and showing purity and concentration of earlier bottles. Top wine in a top year! VF (18.5).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hour - really opened up during this period compared to initial taste from bottle. Significant fine sediment - may want to filter. Ruby red color with slight browning. On the nose red fruits and earth. No noticeable brett. On the palate red fruits, leather and garrigue. Drinking very nicely now although it has tons of life left in it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This one is more garnet than ruby red. Softer, more complex nose of dried red fruits, new leather and red licorice. So soft and smooth on the tongue. Sweet, strawberry fruit leather, full and round middle. Some pure tobacco. Finish goes on and on. Have to try to not drink this right down. It needs to be sipped and savoured. Wow! This is what it's all about! I could smell and sip this forever.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Gotta agree with Chablis28 on this one too. Just not showing well tonight. I've had this a number of times and had it fare much better, but this was all wound up and very backwards. No score. Still the '00 has always out shined the '01 side by side. Needs time or significant air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum. Aging glacially and gracefully. Wonderful nose of spice savoury herbs, red fruit. I was hoping for the barnyard which did not make an appearance. Rather we were treated with an earthiness and a mellow smooth finish. Will wait another 5 to 10 years for more tertiary development.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Even better than the bottle I reported on in 2014. Still evolving.. Wonderfully spicy, strong fruit (sweet cherries?), Not much earthiness, but smooth as silk.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez d'anis, épicé, avec du fruit. Bouche équilibrée, encore vigoureuse, avec une finale longue et délicieuse, sur des notes épicées de garrigue, de laurier, un peu de fraises. Superbe profondeur. 94 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep garnet hue that has a maturing rim. Love the nose - red and black fruit, bacon and herbs. Very classic and deep. Kissed by the sun, this is a full wine but balanced. I would rather drink wines like this (or Pegau or Charvin or Rayas...) than many of the high scoring CdP's out there today. Will hold for a while. Drink over the next ten years. (94)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tastes remarkably young. Dark fruit character. Blueberry, black cherry, bacon, licorice, pepper, herbs. Gamey undertones of mourvedre. Ripe and fruit driven. No hurry to drink this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th of July Weekend Wines - A nice selection; 7/1/2016-7/5/2016 (Out and about over the weekend): I actually opened this as our hostess/friend loves stink on her wines. I thought this a likely candidate. Actually, it was pretty clean. Just the slightest hint of earthiness. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries, slight spice and slight earthiness. Medium tannins. On the palate, plenty of fruit; black raspberries and plums. Deep and layered, there is a beautiful soft complexity to this wine. I rarely use this term, but it is quite sexy. Very food friendly as well. Great showing for this wine. Seems to be entering peak but a long life ahead. Glad to have a few more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
6th of 24, opened 40 minutes, perfect cork and level - as last October note, high toned example giving bright cherry fruit a nice lift, overall not as impressive as previous bottles. F+ (18).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just beginning to drink well, still needs more time. Fruit isn't big but is long, good tannins, no brett but needs more time to develop the complexity that will come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby color. Very expressive bouquet with violet and vanilla without any brett or impurity. Medium to full bodied. Very ripe and sweet fruit without becoming jammy. Very elegant and finessed on the palate with focused flavors. Medium to long length and pleasant finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90min. Nose is deep leather saddle and dark fruit. There is hint of caramel as well. You are on to a great wine. The taste is wonderful butterscotch with red currant. Honeysuckle and coffee come through as well. It stays with you for a full min. At 15yrs of age this wine is awesome. It's well balanced and its tannins are soften. It's most enjoyable today but will say it can age easily for another 5-8yrs. Great juice. Glad to have lots more!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncorked and not decanted, followed over 5 hours. Showed strong, mature fruit flavors along w some herbal aromas upon opening. As time evolves this shows a little more alcohol on the nose as a precursor to mature blue and black fruit, modest wood, tea leaves. Really a solid bottle that's in the heart of its wheelhouse. Good for another 4-5 years but doubt this will improve much at all, only benefit from less air before drinking.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
HdR Opening Tasting: What a great wine and in a great spot. Of course, there is some stink. deep purple fruit. Lots of layers. Great length. Love this wine. Time to start opening some bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at WWS Rhone tasting. Slight bricking, but not really showing much age. Aromas of cigar smoke, pepper and red fruit. Oak fairly well-integrated. Saddle leather, green pepper, tobacco, and plenty of sour cherry fruit. A lovely wine that still needs some bottle age under it. Decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely wine. In a really nice place. 90-minute decant. Sour cherries, herbs de provence, and integrated oak. 40-second finish. Still has a few years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is in a good place tonight, my favorite wine of the tasting. The nose is starting to show secondary aromas, some dried fruits, plums and blackberry. The palate is rich and velvety with a lovely texture that lingers on your palate and makes that next sip irresistible.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First two hours after decanting in glass tasted a little outdated, after the 5th hour poured directly from bottle into glass was the classic stone with exuberant fruit forwardness.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind together with a group of friends who taste regularly. All CdP's and some heavy hitters such as Pegau, Mordoree (Bois), Ferrand, Cailloux, etc. The '01 Beaucastel was the clear winner, with a spicy, balanced palate. Yum!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
celebrating my 60 with Zuker at lunch (at my home): Coravin tasting light transparent red with brown rim (in great contrast to the 2005 Janasse VV tasted before) that seems to become darker in the glass soft textured with a rustic elegance to its sweet-earthy kirsch, garrigue, spice and peppery character. a classic CDP of high quality. great pleasure. ready now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hrs, ruby with a touch of brick on the rim, huge nose of red fruit & spice, touch of pepper, soft tannins, mod.-long finish; delicious & ready to drink but no rush, at the heights of the 89/90
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Simply put, great wine. As fine a wine (in a different style) to the marvellous 1985 - being more savoury, tannic, lean and structured. Beautiful fruit quality - not a trace of over-ripeness, classic acorn, tree bark nuance, vegemite, leather and boysenberry. Mineral and long. This is linear, focused and is clearly ready now. Difficult to imagine this improving , but it will no doubt endure and develop for the next decade or more. Great (and typical) Beaucastel. While this has achieved a certain resolution, it is still shows a certain stern quality that is serious and involving.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strange showing, nothing wrong with this, but fairly mute and this should be terrific. Not tight, not hard, just dull. Maybe this just needs more time?
At 16, this is really drinking well. Popped and poured, the wine is soft textured with a wild elegance to its sweet kirsch, garrigue, spice and peppery character. The texture continues gaining a silky feeling and the ripe, sweet, fresh, kirsch fruits linger in the finish. If you have been sitting on your bottles waiting for the moment, this is a good time to pop a cork.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red, sweet plush nose, drinking at a pointe, tasted blind fooled us we thought it was an Australian but good palate, silky, just about entering its drinking window 93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Our First Acker Auction (Marea in NYC): Still a very young wine, can even get a touch of the alcohol on the palette. Dark fruit. Overshadowed again by some of the others, but suspect we'd enjoy on a normal night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+: Dark core with red crimson rim; compote, raspberry, a little lean, medicinal, slight seaweed note, meaty; nicely aged on the palate, bitter note, raspberry, leather; Grenache blend, tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beaucastel is one of my favorites from Chateauneuf-du-Pape and I still have a few bottles of 1978 and 1983 that I look forward to drinking. However, while very good, this bottle did not live up to expectations. Double decanted about 2 hours before serving and initial flavors and round mouth feel of Grenache followed by saddle leather and spice from the syrah. Still a bit closed in. I think the wine is still young and will benefit from another 5 years or so. Served with grilled pork loin bone-in roast.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
6 bottles back-decanted at 3pm and transported to friend's house for our New Years Eve dinner etc. Bottles open to air for 1-3 hours before drinking between 9 and 11pm with our venison casserole and subsequent fine English cheese platter. The different treatment from my last February note resulted in a much fuller and rounded experience. Dense plum and summer pudding-like dark hedge fruit flavours. Herb and liquorice spice add considerable complexity, the whole wrapped in velvety but nonetheless assertive tannins. Dry and long finish. Excellent. The ten of us, (including two former wine trade colleagues) easily polished off the six bottles - say no more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual CDP tasting (Edina Country Club): Pop and pour, slow o'd for a short time. This really needed a decant. It had secondary/tertiary flavors, but also quite hot and liqueur-ish. If you held this for a few more years, you'll be rewarded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Very dark red color. PNP with a touch of slow-O time. The nose is savory, brett, lacquer, dense, black fruits, garrigue, black pepper. The palate starts out disjointed with some heat and volatility, settles down for the most part over an hour, tons of spice, pepper, oak, leather, black fruits, black cherry, lots of garrigue, full bodied, liqueuerish. This wanted to be a bit of a brute tonight. Showed its youth in spades. IMO this needs a good 3 hours or more of decanting if approaching now, or give it 5 years to begin to get there.
2015 CDP Annual Dinner (Edina Country Club): Slow-ox for 3 hours. Tell tale lacquer nose . Amazing, expansive palate. Tangy and a kick of black pepper spice. Still mostly about the fruit. A bit hot. Very long finish. So charming. Still drinking very young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With Christmas Eve dinner. Opened about an hour before dinner (not decanted) and followed two bottles over a couple of hours.
Really drinking well now, but no great hurry to drink up (5 years or so?). My favorite C du Pape these days, rich and ripe, silky smooth, enjoyable complexity and typicity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting Group Holiday Party (Mouton, Laurent, Essencia, Hundred Acre, Staglin, +++) (University Circle): Really nice showing. It was probably in the wrong place in the lineup as it took a sip or two to re-calibrate. In any event, once I did, this was great. Not really showing much age, although obviously not a baby. Purple in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries and a slight floral note. On the palate, more black cherries with a strong and nice black licorice note. Good acidity. Tight complexity that slowly unwound in the glass. Great showing. As I still have a few left, I was glad to see that there is no hurry.
DnP. Beautiful garnet red, yellow rim, 4,5. Mature atypical liquor like bouquet, not much fruit more mellow mature sweetish notes. Harmonious palate, almost fully resolved tannins, elegant style. Drink now! A little disappointing but maybe an off bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Turning brick in color, this wine was clearly far over the hill, possibly because it was a Katrina wine (no electricity for two weeks). The hurricane seemed to single out my Rhone bottles. There was no bouquet or flavor, apart from unpleasant barbecue notes, with pronounced acidity predominating. I didn't rate the wine, or several of its sisters.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light-bodied, showing some brick in color. Purchased at auction, its provenance is unknown. A subtle nose with many Beaucastel nuances, delicate palate of cherries, leather and a touch of gravel. This bottle was past its prime but reasonable with dinner. Not clear if it wasn't stored properly or this is just another of the mixed reviews for this vintage. The CT drink date through 2023 seems overly optimistic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dégustation horizontale Châteauneuf du Pape 2001 (La Caverne de Collin): Un magnifique nez, le troisième de la soirée, suave, épicé, avec ses notes de garrigue. La bouche est aussi fort agréable mais peut-être un peu plus limitée que les meilleurs vins de la soirée. Excellent quand même. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Turning to a brick color. The bottle suffered from cork taint, so I did not rate it, but I could still discern its underlying features. Unfortunately, it didn't have much in the way of flavor, nuance, or definition, apart from the taint. There were quite variable reviews of this wine by other tasters, and many seemed to be expecting more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Has aged so gracefully and drinking perfectly right now. Wonderful and classic nose--garrigue, game, but with fruit still evident. Smooth as silk with leather, garrigue, a bit of tar for us and soft, sweet fruit in the mouth. Simply a classic aged ChdP. Still a few more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice tonight. The tannins are still abit on the firmish side, but the palate was all full bodied, dark red fruit, earth, garrigue, spice and perhaps the barest hint of stewed notes. For me, this is in its perfect drinking window, but I suspect there's no hurry here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Layers of flavours, blonde tobacco, potpourri, old leather, plums and red currant. Cigar ash on the finish. Complex, rich, full body with well integrated tannins. Aged chateauneuf at its finest. No rush on this one.
Similar impression to another bottle consumed earlier this year. Popped and decanted for an hour prior to dinner. Good concentration and depth. Dark fruits. Still showing very youthful. One taster noticed heat but I thought the overall balance was good. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, essentially as November 2014 note, lovely cherry fruit cut with tobacco, high quality and developing nicely, long life ahead. Very fine (18.5/20).
Deep ink-stained garnet with clearly defined dewey rim. Aromas of cinnamon, cobblestoned earth, baked plum, bits of iron. Dense but supple on the palate, more earth and spice.
Lovely first bottle of the 2001 for us after visiting Beaucastel this summer and tasting the promising '12s.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my last note. Just singing. A brilliant wine. Fortunately the other nine bottles are buried way down at the bottom of a stack of full wine boxes so getting to them will take some doing. Otherwise we might drink them all up in a fortnight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strong nose with balsamic vinegar, leather, black cherry, slate, and minerals. Moderate acidity with smooth tannins. The nose improved throughout the 2nd day, suggesting that it will benefit from several hours of decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple with dusty-brick hues from a bottle with great but lubricated cork. Funky raspberry and earth nose, sweetish undertones. Delicate texture; juicy, with fine tannins and energetic finish. 91/100; drink now--2019. romain 'hog roast' reunion, today, Evansville.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-dark ruby. Expressive nose of garrigue, licorice, blue fruit. Enters the palate with good fruity core, freshness and structure. Fully mature and balanced - a very nice showing of this famous and consistent CdP.
A great CdP. The nose burst out of the bottle upon opening, brimming with dark berry fruit. Succulent on the palate with just enough barnyard to tell you what it is. Excellent balancing acidity with soft tannins. 45 second aftertaste. Just about as good as it gets. In a really good spot right now and should stay there for at least 5 more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Red leathery fruit, garrigue and touch of VA on the nose. Ripe sweet fruit entry. Delicious red fruits and leather. Huge finish round and full. An OMG wine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Terracotta at the rims. Nose of cherry, cigar box, ash, green pepper, white pepper, with a lift a a green citrus fruit. Well integrated but strong tannins, well balanced with fine raspberry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
So different from the previous bottle. Much more focused and young. Slight maturer and complexity poking through but still so fresh and a lot more stuffing to age for many more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateauneuf du Pape (Bronte, Sydney): rich colour. Deeply scented, earthy and developed. Extremely smooth, has real delicacy. Flavours are rich and earthy and in nice balance. Not a blockbuster but drinks well. Soft finish and low acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red, good nose, very little sediments. Still rich in taste of berries with good tannins, fill your mouth with joy and long taste afterwards. Nice to follow the development of this wine, my 2nd bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick red rim/ mature funky cherry, cough candy, liquorice and damp earth nose/ fine complex palate, touch of VA, dry , very nice tannin, reasonable length. 13.5% offered great pleasure at the table.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red colour with just a touch of brown brick along the sides. Dark red fruit, dark cherries and strawberries on the nose with lots of herbal and leather complexity. I think I notices some brett... Palate is balanced, sweet fruit and ripe soft tannins. Long finish. Drinking well now but will get more complex.
PnP, was impressed by the brilliant ruby color in glass. Nose initially of raisins and licorice. Palate was very soft, fresh, and balanced. Licorice, hint of tar on the finish, with a pleasant mix of subdued primary fruit flavors and secondary earthy tar (was not funky in traditional Beaucastel sense). I am pleased with the wine's current state, and confidently state that it can age for several more years with grace. I am waiting to taste the wine again in two days.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stored in cold cellar since release. Perfect fill,cork and condition. Rather dumb nose.Classic flavour with good depth and balance. Had expected something more intense so a touch disappointed. Bottle variation? On this evidence drink by 2020 at latest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very similar impression to Kevin's note. I would add that this is a classically styled CdP and has a sense of finesse and lightness that I find very appealing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thin clear rim on a deep burgundy core. Wine looked younger than I expected it to. Sweet and earthy nose of tobacco, crushed pine and raspberry. Layers of flavor on the palate that were in great balance and purity. Red fruit, crushed stone, lavender, cassis. I did not spend enough time studying the wine and I am probably under rating it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Interesting experience for tasting, considering that many rated this an ideal vintage and how accessible it was in its earlier years. Now it is at first without nose and only a hint of fruit. After 20 minutes, classic CdP mint, vanilla, leather and fruit all nicely balanced. probably indicates it is in decline though it seems early for such a phase to set in. Still a good drink though.
A bit dusty on opening but decant and leave it to open for an hour or so. Sweet red fruit, southern warmth and provencal herbs comes through. In the mouth more animalic notes, smoke and lovely cherry and black fruit. Full bodied and soft, but to me the alcohol comes through a bit too much. Not overbearing, more a matter of taste. Very enjoyable and in better shape than expected. Will last for a long while yet. 92-93p
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I suspect this suffered by comparison to the 1998 tasted alongside. Good but not very expressive at this point; quire light. Moderate length and firm tannins on the end. Wait 3-5 years to try again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind tasting, red wine flight 2 wine #3. Medium ruby with light brick red hue. Dried fruits, plum, smoky and some pepper on the nose. Still primary and tight on palate. Some sweet fruits along with cherry, herbs and white pepper. Very good structure and mid-palate, fine tannic backbone with long finish. It is still not ready after bottle breath for 1+ hour. In contrast, Pégaü Réservée '01 is more open and showy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Although stood for a few weeks, still quite cloudy. Dominated by cherry tobacco, but with some red berry fruit, and a lot of wild herbs scents. Rich. With a very long finish. Very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
While this has lost it's deep, deep and hard core of kirsch, that was the signature of it's youth, it is still very young, and the fruit is very primary indeed; more gentle now and certainly with a supplement of all your local garrique galore, this still needs time to become a real B. Has the stuffing for it. First bottle of 12 from my own stash, will hold the second for a couple of years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another great bottlle! This wine has been showing so consistently over the past year. The 2001 is really singing right now.....should have another 8-10 years of life, if not more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A few bottles on a Thursday (Toronto, ON): My best bottle of '01 Beauccastel yet! The nose is of raspberry, strawberry, old spicy leather, stony soil, game, herbs de Provence, Dried florals, charcuterie and blood. The palate features mostly red fruit on a light frame with good acid and low tannin. Finish is medium plus carried on red fruit and lots of secondary gamey notes. Great showing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gorgeous and clean Beau. Still young (or early middle-aged). Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs; limited tertiary notes, no barnyard visitors. None of the prunes nor BBQ sauce that has marred some bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Meritage, St. Paul): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This was really savory with lots of umami going on scorched earth, tar, youthful, black fruits. The palate was also very savory, scorched earth, deep black fruits, concentrated, youthful, full bodied, spicy and a bit of heat on the finish. There's so much going on here and in another 5-10 years this should be amazing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An improvement over my last bottle some months back. Ripe, black and spicy but with a crisp, fruity core, this is a typical but/and (delete to taste) very drinkable CDP.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A refined Beaucastel, light on the trademark funky Brett notes. Well-rounded, with brambly fruit, licorice and a hint of garrigue. In an ideal drinking window now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Earthy and dusty nose. Turned off some tasters. Sweet red fruit palate with loads of depth and complexity. Each taste was different. Firm tannins and nice acidity. Minerals, pine, pepper, floral notes. It was really good. A bit jumbled, but developing nicely. Feels like it has a lot of time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 3hrs. Hint of age round edge of glass, but still deepish red rather than brick. Grippy, dark brambly fruit touched with spice and herbs; earth and dusty tannins. Much more refined than the beefier '98 I've been drinking recently - but none the worse for it. A fine drink indeed as it stands and with perhaps a further 5 years evolution time and 10 years optimum drinking time (from now) ahead of it. 92+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chocolate, orange, somewhat odd collection of flavors. A very well made, a good wine, a change from the usual, I think fully mature. Used to love Cndp. Not sure any more. Had this after a 2000 La Gaffeliere and I love the right bank.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started out rather non-descript/bland during morning decant but grew according to expectations.
At Restaurant Tani we had a superbly balanced, youthful, elegant CdP with amazing potential for those better at keeping than we are.
No more btls, but as the price for this domaine has become insane, we will not join in with the choir of insanity. There are so many other wines that are as good as or better than this, that are available at a more agreable price point. At least if you blindedly examine what's in your glass more than you look at what's on the label. ...nevertheless, I really wish we had a case of this for the spread-out long-haul.
Superbly enjoyed with Restaurant Tani's magnificently fabulous baked cow-cheek (Tokyo).
double-decanted. muted red w/pink rim; sweet, ripe raspberry on very clean nose, some kirsch, followed by roasted meats & campfire, toasted brown spices, cracked fennel; med-full body; red raspberry, red licorice, supple, roasted spices & peppercorns, wild herbs, tart apple skin bitter & good acids, fine-grained tannins. showing young-ish, w/more upside ahead.
Incredible! Dried red berries, sweet smoky salty brown spices, dried herbs. There is some salty coolness to the fruit. Layered, this has lots of depth to the array of flavors. It's so precise, the way it delivers the flavors. Luxurious texture. For me this is a classic style of great CdP. The Mourvedre really shines in the blend.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncorked and allowed to air without decanting for 45 mins, then followed over 2 hours. Seems thin, light on structure and weak fruit. Will open another bottle to gauge life, as many have noted significant bottle variation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Casual Monday Night in Toronto (Fine Wine Reserve, Toronto, ON): (tasted blind) Nose is very overripe and stewed. Showing worse than a bottle opened 6 weeks ago. Nose of prunes, raisins, dates, figs, saline, a slight black olive note, undergrowth, soya and lavendar. Palate has a lot of alcohol, a bit of tannin and fairly low acid. Lots of raisin notes on the medium minus finish. Some positive notes and some negative notes here. Not sure this is an entirely representative bottle.
A bunch of CdP on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School fo Cooking): Everything I want in a mature CdP. Certainly about at peak but no hurry. This was pop and pour and got better over the two hours. The nose has a meaty component along with black raspberries. Dick said he got some brett, but I did not even after going back to it. I think that is just the Mourvedre which does have that earthy funk to it. There is also a coffee ground note. On the palate, juicy acidity which was more than the other wines IMO made it quite food friendly. Layers of complexity as it unwinds in the glass. This is medium to full bodied and perhaps a bit leaner than most of the wines, but this is not wimpy. Great wine. If you have these, I would not be in a hurry, but I would certainly start checking in on them.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Tight on opening, but after an hour it begins to open up and continues to improve over time. Potent nose of blackberry, plum, black cherry, violets, savory umami and fresh earth. Full bodied, palate follows the nose, freshness from a nice balancing acidity and well-integrated tannins, medium-long finish. Layers of complexity begin to peek through after a couple of hours but this is still young, with great promise to develop classic Beaucastel complexity in another 5 years, but drinking very well now. Excellent.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First of 24, opened an hour but not decanted - bright dark cherry red, no rim development; pure, fresh cherry fruit driven bouquet, very attractive, no secondaries or usual mourvedre "sweaty saddle"; med/full, very long and complex, pure, Beaucastel at its most Burgundian and one of the most impressive young Beaucastels I can recall. Very fine at least (18.5/20).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
CDP and Spain, Plus Whites (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 1 hour. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was really good, but not the wow it has been in the past. The nose has blackberry liqueur, glycerin, floral, dried herb, cherry-raisin. The palate shows blackberry liqueur, kirsch, molasses, spice, glycerin, raisin, ripe, and a little heat on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby colour. Pronounced intensity on the nose which shows stewed and dried red fruits, with raisins, liquorice and a little medicinal. On the palate, the wine is full bodied with medium+ acidity and tannins, which are well integrated. The fruit flavours are much fresher than on the nose, with a medium+ finish. Many different opinions across the group. My view: a very good, complex wine, but not really for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A fairly deep colour, showing signs of maturity; rich, raisiny fruit, quite intense, with elements of damson and spice. Not as fiercely alcoholic as some Châteauneufs, but even so it has an almost port-like character. Fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful and juicy wine with a good concentration. Good garrigue and acidity. Ripe fruits and currants. Beautiful and elegant wine. In a perfect drinking stage now and the tannin has still enough bite for several years more. Would be nice to try again around 2018.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've been having bad luck with C du Ps lately, but this was the opposite - a delightful wine with great character and quality. Classic nose, smoothe, drinking beautifully. A wonderful wine drinking at peak, I'd guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Super Tasting 4 of 5; Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chris' House): Double decanted about 2 hours in advance, served blind. Garnet in colour with the light brick. On the nose, perhaps the biggest wine so far; blackberry, crushed raspberries, kirsch, anise, crushed rock, garrigue, and a touch of tar. On the palate, clean fruit and fresh acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and medium acidity. Tastes of blackberry, kirsch, licorice, mineral, herbs and spice round out the moderate length finish. A well made fine for sure, but compared to the older Beaucastel that I've had, seemingly devoid of any distinctive character.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape: (tasted blind, wine #4) This wine revealed a very nice, complex, but restrained nose of rustic new leather, toasted nuts, roasted chestnut, lacquered furniture, plum, dried cranberries and raspberry. Fairly mature and quite pleasant. Palate has relatively low tannin and the finish is medium in length. Quite a nice, but not a profound wine overall. This is kind of what I expected from Beaucastel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Southern Rhone (Dundas, Ontario): Double decanted 1 hour ahead of service. Served blind Nose of cherry, kirsch, plum, wet dog, tar, rubber, herbs and leather. The palate had flavours of plum, garrique, spice, herbs, cherry and wet fur....really quite pretty wine. This is fully integrated and ready to drink. Finish was medium but a touch simple.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decante for 2-3hours... This bottle seems better then the last bottle. No spice this time but needed more time to breath but the guest wanted to drink already
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jag har druckit det här vinet tidigare med stor behållning. Denna flaskan tror jag tyvärr har förvarats felaktigt och utsatts för hög värme i solen eller något annat. Detta vin skall inte smaka så här så att jag ser det som skadat istället för att sätta ett betyg på typ 80 poäng.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On the nose, swamp, rubber, pigsty, charcuturie, oak On the palate, Acidity, cherries, alcohol heat, tobacco, leather. Nice balanced wine but it lacks something that I can not put a finger on.
Medium finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I like really good CNdP, but this wine fails to impress and please me, despite a good producer and a good vintage. The nose is quite mature, showing rubber, loads of smoke oak, charcoal, smoked charcuteries, and unfortunately a touch of swamp and smoked fish (!?). The last two ingredients in the bouquet gives a less pleasant overall impression I must admit. (I have only found fish in a wine once before, and that was in a bottle of the legendary Great Wall of China , worst wine up to date I have tasted). This is not at all as bad as that particular one, but it’s not a very good wine, given the producer and vintage. The palate is better, showing mature and drying cherries, leather, sweet tobacco and quite high acidity. My impression are that this has started to decay and is past peak. Was probably better a few years back. (83 – 84)
Strange, this bottle came across as stewed prune and toasted raisin. A desperate search for fresh fruit yielded nothing of note. Taste wasn't off though, so it was drinkable though somewhat disappointing of course
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $60+ (Bin 75): Dark crimson core with rose rim, good clarity; aged nose of mahogany, dusty red cherry, roses, fennel, maple, celery seed, slight brown sugar; nice delicately aged texture, tart raspberry, black tea, long finish of light raspberry cranberry and sour cherry; very good; called '01 Charvin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Now fully mature, with prune and damson fruit, good weight and length. This might have been better a year or two ago as it is starting to fade slightly, although it is still enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateauneuf du pape tasting (my home): blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation. double decanted to an empty bottle, sediments removal and back to original bottle. consumption less than an hour later.
ruby/purple-colored unfortunately not a a classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs, black truffles, underbrush, and blackberry & cherry fruit as we all expected, but some unpleasant odors & flavors. second time that this wine doesn't perform. did I buy a flawed 6-case? On the following day it was less bad, but still....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank without decanting. Great wine, but took 45 minutes before it completely opened up. Wonderful nose, very smooth on the palate, berry, hoi sin,bit of garrigue etc. Should have many years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Limited notes from brief pre-auction tasting. From decanter. Not sure how much air time it had been given. Nose is very expressive with a wonderful bouquet of floral violets, raspberry, red plums, spice, licorice. Developing. On the palate, smooth approachable tannins giving a velvety mouthfeel. Primary character with flavours of raspberry, red plums, cherries, licorice, and spice. Long finish. Youthful and enjoyable now, but this can still develop for another 8+ years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with dinner at Hakkasan in BH. Nose took a lot of coaxing to deliver faint smell of dark berries and some camphor. On the palate the most dominant characteristic was astringency but after about 40 minutes some fruit appeared. Maybe an off bottle, have had better ones.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully right now - not sure I see this getting much better. Good on PNP and then opened quickly enough and went great with a sunday sauce dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wines That Don't Suck (WTDS) Offline (Tilia, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, drank 2 pours over 90 minutes. Lovely CDP nose filled with violets, garrigue, Asian spices, raspberry, and blackberry. The palate is complex with full body and good concentration. There's tar, blackberry liqueur, raisin, black raspberry liqueur, kirsch, tart fruit, with somewhat firms tannins on the palate. Still drinks young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is the best bottle of this that I've had. It's got some of that quality of a young beaucastel often has; candied violets, new leather, tobacco leaf, blackberries, licorish/ fennel, but with none of the heat and hard edges. It also has the beginnings of the qualities that a mature beaucastel often has; cola, caramel, dried figs, ros al hanout, and beef broth. And it's all in harmony in a way that usually takes more time to develop in these wines.
Very nice CDP nose of garrigue, stewed beef and dark red fruits, Asian spice. Medium to full bodied, blackish crimson color, hardly any signs of aging. Smooth entry on the palate, great acidity and soft but strong tannins after two hours in the decanter demonstrating the wine's long aging potential, and a decent finish. Very nice wine, would be interesting to see how it evolves.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Friends (Beaucastel, Keller, McPrice, Saxum, ++) (Our home): Decanted for sediment and served. Got better all night so perhaps a bit more air would be right. This is clean with no barnyard. The nose is powerful with black raspberries, plums, spice and violets. Full bodied with a nice balanced acidity. Lots of black raspberries, black cherries and depth on the palate. Layered tightly, it unwinds in the glass. No hurry on these, but in a nice place. I think a few more years until peak though. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez de fruit noir, d'anis, de garrigue La bouche a une belle texture, avec une finesse qui amenait les amis en Rhône nord. C'est dense et très bien équilibré, très belle bouteille. 93 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An outstanding drop. Drunk with 2000. No comparison except interesting tobacco nose on 2000. Complex and robust nose. Lots of structure, complexity, fruit and balance on the palate. Drinking well now. Wish I had more of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a really pretty bottle of wine tonight and drinking very well after about a couple of hours of double decanting. The nose was expressive with rich aromas of candied fruit( think cherry fruit roll ups), garrigue, damp, slightly greenish underbrush, some raisin notes and hints of nutmeg and allspice, all of which carried seamlessly thru to the palate where the flavors were penetrating and nuanced. Some white pepper shows up on the med to long finish along with the tannins which are fairly soft and dusty. There's a lot of finesse here and, for my tastes, this is in a really good place right now. Excellent!
Mature fruit (raspberry, cherry, plum), with well-developed secondary flavours and a touch of marmite. A slight dryness on the finish, but it was otherwise open and rounded. Still fresh and drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sat night at home with some 2001's (At home): Lighter and more evolved than I expected. The nose is typically Beaucastel with spicy, slightly funky but solidly fruity notes. As it sat in the glass, notes of licorice and dried prunes became more prominent, with the wine also taking on a mineral-driven complexity and a slightly sweet alcoholic edge. Quite mature and just nice to drink up in my view.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rhone gathering - 08 Rayas, 85 and 89 La Las (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Ripe black and red fruits, raspberries, blackberries, blackberry jam, tobacco, garrigues, black olive, anise tobacco and earth. Very good concentration, dark fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins. It is still youthful and will improve further for at least another decade. A classic CDP with nice overall balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tons of life left in this one of you can keep it in the cellar. Was just coming together after two hours of decanting. Cranberry, earth and barnyard. Plan ahead and let it open for several hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruity nose, still young although 13 years old. Balanced but didn't show much complexity. Medium+ body. Still in adolescence and should improve further. Still have 2 bottle in my cellar. Will give another 3 years before open the rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There seems so be some bottle variation here. My bottle was medium bodied. Not much fruit, 100% dry. Cherry, funk and nice minerality and acids in the finish, but it clearly lack some fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep aromas of black cherry liqueur, lavender, barbecue spice and kirsch and flint let you know you're in for a treat. Full bodied, rich, powerful, long and concentrated, the sweet, fresh, long and pure cherry finish gets better and better as the night goes on. This will be better in a few years. But it is so good now, there is no reason to wait. Decanted about 30 minutes before tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep garnet, dusty sediment ...... but not inky. 375 ml bottle.
Nice deep tones of dark red fruit, plums. Earth, pepper and spices and slight meatiness. A bit of licorice at the end. Very much in an old world aromatic manner. Not overpowering but hints at nice complexity.
A nice richness and fullness to the overall taste. An initial attack of raspberry , blackcherry and english black licorice. No sense of alcohol (no heat). Beautiful full length to the finish. Round, drying but smooth tannins. A beautiful mid palate showing meatiness, licorice, spices, black olives are very noticeable. GreaT balance, great tasting wine ...... what Chateauneuf should be all about. A great bottle of wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Although I'm giving it the same score, this bottle may have showed even better than the previous one, as the fruit seemed a little richer. A very nice wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mostly French (& A Few More) Offline at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Slow-O'd for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 60 minutes plus. How fortunate to able to drink this again after a bottle just over 2 weeks ago. This bottle performed even better and seemed quite young and fresh. The nose has lots of garrigue, cherry, dark berry, spice, anise, and dry earth. The palate shows great purity, cherry, kirsch, along with some deep dark fruits, ripe, full bodied, with pepper, anise, and a touch of oak on the finish. Youthful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: There is a seamlessness to the nose with kirsch liqueur, licorice, black cherries, hot stones, and some lavender notes. While I wouldn't say that the nose shows off much maturity, it is very well balanced with excellent depth.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with youthful and chewy tannins. The structure is still quite youthful, but there is a plushness and seamless quality with kirsch liqueur, licorice, black cherries, lavender, and some garrigue notes on the back end.
Overall: This is still extremely young. It doesn't have the Beaucastel leather and funk signature yet (or ever will?), but it is balanced and open in a youthful style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped this one tonight for no special reason. Still closed after a 30 minute decant. No real nose to speak of. Lots of sediment! Some raisin flavor. We'll see how this one progresses. Still nothing after 1.5 hours. Alcohol and fruit have faded and left nothing in return. This one is past its prime. Surprisingly got better 3 hours after decanting - grape jam aftertaste.
Bellissimo's bottle, and despite him and Rocknroller, I liked this better than 1995 or the 2000. They were all drinking well, but this one had better fruit and verve. Style preference?
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Cafe Lurcat, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Slow- O for about 5 hours. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes plus. This was the most backwards of the Beaucastel trio of '95, '00, and '01. Brooding on the nose with black fruits, spicy, tar, oak, and licorice, funk. The palate is very primary, black fruits, dense and chewy, firm tannins, oak, tar, and minerals. Needs 3-5 years or significant decanting. 92 to 93pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow O'd this for 90 minutes; recorked and brought to a dinner. Tasted some 3 or 4 hours later. Tasted along side a 95 and 00 Beaucastel and this was the youngest by far. Still some oak on the nose along with the telltale garrigue and leather and a good bit of white pepper. Taste followed the nose but most noticable were the tannins at this point. '95 was the most integrated, loved the nose on the '00 and my '01 needs another 5 years.
Excellent Beaucastel. Light in color and texture, but several layers of CdP flavors. Bright, ripe and sweet fruit, lightly spiced barnyard, and very satisfying before meal and with meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An Eclectic Bring Your Own Red Night (Los Olivos, CA): Popped & poured by a keen eyed guest who spied it in the rack and "needed it" with the steak, I was blown away by the depth and complexity of this wine, the first of my 2001's I've opened. The reviews are much more mixed than I'd expect, but I found this to be gracious, complex and very, very rewarding. Dark red in color with a barnyard nose: leather, pepper, garrique, herbs -- dirty. Silky textured waves of earthy flavors and that Mourvedre texture in the mouth. Long, satisfying finish. Can you discern that I loved this?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started out thin, weak, disappointing- particularly following a 2000 Monbousquet- and it took two hours and it came together, and so the last 25% was what it should have been. Surprised about that. The final glass was a 92
2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Dark red core with crimson rim; red fruit, clove, bitter red fruit, exotic spice; spicy tart red fruit, good acidity, larger scaled but great lift, structured and balanced; very good- best example of '01 I've ever had, almost feel this bottle over-performed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
New Year's Beaucastel Verticle: Of the flight, this was certainly the most developed. Rich flavors of cherry, garrigue and leather. Some secondary flavors of raisin are beginning to make an appearance. The tannins are still quite firm and chalky. The finish is on the med to long side. Very nice. Double decanted for several hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted an hour. Heavy dark berry nose. Very gamey. Plum nose. Smells much older than 12 yrs. raisin, prune, black currant flavors. Very gamey flavors. High alcohol flavor. Heavy weight, medium acid. Woody flavors. Rum raisin type taste. Interesting but not my favorite flavor profile. A little too funky flavors for me. I believe it has peaked.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not what I was hoping for. Shriveled up prunes on the nose and palate. Smooth, but simple and one dimensional. The fruit and flavor profile I have come to love from Beaucastel are just not there. As someone else pointed out, it comes across tired and limping on its last leg.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monday night Dinner (Bedrock Bar & Grill): Clear ruby red, complex nose of roasted herbs and exotic spice, subtle smokiness and hints of capsicum. On palate it has dark cherry, blueberry, herbs and white pepper. Chewy tannins with long finish, still young and not yet at its peak. Still need time to develop.
Whoa...really nice stuff and for those of you holding the almost 10,500 bottles listed in inventory on this site I have to ask: What are you waiting for? It's great, so drink up!!!
Decanted for just over 2 hours and back into the btl just before dinner. For some reason, I just never really fell in love with this btl last night like I fully expected to. I don't think it was flawed but perhaps a tad closed? In any case the flavor profile seemed a tad incomplete. Seemed to lack any berry fruit flavors and only to offer the spice and herb spectrum along with some gaminess. Without food the tanins seemed a bit rough but with food and time they softened considerably. I need to open an '05 soon to see what I think of that in comparison. I think of myself as a big Beaucastel Mouvedre fan but this btl puzzeled and disapointed me. Not undrinkable but not enticing either? The cork was in perfect condition.
Thanksgiving 2013, our house. Beautiful wine, but still too young. This is all about balance, the fruit, the tannins, the acidity - - nothing sticks out and this is oh-so-gentle on the palate, yet there is so much in reserve. Plenty of red/black, liquorice-tinged Grenache fruit with a bit of pepper, but this is still rather simple and primary. Caresses the palate like silk. But too primary for my palate. Let this sleep for another four or so years. Bottle 1 of 4.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet-brown; blackberries, herbs, tobacco, game, tar; dried berry/cherry, slightly spicy, slightly gamey, medium body, good acidity, smooth tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 2 hrs. Smooth, dried fruit with complex layers of secondary flavours but not much brett/savouriness. Drinking well now, not sure how much longer it will age gracefully.
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark core with brownish red rim; stewed fruit, ripe red fruit almost figgy, sweet baking spice; seaweed, crunchy red fruit, lavender, open and ready, graham cracker, hot stone finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color starts to soften: Orange peel at the rim. Nose ripe and quite round. On palate some tar and tannin plus leather dust. Still closed, intense and tannic. Wait for another 5-10 years. A good wine but a far cry from the much superior "Hommage a Jacques Perrin" of the same vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): Drinking quite well. Still youthful. Clean. Aromas of dark cherries, spice and floral notes. Great texture. Layered tightly on the palate. Unwinds in the glass. Lots of fruit. Did I say clean? It is. Best days are approaching.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank my last 375. Time to start in on the 750's. This wine rocked. In a good place although maybe not at peak yet (depending on bottles and how you like them). The nose is clean, dark cherries, floral notes, spice and no barnyard. On the palate, great texture. Layers of complexity. Lots of fruit. Great balance. Wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Graceful, elegant and beautifully integrated. Wow!! This wine is the pinnacle of age for my palate. Good fruit being replaced with an exceptional earthiness.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was double-decanted, allowing one hour in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was then presented in double-blind fashion to our Friday tasting group. Deep garnet and intensely perfumed, it has a beautiful nose of bramble fruits, ganache, chestnuts, graphite and underbrush. It is full-bodied, fresh and supple on the palate, with medium fine-grained tannins and seamless alcohol (listed as 13.5%). The flavors run tandem to the nose and persist throughout a solid middle. With a lengthy smooth finish, this Châteauneuf is clearly in the "sweet spot." Enjoy it over the next five years. Drink now-2018.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy. Not really that big; an elegant Beau. Smoky red fruit (not at all roasted), brown spices (clove, cinnamon) and garrigue, leather and moist rich earth. Perfect match for braised short rib ragout. Best allowed to warm up from cellar temperature; this showed better after an hour or two.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted4 hours and served slightly chilled at 15C. Refined nose of pork chops, washing powder, rosemary, orange peel and some spice (clove, cinnamon and vanilla). Medium body with very good balance. Soft tannins and succulent finish. Great wine today!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Une bouteille qui parait plus évoluée que la précédente était Il y a deux ans. Celle-ci montre un profil presque tertiaire, avec des tanins arrondis. L'ensemble est harmonieux, avec une certaine amertume en finale, Qui s'étire sur les notes de cerise rouge à noyau L'ensemble est complexe, finement épicé, suave, dans un style un peu austère. Pas la meilleure de ce millésime mais tout de même très belle. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a great show of power and balance. Dense and everything in place, with a great mix of deeper pitched fruits, stoniness, and savory-meaty notes, and just starting to gain some secondary complexity. Great texture, rich and focused, and quite long. In this format, it is absolutely singing right out of the gate. Beautiful stuff. 96pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
À l'ouverture, le nez est très animal, avec des nuances de poivre noir, d'herbes et de chêne. En bouche, les tanins sont bien fondus, mais l'alcool domine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. While still youthful this comes across as an extremely complex wine. On the nose, you find everything: garrigue, cloves, sandalwood, pepper and thyme combined with some almost 'earthy' tones. It is such a pleasure to drink a wine that opens up gradually revealing layer upon layer of taste. Will be hard to resist the remaining bottles in my cellar, but I must try :) No doubt that another four or five years (and more) will make this wine even better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow ox'd 12 hours in advance. Dark rich fruit, black tea, no Brett and not much spice on the nose in comparison to the Vieux Telegraphe. Not nearly has hot either. Palate is dense and rich, smooth tannins. Improved 24 hours later with the bottle being open. This has a lot of time to go.
Update. 10 days later, with 1/5 sitting corked in the fridge, the meat and spice make an appearance. Still with ample fruit and more acidity. A long long life ahead.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is in a good drinking window but still quite youthful. Expressive nose of meat, tobacco, leather and sandalwood. Palate is rather silky, fine tannins, with some red fruits poking through. Long finish. Elegant and powerful, going very well with food.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic Beau, love the flavour profile the Mourvèdre gives this wine. Opened up beautifully after about an hour, terrific depth in the ripe savoury fruit, fine and soft tannins, so much complexity and interest in this wine. Good bottles will live for some time yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We drank this like water over lunch at LGP. Earthy, complex, berries, clay - this wine changes incredibly with different foods. With the raspberry sorbet, all of the leather that is in this wine came out in full force. What fun to experience this wine's many facets.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unmistakeable Beaucastel blend of rich, smokey fruit scents and flavors, with plenty of spice, a hint of brett, and fine-grained tannins. Like a junior version of the 1990 and that's high praise indeed. In a good spot but with plenty of legs for long aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing wine. Best I've ever had I think. From a magnum at Veritas in NYC. The smoothest lightest yet substantial wine I can remember having. Just wonderful. I can't imagine a wine being much better, at least not a CDP.
Ethereal is the best word I can come up with to describe this.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was performing very, very well. Cherry and leather. Tannins smooth, balanced, well integrated. Super intense flavor, deep red color. Just totally delicious, classy, and well-balanced. A lot of very fine sediment, so do filter it. An extremely good mature red - preferred this to the 1995 I had a few months ago.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lush, juicy, silky and round, loads of fresh black cherry, pepper, earth, spice and tapenade create the perfume. The wine is rich, long and drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was in a bit of a sleeper state that CDP often go through about 10 years in. Great body and fruit but probably will get better. Accents of cigar, smoke, herbs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is fantastic. Fully mature now, round, medium bodied, immediately after decork. Complexity kept increasing during 2 days, in the bottle, recorked. Love it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very rich and opulent. Opens up with a strong bouquet of dark red fruit. Mostly cherries. With some notes of cigar smoke and leather. The aroma is heavenly. Felt more like just smelling it than drinking it. Decanted for less than an hour. Drank at a temperature of about 16 deg. Celsius. Tried a glass with a rib eye steak and then with some very ripe brie and some chevre. Did not pair well with the food I had. Would probably go better with lamb. I enjoyed most of the bottle with no food. I still have 2 bottles. Will leave them for a few years. But it is very drinkable now. I would have given a higher score if it had paired better with the cheese.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This CNDP is aging well, and was well liked by my wife and I, who can roughly self define as knowledgeable, and our friends, who strongly self describe as knowing nothing about wine. I rate it 90 because I am tired of the number of 90+ point wines. A wine can be an 88 and be a good wine but because of popular rating schemes a wine less than 90 probably is not considered worthy. But an 89 is pretty darn good and a 90 is excellent.
Appearance: Opaque dark center, medium ruby, unfiltered. Nose: Dried cherry, black fruit, spice and leather. Palate: Juicy red and black fruit, warm earth, herbal and brown spice notes, a little tobacco. Still youthful, but opulent. Structurally balanced and nicely integrated. M+ body, fine tannins. Drinking well now (2013), but probably best from 2015–2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted four hours. Just fantastic. Earthy nose. Palette has an undertone of spice and the wine is showing nice balance. Enjoyable, but has many years to go if you choose to hold.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully. Did not open early or decant. Exceptionally balanced with a long finish. Served with Chambord duck, Wild Rice with Pecans, Cranberries and Yellow Raisins, and a Salad of Raw Kale with Ricotta Salata.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Home Beaucastel has a massive nose of earth, plumbs, meat and spice. Amazing complexity with no sharp edges to be found. Great length. This is really a wonderful CNDP.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
McCarthy & Schiering - Chateau de Beaucastel Tasting (Seattle Wine Storage): once again this wine outperforms the vintage. A lighter, yet classic style of Beaucastel - i suppose the 2008 may have the same trajectory as this. Showing well with nice light brett perfume, floral, damp forest floor and black cherry. Would work well with light dishes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
CK's farewell dinner (Otto Ristorante, Red Dot Museum): An excellent wine, but not quite the best example I have had of the 2001 Beaucastel. This had a lush, lovely nose, with savoury aromas of meat and earth and a little layer of funk wafting out of the glass alongside dusty garrigue and subtle tones of dark, ripe plummy fruit. Wow. Great palate too. This seems to have put on a bit of weight and flesh from the last bottle I tried. However, what marks this vintage out for me more than anything else, and indeed what marked this bottle, was how the wine was full of vibrant energy, with a bright, tingly freshness running through its lovely, pure flavours of dark cherries and berries underlined by earth and mineral, a brambly undercurrant and a little soupcon of spice towards its chewy finish. This was just a lovely drink - wonderfully integrated, wonderfully balanced and poised, a beautifully elegant expression of Beaucastel that married a nice depth to a great sense of focus and clarity. Unlike a bottle we had a in Paris a couple of years back though, this still did not seem completely resolved, so that it still had a touch of austere chewiness at points. Still though, it was great with good and very enjoyable on the night. This will be great in a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another great wine from Beaucastel which is one of my favorite producers. Decanted one hour before serving. Wine seems at maturity now ( but will certainly last another 5-10 years). Elegant, great structure with dark fruits, hint of tobacco, and earthiness. Less spicy than other vintages, but thoroughly enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Alcohol :: 14% Slight dark garnet core than the 98. This is not really showing and I only able to get hint of smoked meat, dried fig paste, kitsch and spices. Not expressive but it is focus and lifted. Medium bodied. Soft entry but expands on the palate effortlessly with complex flavors growing. It has good depth and intensity but the wine remains fresh and delineated. The tannin is ripe and firm but well integrated which giving the rounded, silky mouthfeel with good energy driving to the really long, persistent finished.
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of bell pepper, eucalyptus, strawberry, apricot and apple. It's balanced and has flavours of asparagus, green beans, tobacco, blackberry and raspberry with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful Wine and so glad I have lots more. It will be interesting to see how this wine will evole in the next 5-7yrs. I suggest it will truly grow even better within the next 5yrs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was very disappointed by this wine given the producer and the CT reviews. We followed a simple 09 Cote du Rhone that I sacrificed 1/2 the bottled in an attempt at Coq du Vin and I was actually bummed out I used the CdR on the chicken! This wine was a gift from my future son-in-law sourced from a decent wine merchant in NYC so I had high expectations for this bottle. I tried decanting, swilrling, sniffing, etc. but this bottle never came around. It was pruned and had an high alcohol taste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
very enjoyable. great length. red fruit and brambles. pdp could of used a short decant. a real treat and went well with our homemade white bean and ham soup.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez un peu funky, un peu too much de réglisse noir de cuir et de sang animal. La bouche est par contre plus agréable bel équilibre avec des tannins polis. Longue finale sur le fruit noir. Sur sont plateau et ce pour une dizaine d'années.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Umamicatessen: potting soil, lush blue and black fruits with coffee, blackberry, licorice, sweet and silky with a touch of raspberry liqueur. Not heavy, elegant and complex, really nice and in the pocket. Could go another 3-8 years+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this is really a polished version for this domain. I had this a few weeks ago, that bottle was less exciting, and bit more closed up. Here we have a wine that retains its primary fruit, yet seems to add a level of sophistication and depth. Extremely clean for Beaucastel with nice garrigue elements. The wine is still well structured and in need of additional cellar time to resolve some grippy tannins. I would keep this another 3-5 yrs in the cellar and have no doubt it will entertain a very lengthy drinking window. Another excellent wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90 minutes. Dark purple color. Nose of garrigue, black pepper, blackberry, olive tampenade, thyme. Sweet, peppery, hearty black fruits on the palate with quite ample acidity and firm tannins, layered with earth, stone, and licorice. Long finish with a bit of heat but also lovely red plum fruit and briars. Lots of grip at the end. Classic mourvedre-based CdP showing very well early in its drinking window.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What is this polished monstrosity sitting in the glass before me? Surely not my old horsey, animally, brett-infested pal Beaucastel who, when lacking these trademark characteristics, is rendered as pointless as trying to teach a woman the value of a good forward defensive stroke. However. Despite the massive concentration and thickness, this is just so beautifully balanced that I find myself making peace with this unusual absence of manure. The colour is deceptively light, showing signs of maturity at the rim. The nose is detailed and rich with flavour: showing baked, ripe cherries, raspberries, liquorice, wild oregano and a deep smoky character. The palate is spicy, intense and feels almost monolithic with the raspberry pie character really coming to the fore and some mushroomy, cedary notes just starting to emerge. Firm but perfectly-judged layers of tannin help the palate to cope with the abundance of flavour and power, before a savoury, acidic twist offers a cleansing conclusion. Drink now for fruit and power or watch the secondary complexities evolve over the next two decades.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From Jules' birthyear collection, the first of 3. Brick red, with amber edge. Showing much more age in color than on nose or palate. Enjoyed over 24 hours. Might have discarded it initially as flawed, but with a little time and aeration this wine developed steadily. Complex nose of pepper, leather, meat , black cherry and raisin. Nice balance and very good length on palate. Moderately heavy sediment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted at 10am; served around 9pm. This is developing nicely. Elegant nose with dark fruit, dried herbs and smoke. Very clean with no brett/barnyard. Equally great on the palate. Still showing youthful fruit, but great texture and perfect balance. Flavors expand across the palate nicely. Tannins are relatively tame. The finish is long and satisfying. Just entering a good early drinking window, but with years and years in front of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The colours shows more age than the palate. Dard subdued red with just a touch of brick on the rim. Cooked cherries and strawberries on the nose with lots of herbal complexity. Palate is balanced with lots of intense sweet fruit and tannins. Long finish. Drinkable but getting better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really lovely, and still quite fresh. A bit of age has integrated everything, but the wine is still quite lively, with dark and red fruits, some earthiness and herbs. Is drinking beautifully now, and should also continue to last for quite some time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blueberry, Blackberry, Fig, Raisin, and Vanilla. Mouth was in balance but in a few years I expect more volume)already tried the 1995 and 1988). I decanted the wine but still some sediments. Look forward to the next bottle in a couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Color is bright red, with no bricking at the rim. There is some minor sediment at the end of the bottle. Nose carries candied fruits and herbs. On the mouth, the wine is smooth and harmonious, although I could do with slightly more fruit. The finish carries a touch of minerals or spice. This improved over time and/or with air. I expected slightly more, and perhaps should have waited or decanted. Overall, 93-94 points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 CdPs (Maude's Liquor Bar, Chicago IL): nose: Nice and savory nose with really good tones of licorice, black cherries, garrigue, raspberries, and kirsch. There is good depth to this as well.
taste: Medium/full bodied with some chewy tannins. The structure is a bit imposing on this bottle right now, but has really good and savory tones of licorice, black cherries, garrigue and raspberries.
overall: This bottle is still very much on the young side. It was pretty open on the nose, but the structure on the palate is a bit much. This still needs some time to fully show what it has.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Didn't take notes, but really enjoyed this wine last night. Great nose, and similar earthy notes and redfruits with an amazing balance and complexity. Ready now with a good decant, but will last too (A-/A).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully right now with lots of promise for the future. Blackberries, earth, spices, and more came alive in this bottle. This is a real treasure of a CDP.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wonderful bottle of CdP. Dark fruit, earth and a warm finish are all part I this classic, serious wine that represents its region well. Classically styled yet clean. Serious yet fun. Great showing. (95)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intoxicating nose. Almost Pinot-like purity on the nose. Red fruits, very fresh. Barn in the back. Medium full, sweet fruit w a lot of acidity for a CdP. Finish is a touch awkward on opening but flushed out nicely after a bit. It is definitely ready but has years ahead of it still. Long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Disappointing in so many ways - and given other reviews, perhaps this is a duff bottle. On opening, the nose was very jammy. That quickly became more prune-like. A slight bricking in the glass. On the mouth, that prune was strong but the balance is smooth, the tannins integrated yet there is little complexity or interest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Burgundy Day 3: Dinner at Ma Cuisine (Ma Cuisine, Beaune, Burgundy): Popped and poured, this was very good indeed, but still a far poorer showing from when I remembered it a year ago. That previous bottle had the benefit of at least two hours in a decanter before serving. Still though, this was a very solid wine. It hd a beautiful nose, full of sweet spices and flowers, ripe black cherries and blackberries, and a good bit of earth and smoked meat aromas. A bit on the sweeter, more floral side for a Beaucastel I thought, but there was enough of the Provencal in that bouquet that got people guessing Rhone almost immediately. The palate was rather more primary than I remembered from the previous outing, with powerful, but very pure notes of cassis, black cherries and berries draped with a lovely layer of meat and sweet spices. A deep, powerful wine, yet it carried a certain finesse and elegance, with juicy 2001 acidity and powdery-fine but still firm structure moving into a long, spice-inflected finish. I thought this was rather delicious, especially with our cuts of game meat, but it certainly was nowhere near the last, quite transcendant, bottle. On this showing, the bottles in mycellar will be kept aside for another two to three years at least or, if I was forced to opened them, at least given a few hours of air before serving.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Orangish/light reddish in color. Huge nose of unsmoked cigar, sweet fruit, leather and MAYBE a touch of Brett. Nose was amazing. I could smell this all day. Leather/earth/mushroom on the palate. Sweet cherry and floral as well. Long juicy finish. Tannins integrating, but not at all fully resolved. Just a brilliant wine alll around.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle showed a lot more age than usual. Quite mature for a 2001...the nose could have easily passed for a mature bordeaux. A bit flat on the palate, unfortunately.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grand Rhone Tasting (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Lighter red, tawny rim. My god, compared to the Clos des Papes, this smells like Bordeaux! Full of leather and maturing secondary tones. Completely different weight and feel because of the higher acidity. Perhaps a hint of brett? Not at all sweet but some late mocha. Good but not great, average length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Showing some signs of maturity in glass - slightly bricking at the edge. On the nose violets, tobacco, savoury notes, raspberries, black fruits, plumbs and cherries. Nice precision on the palate, fruit persists, lots of spice and structure, nice weight - good, classic rhone wine. Ready to drink. Only downside is that it can occasionally can appear a bit stewed and lacking freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour, consumed over next two hours. Seems like there's still some tannin to resolve, but this is a lovely classic Beaucastel that has really improved and shed some baby fat over the last few years, revealing more nuance. Could use a little more acid for my taste, but this is a relatively minor quibble. Will probably continue to improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red with bricking at the rim. Wonderful nose of berry, earth, forest. Cherry, licorice on a full palate with great acid balance. Very soft tannins. Long and clean on the finish. Great bottle, drinking near peak with time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ripe black fruit, black olives, licorice, sweet, exotic spices, cherry-like acidity, pure and clean, fresh, but persistent and lingering, in a great place right now, but not tiring in any way. Can be enjoyed now, or kept for a few years more. But there's really no need to wait any longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Carafé plus de deux heures....Un nez de réglisse noire, avec des épices asiatiques, des mûres. La bouche est d'une grande élégance pour l'appellation, suave, d'une finesse étonnante, de la race et du style. C'est presque délicat pour le cru et l'appellation. Une finale dense, concentrée, presque sucrée, très fine, savoureuse. Grand vin! Il me rappelle le 1990....95-96 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Looking, smelling and tasting fine right now. Good legs. Nose is a bit reticent but still shows earth, raspberry, tobacco, and garrigue. Sandalwood. Big and rich yet still smooth on the palate. Has much life ahead, just a tad monolithic just now, but shows it has class and breeding. Still a little closed up just now. 4-11-15-7: 87/100,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank again, 1 year later. Consistent with previous note. Really has not moved. Probably built to go for years, but showing so good right now. Why wait.
Note: Both bottles I've had were clean and pure. Good to know when dealing with this house.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I now agree with the notes that say not to touch this for several more years. After hours of decanter time, this just didn't open up fully or more unlikely, it just doesn't have a lot of love to give. Mind you, this was good, but I was looking for more from this name and vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just to early to really tell. This could blow up in the bottle and become a really good CDP from Beucastel, or just not move. First I've drunk of it and I'm leaving the rest in the cellar for a minimum of 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I had this wine twice in a short time. The first time it was good, although very evolved with lots of secondary aromas. Garrigue, kirsch, licorice even a bit funky, 90Pts. The second bottle was oxidized. May be this suggests that one should drink up this vintage. The 07 in comparison is young and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Weeknight Tasting in Wellesley (Andrew's House): Well, after 5 full bottles and a split for 3 people, we thought it was a good idea to pop one more. Popped and poured, but once this was in the glass, no one wanted to drink it. Very primary, with some heat noted, so we poured it back in the bottle for the following day. On day two, this has not budged. On the nose, raspberry puree, powdered sugar, spice. On the palate, raspberry liqueur and spice. Mild tannin, moderate acidity, and a rather long finish. Very textured in the mouth, with somewhat of a glycerol component. I was catching a bit of heat off the nose and on the palate that is unpleasant. I had read a few favourable notes, but this was not in a good spot for me right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
375ml at BWC tasting. Very different wine from the '98, and much more mature. Nose had noticeable funk with dried cherries and plums. Sappy flavors of cherries, tar, minerals with tobacco. Nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From 375, not decanted. Much more expressive than the ’98, with leather, spice, and mature dried fruit on the nose. Palate was round, coating the mouth, with some sandy tannins on the back end. Lengthy finish of sandalwood, spice, tar, and spice. Plenty of funk and leather throughout. Preferred to the ’98, though this bottle did seem more advanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Starting to slowly mature and reveal secondary characteristics - still has that slightly wooly Beaucastel nose and palate but time in glass lets the wine stretch out a touch. Lots of sweet, red fruit, herbs, garrigue and liquorice. Very good finish although the wine probably just needs a few more years to lose some of the puppy fat that it is still carrying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Generally expected much more. Tannin which outweighed the fruit. Not sure it will ever balance out. Some nice red fruit tones, but generally fairly crude and rustic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cloudy ruby with a brown tint, subdued red cherry nose, layered palate of ripe red berries and baking spices, smooth but somewhat light weight, medium long finish. It picked up some weight, density and texture on day 2. Very good but I drank this alongside a 2001 clos des papes which topped this all around, with a much more aromatic nose and more lively and interesting palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium purple with a mahogany tint. The wine offers a distinctly gamey nose, layering white truffle and leather over blackberries and melted tar. A lingering spicy element intrigues. Burgundian levels of acidity on the palate, which offers sour cherries and pomegranate fruit flavors. Unlike the style one sees in so many other contemporary CDP this one isn't overripe at all, and instead is a wine about balance: balance between the flavorful but acid-dominated fruits, the fine tannins and the minerality that holds it all together. Long finish. A very fine success, really one of my favorite styles for a recent Beaucastel and, in this style, brilliant. Serve it in a setting where you might have considered a high-end red burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Textbook Beaucastel, with impeccable balance and depth, focus and precision. Immediately expressive upon opening, it then closed up after an hour or so. This needs a long decant at this point in its development. This is no where near to being ready to drink now - you could do, but this bottle was consumed alongside a Coudoulet six years its younger ('07), and the similarity was striking for a 10yo wine. Leave it another 10 years, and drink up the Coudoulet in the meantime. 92+++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruit a little muted but some noticeable brett which I generally don't mind, and sometimes often expect in CdP, but think this was bordering on faulty for my palate. Have had better bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Carmine red. Garrigue and fresh red fruits in the bouquet. Juicy fruits on the palate, touch of chocolate as well, good acidity and tannin. Soft and elegant , beautiful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garrigue with a touch of mineral in the nose; medium aromatics, medium body with raspberry-cherry kirsch and lifting acidity; slightly hot finish. This didn't show as well as the others in the flight. 90-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
EWG - 2001: A Taste Odyssey (Conrad Green's Abode): Bright, pure fruited, forward nose without much in the way of secondary notes. Never had that experience from this house. The palate is more complex and classic though. Very focused with crunchy acidity. Nicely balanced and clean with medium tannin. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Game and Rhone Tasting @ Peggy's (Villa Reynart, Opoeteren): Very, very powerful, rough and tannic. Black and red fruit is clear, creamy, well defined and concentrated. Lots of licorice. Alcohol still somewhat prominent. Beautiful wine of great stature and substance, significant cellaring potential. 18+/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
appears to have fallen into a deep sleep. nose totally shut down, despite being in a decanter for over an hour. all the elements seemed to be there, but just can't smell or taste much of it! will put the case to bottom of pile and revisit in a few years' time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very juicy, full bodied wine with cherries, some sweet licorice and herbs and spices. The alcohol is showing a bit, but overall a beautiful wine with enough future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ugh. What happened here? Reddish-brown, seemed intensely fruity on the nose, but tasted like cheap cooking sherry. Cork was in good shape and fill seemed normal. Left in a stoppered decanter and returned to the cellar overnight, after which we called time of death and introduced it to the drain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initial funk blew off after about 30 minutes. Nice nose of cherries, leather, etc. Taste is a tad sweet and finish is a bit shorter than I would have expected. Nice wine, I just don't see this as a mid-90's wine, though I admit that my ardor for C du Pape has cooled a bit in the past couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Generous nose of fresh raspberry, fresh herb, sweet soil, garrigue, complex, clean and entrancing. Red licorice and sweet/tart Grenache fruit on the silky and pure palate. Sexy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
13.5% alcohol. decanted (mild sediment), and followed in the glass for 3 hours, but i was totally bored with the wine after 90 minutes. a major disappointment. promising nose during the decant. first sips were after about 30 minutes, and i thought it was going to be a nice pairing with spare ribs; but the wine seemed to rather quickly fall off. almost no stank, and the wine showed very soft, too evolved. looks like i'm going to have to open another bottle soon to see how it compares. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
ORTANIQUE Double Blind Brown Bag Dinner (Ortanique, Miracle Mile, Coral Gablesl): - Purple color with slow forming legs and aromas of black olive, eucalyptus, black currant and cloves. It's balanced and has flavours of black olive, blackberry, black currant, licorice anise and cloves with a full body. Round texture with a long finish - Al's wine reprise. Most of us IDed Rhone, Pablo thought Northern, I and a few others thought it clearly CdP. To my mind much better than the bottle we had 7/7. Complex herbs de Provence notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over an 8 hour period. as expected, fairly flat to start and not giving a lot on the nose for the first couple of hours but then came on like gangbusters. Lightly perfumed after 3 hours with hints of earth and cedar box. An incredibly complex wine that has a long life ahead of it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant and beautiful on the palate...with depth and complexity on the nose and palate that showcase a wonderful example of what Chateauneuf du Pape can be...glad I have more for the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shafer, Beaucastel: Still too young. The nose takes some coaxing but has some depth. Clean and just a hint of funk. Very tightly wrapped. I popped and poured this from a 375, but a decant is in order. You can feel how well made this is, and there is so much going on, but it is not obvious. Continue to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark, funky CDP; one of my favorites. It drinks like older mourvedre; smooth, dark, Turkish fig, leather, tobacco, umani, a hint of chocolate, rich (not bitter) coffee notes. It's like a color chart going from brown to black. It's rich and there is some sweetness, but not a lot of what I think of as fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs: Al's wine. I have never acquired a taste for it(the Mourvedre element is greater than most CdP's). I am told you have to wait on Beaucastel. I HAVE THREE OF THIS VINTAGE! I'll wait until I'm 80 I guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful cdp loads of fruit spice box, mushroom, and earth. Perfect compliment to sushi dinner. Much mre evolved, and better, than the 2001 at this stage.
Right after opening: it is still young and tight. Balsamic with pepper in the nose. A 3 hour decant helped, but it is still young and fresh. Great power both in nose (leather, pepper, ash) and mouth. Enjoyable now, but there is probably much more to offer after a few more years of aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
phew, first bottle was corked after opening the case. I think this needs more time, not as yielding as I would hope. Generally speaking 2000s seem to be in a better place and will wait before further exploring '01s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3rd time from my cellar. Repeat what I said 18 months ago--this wine gets a lot of 94-96s on CT, but I just don't see it. Puprle plum in color. Decent nose of plum, earth and garrique (no brett). Decent balanced palate of plum, charcoal, mineral and hint of licorice. Very slightly tannic. Opened about half hour and poured. Maybe a long decant is the secret. Will try that next time with my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Pierre Gagnaire (Pierre Gagnaire, Rue Balzac, Paris): Served after an hour in the decanter, this was quite clearly the wine of the night for me in the midst of very stern competition. As good a Beaucastel as I ever had - it just about blew me away. The wine had a killer nose, almost Burgundian in its fligreed, lacy scents. Lots of lovely dark fruit aromas - plums and black cherries - some smoked meat, dried earth, flowers, glowing garrigue scents, like walking through a Provencal garden - wonderful stuff that you could smell from the moment the sommelier brought the decanter out. The palate, though just a tad less developed than the nose, was every bit as lovely. It had soft plush tannins, beautiful acidity, and lovely flavours of dark cherries and blackberries floating across the mouth with interesting little bits of spice and meat that dotted the pure fruit as the wine wound its way into a long finely defined finish where there were little whiffs of smoky mineral. With more time, some crystallined flavours of red dates, maraschinos and sweet spice started emerging.There was just an amazing freshness and purity to it all and a fine sense of structure and balance that bodes well for the wine's future. A glorious wine. I can only hope that the couple of bottles back home in my cellar have been stored as well. The only problem now is how to keep my hands off them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
- Ruby color - An initial scent of vinegar in the decanter quickly blew off and was replaced by a fruity (cherry jam) fragrance. On the mouth it started off the same, and as it spent longer in the decanter, a darker fruit emerged and eventually a little liquorice. It has good length - perhaps 60 seconds or more. I only have one more bottle of this left sadly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another wonderful Beaucastel. Black cherry, licorice, garrigue and leather. Med bodied with a soft, fine grained tannic finish. Drinking very nicely after about 1 1/2 hour decant. Fresh and youthful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hrs. As the recent notes in CT suggest, this is really gaining steam and momentum as of late, and this particular showing was all that I could hope for from this Domaine. About a good as one could for in a CdP, that wave of dark cherry jam and freshly laid asphalt, maybe a touch of truffle here, or a dash of Provencal herbs there, I could almost feel the Minstrel winds blowing through Maple Valley WA last night. The palate was solid as a rock, not so much in a tannic manner, but I just couldn’t find a weakness here. A dense core of red cherry and spices supplemented by a striking floral lift, and no medium plus here Mr. Jennings ;) absolutely seamless delivery here, dare I say almost clean? I am very happy to have three more of these for further contemplation down the road. FYI This bottle was from PC, purchased around 2005, and looks to have a German imports sticker on the back, go figure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had with Colin. Took at least an hour to open up. Tannins still quite present. Wonderfully lush fruit. One could taste both the grenache and syrah elements. Harder for me to identify other grapes included. Long finish. Not quite as wonderful as the '98, but very, very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hmmm, starting to wake from it's slumber? This was weightier..more 'alive' than my last bottle. Almost flashy. Long, long, long life ahead. Still primary, juicy and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fabulous, deep core of dark, pure fruit. This wine shocked me in the precision of its fruit--incredibly clean for a Beaucastel.
This wine screams old vine fruit pedigree--intense, clean, strucutred, true. Dark earthy flavors of leather, scortched Earth and black fruits. Incredible structure towards the acid profile. At $75 this is a screaming deal in comparison to its domestic Rhone-blend brethren by outpacing them all.
Beaucastel's reputation for bretty wines generally scares me away, in this case there was absolutely nothing to fear. Further, I generally shy away from Mourvedre dominant wines for their iodine-y, animalistic qualities. Again, not to be found here, I loved the fruit this wine exhibited. Drink this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pirate à la verticale Clos des Papes Ce vin m’a impressionné par la belle impression d’unité, de précision qui s’en dégage. Le nez m’a semblé discret, mais la bouche très bien équilibrée, la finale longue et fine. 92-93 pts J’aurais parié que Beaucastel serait le plus facile à reconnaître des pirates. Bluffé! C’est le seul que je n’ai pas reconnu :-(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was distinctive in its complex and shifting array of herbal, leathery, and fruity smells and the beam of focused, bright, acidic fruit that cut across the palate. Took 45 minutes in the decanter to come into it's own, but drank very nicely over a leisurely valentine's dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and allowed to sit for 90mins before consuming over the following 2 hours. Light in weight and very short finish. We tried this out of 4 different stems trying to find its sweet spot and just never found it. Evidence of some solid components like smoke, bacon fat, meat, just all too muted to really be an outstanding wine - or at least as good as my prior bottles tasted. Will revisit in a few years and hope for the better!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is lovely but is emerging from somewhat of a backwards moment. Great berry flavors with smoke and leather. This wine was consumed over the course of an evening but may have shown more if given the time. Only open for 1 hour before drinking. Looking forward to the next bottle but not for a minimum of three years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur: Robijnrood, niet supergeconcentreerd Aroma / bouquet: Prachtig aroma. Eerste associatie is die met een 'open haard, the morning after', gerookte ham, kruidig, Engelse drop, Smaak / Afdronk: Prachtig, enerzijds heerlijk fris met wat kruidig, donker fruit, voldoende vulling maar met boterzachte tannines. Complex en gelaagd. Veel lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige wijn. Nu overheerlijk maar met een grote toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 92/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours and served with mixture of post Christmas cold meats. Probably not the best combination but the wine was great. More structure than other CDPs I've had great combination of rich red fruits and spiciness. I feel there's a fair way for this to go before it's really in its drinking window - perhaps a couple of years at least.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
– popped and poured – – tasted a single glass non-blind over 15 minutes – – decanted for 1 hour before the event –
Fine particulate matter present. Nose was sweet, and showing red berries along with a strong wave of rosebush; also had this odd (but strangely not off-putting) hint of fresh lake fish. Medium-full bodied. The palate was very tight, but did show some red berry (raspberry jam) and earth flavors. Tannins were grippy, but not drying; acidity was noticeable; overall, this struck me as well-balanced. Needs time; do not drink now; I believe this has the goods to be superlative with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Minneapolis Does CDP, Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Dark red color. aerated and 1 hour decant. Loved this nose: gorgeous, perfumed, lavendar, herb de provence, dark fruits. Palate has nice depth, good acidity and well integrated tannins, black fruit, spices, nice finish. I thought this really showed well and has even more potential with additional time. Probably my #2 WOTN, tough call as was neck and neck with the '98 Clos des Pape. 93+pts.
Decanted for 1 hour.Vibrant fruity on the nose.Tons of dark and red fruit/berries on the palate with a very smooth and silky texture.Very delicious and balanced.Surprised by the lack of secondarys that might have emerged if I had been more patient and decanted it longer.Still not regretting popping it this early since its in a good phase right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2010-10; Châteauneuf-du-Pape (By VD): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of herbs and spices and black fruits. Same on the palate. Ripe fruit juice with a hint of sweetness. Good concentration. The tannin is soft and still offers a mild bite. Great and complex wine. Better and more intriguing than the 1998. Beautiful moment to drink it now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and poured from a 375, cork in good shape bottom of which was stained about 1-2mm. A dark but transparent ruby red, suggesting an elegant wine rather than bombastic and hedonistic ... a good start. And after smelling the nose of dried twigs, tea and slightly pruney I was eagerly anticipating this highly regarded wine ... but only to be disappointed. The fruit was hidden, had a lot of VA and was grainy in texture. It got a little better with air in the glass with more fruit, a hint of spice but relatively charmless and insipid. Off bottle?? 86-87 Day 2 – Much better. Elegant red fruit is in the foreground, the awkward rough texture is gone replaced by a nice silky medium-bodied mid-palette, with minerals, spices, and good acidity on the finish (higher than most CdPs I've had, but I like it that way). In fact rather burgundian. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Southern Rhone night: 3 hour decant. Slightly browny colour. Dark. Bouquet needed waking up in the glass. Nice, deep, complex. Palate smooth and delicious. A little less "exciting" than Beaucastel can be though. Very elegant and stylish. Very good, but for the money I expected more character.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The best CDP I have had in a long time. The balance was completely correct. Incredibly sharp, focused and intense fruit backed by a solid acid framed in good tannins. Color, nose and pallet were all incredibly impressive. Not a single fault with this wine. On that note I would mention that I have found CDP far too extracted and overly ripe recently. Some vignerons seem to be driven to make "elixirs" of syrupy fruit backed with high octane alcohol. Beaucastel have continued to make a wine that is balanced and enjoyable. Considering the acid and the tannin I don't expect this wine to loose it's touch anytime soon. Continue to enjoy for many many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It really has been quite the experience to watch this wine evolve over the last 5 years. This is starting to enter into a window where the secondary characteristics or old leather, fig, and roasted meats come through on the palate. The nose is powerful yet delicate...and the tannin, while present is really starting to integrate more completely into the wine...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gotta slow my consumption of these. Still too young and tight, but enjoyable just the same. Clean for a Beau. Cherry, licorice, garrigue, a little bacon. Medium bodied, needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep blueberry and raspberry fruits. Lightly spicey, some violets and tar. Intense blueberry, plums, boysenberry fruits. Med-Hvy wt, strong but fine tannins, balanced, gorgeous, sweet and spicey. No hint of gaminess. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big and plummy, oak, spice, figs, slight soy sauce. Not my favorite CdP that I've had in awhile, but it could just be timing. Seems big and clunky, and a bit overwrought.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From Half-Bottle: The waitress popped the cork, sniffed it and frowned. Uh oh... At first, we thought it was slightly, every-so-teasingly slightly corked. But no, it was just funky. Really, really funky. So funky, that I took the decanter it was in, covered the top, and shook it up to make that dirty thing air out. To say I got weird looks from our neighbors is putting it mildly. Still, the funk would come and go, teasing us but then fading away and allowing the big, earthy black fruits to kick in, with leather and meat entertwined within. When the quail dish with foie gras arrived, the fruit perked up and joined us for dinner, but that dirty thing stayed just within reach. As they say, there are only good bottles, and this wasn't one of them. OK but not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my second time with this wine. Not showing well tonight. VA. Syrupy and hint of molasses. In the mouth, a lot more satisfying with good red fruits and acidity. ?85
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): We incidentally tasted this almost exactly one year ago at Knightsbridge. A nice heady perfume nose of feminine silky sweet and pruney fruit. Nice floral play of bright and vivid red rose petals. A little sappy, almost overly ripe fruit, but it works so well for me. Camphor, sweet spice - LOVELY spice even. Some cool fresh ground baking spice, violets and even a background ironwork and some gravelly aromas round out the complex nose. This wine is showing wonderfully right now. The palate is smooth and in perfect harmony. A light funk on the mid palate provides an excellent transition into a big finish showing some nice heat. You can sense the old vines used to produce this big boy. Really nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful clear ruby with penetrating menthol nose. P says aniseed. Brazen armagnac start eclipses the fruit for me. Flavour - marmalade? is that mad? - holds briefly before falling away. Memories of a marc de CNP I had in Arles... Potentially great - I'll hold another bottle for a year or so hoping for a greater richness of fruit, but we'll see...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than the previous bottle. This is the way Beaucastel should be; Full bodied, good red fruits and spices and a long finish. Might improve a bit the next few years, but is already a great pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great bottle. Had with rack of lamb and it went perfectly. Lively tastes of red cherries, strawberries and currents with a hint of pepper. Opened without decanting, was a little tight to start but quickly opened to express a spicy, light and lively character with plenty of depth. Pared well with the lamb. Should age well but does not require decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little lactic in the bouquet. Supple red fruits. Some sweetness and a lot of acidity. Lacks elegance and finesse. Is the wine in an awkward stage or is this an off bottle? In any case not like I am used to from Beaucastel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Youthful, a little wound up? Herbs, pepper, spice, unintegrated oak. Kind of bland and charmless, definitely not representative. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
À l'ouverture des notes un peu animales et un fruit suave, j'ai eu l'heureuse idée de la déboucher deux heures avant le service. Des arômes de framboises et autres fruit rouge, un peu atypiques pour le cru. Il montre une belle concentration mais aussi beaucoup de finesse, au point où notre ami tentait de l'identifier évoquait plusieurs vins plutôt fins de l'appellation (Charvin par ex.) Un vin riche et fin a la fois, frais et large, qui se montre à la hauteur de sa belle réputation. Une finale complexe, même en plein air, sur la lavande et la garrigue. Un Châteauneuf profond et un grand Beaucastel. Peut-être celui dont le style se rapproche le plus des 1989 (ma référence absolue) et 1990 du domaine, sans les égaler du moins à ce stade. Il sera peut-être meilleur dans deux ou trois ans mais offre déjà beaucoup. 94-95 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Pages Dublin Offline (Ely CHQ, Dublin, Ireland): A little closed, probably should have decanted the wine even though it was opened early enough. No sign of any stinkyness here! A solid wine but no blockbuster tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 30 minutes. Beautiful light nose of sweet berries, leather, black pepper, burned earth. A medium ruby color wine. The fruit danced on my tongue with flavors of berries, leather, earth, tobacco, black pepper. The wine is well structured with mature tannins, and yet it is fresh like a new wine with youthful fruit. Amazing! But within two hours after opening, all the fun faded and it was just another nice 10 year old wine. So don't wait too long after opening to drink. I would have given it a couple more points but for the quick fade. (Doris - pretty good. (tasted 2 hrs after open)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took an hour to open, but once it did, it was classic Beaucastel. beautiful leathery nose, sweetness that lingered for a long time, very nice acidity, great wine. It's got another decade left in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red brownish; very expressive nose of ripe cherries, sherry-like, saddle leather; sweet, mellow, fresh berries, structured, slightly acid; drinking very well right now, but for how long will it last?
After almost two months of back-to-back Bordeaux tasting, I bought this bottle to freshen things up with something completely different. No disappointments there! Immediate sensations (both nose and palette) were a strong whiff of Armagnac, and the tea scent mentioned by someone else makes sense also. Lots and lots of depth, and enough spice to make my eyes almost start watering. Long (1 minute plus on this tasting) and powerful finish settles with a slight sweet aftertaste suggestive of sultanas almost reminiscent of a great Sauternes! Incredible! It seems to be both showing some of the smoothness of maturity, but still vigorously young. Will grab half a dozen to lay down and watch over the next 15 years. Tempting to leave a couple for 20-30 frankly. Excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
slightly cloudy dark red color. very unique nose on this sucker... big earth/soil notes initially, then a little funk, tobacco, black cherry, blackberries, meat, herbs. SMOOTH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
not anywhere near where I thought this wine would be. color is preserved red to dark red, nose is more accessible. not too stinky. in the mouth a disturbing tea-like quality. very soft without the concentration i hoped for. overall a disappointing bottle. is this the future of overripe wines with low acid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first Beaucastel and a very nice experience - this was drinking incredibly. Very primary with lots of red fruits, figs and tobacco dominating the nose along with a nice dallop of asian spice. Bright and lively throughout showing nice acidity. In the mouth, it was again lively and complex with round flavors of dark fruits, lots of spice -primarily the asian variety- and a touches of tobacco and leather. Delicious and, though admittedly a novice at Beaucastel, I can only see this getting better over the next decade and a half.
Incredible Beaucastel, drinking very well right now. Who knows with age it could turn into a denser viscous fig and spice-box monster like the 89 or thin like the 96, but right now it's just what I want from this wine.
There's just a little funk on the nose, and after a little while open has the whole bag of tricks; there's that chunky brown fig, tobacco leaf, persian spice, fresh wild thyme, dark cherry-blackberry hybrid fruit; dense and light on the palate at the same time with a deep, nuanced beef broth (almost blood) and saddle leather finish.
Had at a Rhone tasting don't know how long it was decanted but clearly treated well.
Dark inky color. Nose had the earthy black raspberry as its core with a bit of mint and white pepper underneath that. Taste was intense dark fruits, allspice, white pepper all in an exceptionally balanced packaged.
Simply gourgeous mix of red fruits paired with great complexity, earth, mineral, and spice, with hints of anise, leather and rock. No sense of brett at all. This is drinking great right now, but I think perhaps it has upside.
Two hour double decant, then sat in the bottle for another two hours. Very little on the nose throughout, some sweet fruit on the initial pour in the decanter but that was about it.
While the nose was definitely disappointing, on the palate this was really nice to drink, lots of spice and dark fruits and a lengthy finish.
Knew this would be young when I opened it, and no doubt we jumped the gun a bit. Will save my other bottles for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Beaucastel vs Vieux Telegraph with Steven Spurrier (Handford Wines, London): Handford Wines, Beaucastel & Vieux Telegraph with Steven Spurriier, London10-Feb-10 Very nice wine, great now (needs 1.5hrs decanting min) and will be a star for the future and for reasonable price. Ink colour deep,black fruit ans spice. How nice that we have 3 sleeping in our cellar. See you in 5yrs ( Both of us agree on rating and for sure it will be a 95+ in a few years)
SS Additional Notes - Smoky spicy, one of the best beaucastels, closed still and will drink well over 20yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rating witheld. Some raspberry on the nose, but fairly subtle. Fairly thin on the palate with some fruit, but nothing spectacular. Not obviously flawed, this drank like a wine that's too old, which hardly possible given the fact that it is 2001 and was stored perfectly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 Chateauneuf du Pape single blind tasting (Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York): Dark, dense, almost black color. Very backward, but also very polished fruit. None of those farmyard or animal characters I usually find in Beaucastel. Austere and unforgiving, quite hard to judge. I had it down as a the Janasse Chaupin potentially which says something about what in my mind has been going on at Beaucastel since the mid-90s. In need of time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Frankrijk, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur: Robijnrood met oranjebruine rand Aroma / bouquet: Vol en rijp bouquet, duidelijke tertiaire en herst-achtige tonen. Gedroogd fruit, leer, nat herfstbos. Kruidige indrukken als zoethout en laurier, beetje koffie-toffee. Smaak / Afdronk: Vriendelijke, ronde aanzet. Zachte zuren, boterzachte en ronde tannines, mooie lengte. Smaak gaat duidelijk de gerijpte kant op, waarbij de zuren iets metalig worden. Algemeen / potentieel: Ch9dP die wat mij betreft haar ideale plek aan tafel aan het opgeven is voor een plekje bij het haardvuur en een goed gesprek. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 6 = 88/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2nd time trying this wine from my cellar about a year apart. This wine gets a lot of 94-96s on CT, but I just don't see it. Slightly better than first bottle and a very nice wine, but not to that degree IMHO. Dark cherry red. Plum, earth and a touch of that pleasant Beaucastel barnyard on the nose. Integrated and balanced palate of plum, cherry, earth and charcoal. No tannin and seems ready to drink, but I think a few more years might do wonders for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Granted, it's young, but it's drinking very well young. Raspberries and bruised strawberry aroma, with a little bit of secondary moist earth, leather and meat. Mostly primary, but not at all closed. Improved after and hour or two of aeration. Not nearly in its prime, but very enjoyable at this early drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sour and sweet cherries and other red fruits in the slightly spicy, but fresh smelling nose. No 'Beaucastel funk' here! (Grenache fruit seems to dominate the blend.) On the palate sweet and sour red fruits, slightly dusty, already well integrated tannins, refreshing acidity (a lot of it - good with food), sweet spices, a hint of animal blood and black coffee. Very balanced and rather elegant, almost Burgundy-like wine. Still fairly young, but certainly drinkable now. Will probably develop additional complexity with a bit more age. Plain delicious Beaucastel. Btw, I opened the bottle about 5 hours before tasting; the wine kept evolving positively in the glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinfolio purchase, held 2 years. Decanted 2 hours. Wide open. Translucent red color. Complex aromas -- herbs, white pepper, hot stones. A biting, bracing wine with intensity and length. Chewy and mouth-watering. Acidity is pronounced, but calms down on the long finish. Not particularly tannic. Great for the dining table. Long-lived.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting Group Dinner - Miscellaneous (Heidi's, Minneapolis): An odd showing. Very ripe nose. Atypical, young, and more like 2003 than 2001 in character. This shows unusually ripe and rich dark fruit and baking spice, and comes off as quite over-the-top. Based on my previous experience with this wine (see TNs), this is either in a strange phase of its development, or we had an off bottle. Judgment reserved.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another Wednesday at Heidi's: The nose is huge and not particularly enjoyable featuring very ripe red fruit, brown sugar and some notes of nail polish. Way too new world smelling right now for me. In the mouth this delivers sweet red fruit with a nice weight. Bottles of this in my cellar will remain buried for many years if I don't decide to sell them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. What a difference a year makes. This bottle was fully ready to drink from the beginning but did improve a little with an hour of air. 2nd day was not quite as good as yesterday but still very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great showing. Fantastic bottle. Still young, but impeccably balanced, fruit forward, gaining mid-palate complexity. A bigtime CdP that will develop for many years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle seemed unwilling to open up. Hints of dark black/blue fruit and earth. Super dark color for a CDP. Not nearly as much bret as is usually associated with this wine. Not as complex as I was expecting either. Retry after a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Part of an 8 wine 2000/2001 ChdP tasting. Ranked 1 or 2. No barnyard, brett or anything other than terrific fruit and garrigue notes. Color fine, no hint brick yet. On the mouth, rich and smooth with fruit, the most complex of all the wines. Along with rich fruit, there was tobacco, grilled meat--traditional ChdP, except for the smoothness and more fruitiness than Beaucastel has for us traditionally. Has plenty of time left, but is drinking very, very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tremendous - meat, animal and dirt nose. Powerful yet refined blue fruit character. Still a few years away from maturity. This is a great vintage for Beaucastel. (94+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TN-2000/2001 CdP: Dark, understated, yet showing immense power, complexity, poise and silky density. Very Bordeaux-like characteristics. I suspect the higher Mourvedre content may explain that. Just a tad less dense than the 2000 Pegau, but may have more in reserve than than the Pegau.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
red to dark red. bought on release. relatively shut down. nose not offering much other than a hint of southern rhone. In the mouth, excellent texture and acid with smooth tannins and a long finish. this wine is clearly a great wine but at this time not approachable. Reminds of of burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light red with a fair amount of bricking. Chocolate and dark fruit, plums, bluberries. A bit light in the mouth with hints of mineral and sweet. A bit of tannin but...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Elegant light ruby red. Nose of light spicy bramble berries and exotic raspberries. A light licorice, fennel note on the nose with a rusty nail play on the back end. Nice mossy aromas but not really shroomy - more like a fresh forest floor. The palate is pure and clean like an ocean breeze. Some grip on the finish - exquisitely made as a whole. Depth and layered fruit and earth. Excellent life and vibrancy. Drinking well now but certainly potential for another decade in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big wine and smooth, but very dirty/earthy and almost had a slight note of dried seaweed. To some degree all the funkiness obscures the fruit, and the wine does not evolve over the evening. Given reputation and price, cognitive dissonance gets it to 90.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I am afraid that I don't like Beaucastel - this icon of Chateauneuf. This wine is just like the other two I have tried (1990+1998). Tons of Brett, stewed fruit, overripe and just not very fresh. Long portlike finish. No rating.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We loved this wine. It had smoothed out since last bottle, and if anything, there was less "barnyard" than before. Classic ChdP and we think, ready to drink, although it will last years. Had the expected garrigue elements, and flint-like aspect we associate with this wine, but fruit was evident and more forward than we anticipated. It's doing very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strong, smoky, and organic smelling with a pervasive peat. Even after two hours of decanting, which helped, it is obvious that this very good wine can use a few more years of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On a scorching Summers eve I pulled this from the cellar (thought I grabbed the '98) for dinner at the parents. While not decanted, it was andouzed for 40 minutes--a good move. Lots of grenache, tar and hot earth. Somehow, it seemed reserved and not all in line, perhaps a little disjointed? I do believe this will settle into a glorious bottle, but will refrain from the rest until 2011+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was outstanding, but not showing as well as I had hoped. In the glass it was a deep plum color with scents of earth, spice box, tobacco, plums, and bloody meat. In the mouth there was good acid, tannin, and fruit balance with a smoked black fruit, granite, and lite cedar note that lingered on a medium length finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mono-dimensional and probably still closed down. Decanted for two hours, but never came around. Should have waited much longer to pop this one. Live and learn...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brilliant, transparent red colour, starting to show just a little bit of evolution at the rim. Nose is explosive : tar, beefy component, red fruit jam (but not tooooo jammy), rocks and spices. Texture is very nice, with tanins at a great stage now : just enough grip, but a smooth touch as well. Palate is pretty complex, with red flowers, minerals, tar. Nice length, great acidity (really a must for this type of wine as the heady powerful palate would be just too much without the freshness of the acidity.) Will keep for another 5-10 years easily.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beaucastel Vertical 81-01 (Gurnee IL, Jordan's house): nose: this nose is screaming right off the bat with all sorts of black fruits, red fruits, bright red cherries, raspberries, kirsch liqueur, raspberries and hints of pepper. Almost new worldish as there is definitely a brighter tones to the fruit on the nose
taste: lovely feel with good tannins. Very rich tones of sweet perfumes, kirsch liqueur, raspberries, red cherries, red fruits, and some hints of pepper. Great depth on the palate with wonderful length
overall: this will need more time. Very youthful, but a tremendous wine already that can get better. Needs to evolve a bit more and let some of the tannins subside a slight bit, but those that have this in their cellars should be very happy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The least impressive wine of the night. I thought it was very slightly corked. It seemed to blow off during the night. However the wine never reached its potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young, just coming around. A very clean and elegant Beaucastel; not much mouvedre funk, no brett. Dark fruit dominates, tertiary aromas just peaking through. A very good future, and I think I've scored this very conservatively.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
this is very good stuff. Had it decanted for few hours. It has everything what you should expect from beaucastel, still i miss the WOW. Have been drinking few CDPs over the weekend (see previous notes if you care) and this fares the best so far (my wife agrees). Getting ready for Henry Bonneau, so we shall see
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this head to head against an '02 Pegau CDP. I fully expected the Beau to trounce it, but instead the consensus around the table was that it just edged it. Filter decant, let sit 2+ hours. Color very dark garnet, medium to full body. A nice but restrained bouquet of plum sauce, blackberry, garrique, and black pepper. Absolutely zero sign of age and extra dimensions of leather, barnyard, meat, etc. were unfortunately not present. Much of the nose transferred to palate with big ripe blockbuster dark fruit, earth and minerals. At this youthful stage it actually strikes the palate as more of a fruit bomb than old school. At 3.5 hours the bouquet became more open with more earth and pepper, but then the fruit on the palate was becoming oxidized and losing freshness - surprising and not as enjoyable to drink. Very good length (not great), nice mouthfeel, acidity medium and moderately firm tannins were present giving it nice structure and aging potential. Cannot give this under-performing bottle more than a 90, or recommend it when current price range to buy is 65 to 80. It also makes it harder to justify shelling out nearly 90-100 for the '05 and yikes for the '07.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was suggested as a pairing in a cookbook with braised lambshanks. It was a pinpoint pairing suggestion, and the wine itself provided a nice blackberry, white pepper, tobacco juice marinate for those lamb shanks. Bravo, Frank Stitts, for your suggestion in The Southern Table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Poured side by side with a Guigal and a Delas Hermitage at byob dinner. Best of the 3 but not deserving of the CT scores for this wine. I've had Beaucastel many times but, although very good, it always leaves me looking for something more. Dark red with a nice nose of black fruits. More of the same on the palate with some earth and charcoal. Tannin resolved and ready to drink. A very nice wine, but I can't see myself adding recent vintages to my cellar at the escalating prices for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I had this at a restaurant where they don't seem to store the wines correctly. But I'm not sure this didn't help this from my point of view. This is the classic Beaucastel, with dark Mourvedre-driven animal, leather, tar, tobacco, and fresh herbs. And did I mention the classic Beaucastel funk? What a wonderful stink. This is the best Beaucastel I've had this year. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think back to this dark, spicy, deeply flavored Chateauneuf du Pape from time to time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick red colour with intense nose of red, compote fruit, coffee and eucalyptus. Beautiful mouthfeel, long finish. Really opened up after an hour or two. Drinking wonderfully now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very very good and well matured cdp, one of the best we've had - enjoyed earlier tonight for dinner with good friends Tony & Karen Rose. Great surprise, very smooth and balanced, thick viscous and lovely mouth feel with long lingering aftertaste. Too expensive to be a good QPR. Nose bold and somewhat dark with dark stone fruit, tobacco box and spices including black pepper and allspice. Probably would further benefit from decanting for next few years. Primary flavors consisted of dark stone fruit, leather, salt, terroir and pepper. Highly recommed this wine, really drinking well now and would also recommend starting to drink holdings now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had to pop another one since CTs continue to post good experiences. This one from a .375 is much better than the 750 I had a couple of months ago. I can better see where this wine is going. If this bottle is a good indication then it is very early in its evolution. Great fruit with good tannic grip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perhaps an off bottle. Started with a musty wet cardboard smell that did blow off. My initial reaction was this bottle was corked. After it blew off it left only a decent CDP behind. After 3 hours a nose of leather, herbs, dirt, mushrooms, and plum sauce. A palate that was arguably harsh with a spicy but tart finish. I love Beaucastel and this only hinted at a good beau. While this wine was drinkable I suspect it was off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Dark burgundy-esque ruby color, nearly viscous mouth feel, tremendous legs. Touch of barnyard, mace(?), dark fruit on the nose. Plum, earth, tobacco, tremendous length - at least 30 seconds. Served with sous-vide burgundy truffle/armagnac chicken thighs. Fantastic pairing. Next course was braised (15 hour sous-vide) short ribs served with a (lovely) 2002 Pape Clement (a new-worldy Graves that drinks quite nicely) and the chicken/Beaucastel completly blew them both out of the water - I should have flipped the courses!
This goes in my all-time top ten great wine/food experiences. And Sokolin emailed this for around $90 last week!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purlple in color with mild earth tones on the nose, no real barnyard noted. Eucalyptus noted as the wine opened up. Medium body with forward fruit, subtle tannins not overpowering at all, with mild pepper on the finish which was very long and pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar to the last time we had it. Good nose with a little barnyard, color still very good, and for us a very typical Beaucastel. Well-balanced with plenty left, but the fruit is coming through and the tannins are not as harsh as several years ago. The typical mix of garrigue, earth, perhaps tobacco, some mineral notes, but good rich fruit and some smoothness. To me, it's an "in-between" Beaucastel. Not as traditional as older vintages, but also not nearly as fruit-forward as 03-05.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Frankrijk, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur:) Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Typerend Ch9dP aroma: rijp rood fruit (kersen / bramen), zoethout, zoet-zachte drop, sigarenkistjes, eiken, uitgesproken aroma met veel complexiteit. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtig en geconcentreerd, behoorlijk 'alcoholisch', prachtige stevigheid maar met boterzachte tannines en zachte zuren, enorme lengte. Smaakindrukken van kruidigheid (laurier, peper, mint). Enorme en aangename lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Beetje vinopedofilie, maar goed. Nu al prachtig, maar dit gaat alleen nog maar mooier worden. Yihaaaaa, nog 23 te gaan. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No where close to the sweet and rich 2000 that I had last night. This was very earthy and somewhat closed with perky acid showing through. If this one was a good example it needs more time in the bottle. I'm surprised by the high scores on CT recently. This one came from a 55 degree cellar. Next time try a .375.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A co-worker's Farewell: Stunning. What really floored me about this wine wasn't all the myriad of flavors, both fruits and earths and meats, that filled and swirled around the palate. It wasn't the long, lingering finish, or the beautiful balance. What floored me about this wine was the pure seamlessness of the way it showed on this particular night. Tried this a little over a year earlier, and it was much more aggressive. To me, Beaucastel is the perfect fall wine. It's not big and rich like many Rhones that are better suited for winter. And there's almost a slight hint of decay in the wine that matches the fall season. That sounds bad, but is really quite good. What a beautiful wine. If you've got some, pop one now, because it is in a very happy place. 96-97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Man I love this wine. A dark ruby color, with a fine perfuminess, with fruits form blackberry liqueur, to dark plums. Meaty and dens with a tremendous purity of fruit and a piercing minerality. Fresh bloody meat and a great palate presence. This will become something special in time, not that it isn't already. Long and pure. Wonderful stuff. 97 ts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful showing for this wine, double decanted and drunk with roast pork. Very elegant but quite big, tannins not as powerful as last winter. This wine has years in front of it, but is beginning to really sing. Still lacks some complexity which will come with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(at Christopher Daniel – Baltimore) Dark garnet. Initially muted nose that developed into a terrific array of Provencal spice, red and black fruit and iodine. A very fresh wine with good ripeness. Persistent – this is really a lovely bottle. I really like ’01 as a southern Rhone vintage, but think they will be even better with a few years of age. (94+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375 ml bottle. Deep red with no sign of fade. Red cherry, herbs and soy. Fine structure. Black tea on the finish. A little more reserved than last bottle but still outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saturday Club at Larry's -- August 9, 2008 (Larry's): Very ripe with some heat -- maybe too ripe, but the serving was a bit warm. A bit Amarone-like, even, with some volatility on the nose, dried berry fruit on the palate, and a pleasant bitterness in the finish. Some garrigue brings you back to CdP. Very mouthfilling, with a huge mid-palate -- it's a really big wine that should show better in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfectly pleasant wine; a little muted on the nose, fairly simple palate at this point. Not sure if I'm just not a huge CdP fan or if this will be richer with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red color. Ruby, with no signs of fading. Good weight. Overwhelming scent of old split pea soup. There is a gorgeous nose of sweet red fruit trapped underneath but the peas own this bottle. Great mouth feel. Nice integration. Not as evolved as the 375 ml btl tasted but just as delightful despite the flaw. Fine aftertaste. Pea soup will not yield.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour. Deep ruby in the glass. Very expressive nose bursting with aromas of spices, blackcurrant, minerals, red fruits leather and all sorts going on here!! Very smooth on the palate and full of complexity. Many things are going on here - medium tannins followed by spicy dark fruits - blackcurrant, slight jaminess, cinnamon and some sweet stewed red fruits followed by a long finish. An excellent Beaucastel - which is sure to become even better as the years go by.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent Beau. Glad to try at this stage but will let the rest sleep at least another year. If you open now, you're in for a treat if you give it a couple hours in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured and while this should have probably been decanted we didnt have a chance to at this point in the evening. Wonderful nose of raspberry and earth with an array of other flavors that I cant remember off the top of my head, but needless to say the nose was fantastic. Wonderful balance on the palate but still showing plenty of tannin. This is so much more youthful than the 1998 that I had a couple months ago, and this has a long life ahead of it. I wish I had remembered a little bit more about the specifics of this wine but I do know that it was really good and a great way to cap off a wonderful evening of fantastic wines at Cesare's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best bottle yet from this lot. Typical animalistic Beau...showing good fruit with some nice seconday nuances. Nose brimming with bacon fat. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375 ml bottle...threw off a lot of fine sediment. Deep red color with slight fading at rim. Began with a strange urine-like aroma that passed to reveal plum, roasted meat, sweet fruit, garrigue, bacon fat and rasberry. Tongue coating with symmetry. Good acidity. Tannins are integrated and yielding. Excellent finish lasting 20+ seconds. Black tea on the finish. Delicious, right down to the last drop. This score might be conservative.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I want to know what wine it is that so many people here are tasting...I've had this bottle 3+ times over the last two years and this is THE benchmark Chateauneuf du Pape for me. While I haven't tasted them all...I've tasted 300+ Chateauneuf du Papes in the past 2 years. Of them ALL (even one's WS scored higher) this was the one to have...this was the ONE to beat. None of them could. It's elegance, power, finesse, beauty, and sex all rolled into one glass of wine. I have only 3 bottles of this wine left...and that's not enough. If any of you have this wine and have not tasted it...I encourage you to open a bottle. If there are those of you who find yourself with extra bottles that you are dissapointed with please contact me. I'll gladly buy them for their orriginal retail price of $55. You can't get a Chateauneuf du Pape today that matches up for this price...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Wonderful raspberry nose with earth and leather. Unfortunately, the palate is dominated by a strong tannic bite. Long finish with some sweet cherries. Quite a bit too young, I think. In a few years, the score of 90 could be quite higher as this babe has everything in the right place! I'd wait at least two years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic ChdP nose...a little barnyard, but strong fruit. Still young, but frankly, smoother and more accessible than anticipated. We decanted for ~ hour, then back into bottle for a blind tasting. As others have noted, there is balanced acid, tannins are not harsh, and less of the classic garrigue, especially (for me) for a Beaucastel. Very good, and getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color with fast legs. Light nose, almost juicy floral. Wonderfully smooth, nicely balanced, good acid. Subtle, light cherry, rather understated. Nice long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted half hour before serving. Still primary with big dark fruit. Enjoyable but there's huge potential here that is waiting to develop. Hands off for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep crimson with wonderful depth of flavour. Tannins velvet fine. The wine has a fresh acitity. Great depth with a clean brisk taste. The finish is quite complex with the ripe fruit flowing thru the long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding Turkey-Day treat. Decanted for 4+ hours, then enjoyed over the following 3 hours. Cellar was filled with fruit aromas when first decanted. Wine was certainly drinkable at that point, but extremely tight with chalky fine tanins. As the decant time wore on the wine integrated and opened considerably, while retaining awesome aromas and rich flavors. Dark cherries and bacon fat are among the more prominent of the many flavors. Glad I still have plenty of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank from 375 ml with minimal decant. This is wide open on the noseand mouth, giving loads of black raspberry, incense, iron, leather and forest floor all on a silky frame. As this opens, the dense structure reveals itself more. Very young, but showing very well, there is no crime in trying one of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I decanted this 24 hours prior to tasting. Deep brick purple, almost crimson in color with heavy aromas of molded, wet earth, aged blackfruit, and cinnamon. Dense full body with velvety chewy tannis. Deeply concentrated flavors of cherry, aged plumb, licorice, raspberry, cinnamon, rocks, leather, and musty earth hold my attention like the Kentucky Derby. The finish is long and delicious with a slight steel acidity. This lives up to it's pedigree once again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grand Crew Bellingham visits Southern Rhone: I still can't believe this was an '01 Beaucastel, even after the bag was removed. It had been decanted 5 hours. Completely open for business. Huge , gorgeous nose and palate. Violet, cherry, bacon fat. None of the Mouvedre or Brett notes I've encountered in '80's Beaucastels. This was my worst guess of the night; I thought someone had sneaked a high-end Northern Rhone into our Southern Rhone tasting. The Syrah notes in the wine struck me. This was one of my co-WOTN, regardless of my absurd guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet red. Classic Rhone on the nose, with a subtle hint of cherries. Wine is fruity without the heavy smoke that sometimes dominates a Chateauneuf du Pape. Nothing spectacular but just good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright ruby red color. A powdery/cigar smoked nose filled with blackberries, cherries, provencal herbs, pepper and spice. Lovely attack. Full-bodied with good texture but definitely tight, dark/unevolved on the palate. Substantial tannins present on the finish. Fun to try tonight, but I believe this wine will be stellar a few years down the road.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Roediger Tasting - Southern Rhone to the Costrieres de Nimes (Stellenbosch): A medium to deep garnet with a wide orange rim. The wine shows some Elastoplast as well as development. It feels leathery and slightly oxidative on the palate whilst the feral elements start to pick up. Lacks fruit and feels touched by Brett.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Phoenix Vacation; 2/25/2007-3/2/2007 (JW Mariott Desert Ridge): Medium purple leads to a nose of blackberry, tar, and smoked meat. The palate is dominated by the smoked meat & tar. While there is a nice amount of fruit present, the tar flavor overwhelms my tastebuds. The finish is smooth and pleasantly sweet. This is a very good bottle that I think will improve over the next 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purchased off the wine list at Sooke Harbour House (alas, no more 1999 left), I thought it might be too young. Nonetheless, after an hour of air in the glass, it was quite open for business. Brilliant purple hue. Nose was never an issue, as there were abundant friendly smells of BBQ, garrigue, pepper, and red meats. The palate was tight at first, but relaxed nicely to exhibit warm soft edges, plenty of granache fruit with dusty tannins, and a surprisingly moderated, harmonious finish. It was flat out enjoyable, and paired terrifically with venision. Great now, with tremendous upside.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Deep black/purple color. Powdered kirsch, berries, herbs and sea brine on the nose. Very young on the palate, with a tart, crisp and lively mouth feel. The palate is deeply flavored, with a touch of jam and very fine tannins. The take away for me was the young, tart palate, it was pleasant today with roast chicken but suggested that this wine has the stuffing to evolve from it's primary fruit forward postion now to a classic CdP. There is no hurry to drink this wine, I will revisit in a few years to see the progress. Outstanding!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
beautiful CDP- but way too young; still very tannic, primary flavors of red and black fruit and dried provencal herbs- obviously much more mouvedre than grenache both in color (darker than most chateauneufs) as well as in structure. i have alot of these but won't open again for a couple of years...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No decanting - not paticularly interesting wine, slightly green tannins, bitter finish. It's well made and quite nice but it just doesn't cut it. On day 2 quite strong brett. A bit metallic. My first bottle so I can't say whether this is representative, but if it is then it's definitely not worth the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured with no decanting. Nose of rasberry, kirsch, licorice and a touch of sweatsocks ( brett?). The nose is strong and has a medicinal quality to it. Mouthfilling fruit with comfortable tannins and an easy balanced feel. Finishes a little bitter, and lingers for quite a while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark inky color. Very intense and heavy nose of dark fruits and freshly crushed grapes with some hints of typical Beaucastel barnyard. Medium-bodied with good balance although it is a bit closed. Great complex and challenging taste. A difficult wine as Beaucastels real force is in the multidimensional taste, which is a bit closed and undeveloped at this stage, and not the concentration and body, which is somewhat lower and lighter than most other top-CNDPs. Rating: 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose on this one is special. I could almost taste red and black raspberry, earth and some sweet spices. It opened nicely after decanting and then the mouth was awesome with lots of fruit and a nice balance right before its nice and long finish. This needs to sit a while longer but I can't wait to open up another bottle. It is really amazing stuff and I want more of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beaucastel Offline (Snow on the Green - London): Now we are talking, quite closed to begin so I put it to one side for 2 hours, when it became great. Sublime kirschy fruit, sweet but not jammy, refined, super balance and tannins alrady smooth, delicous. ~96pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a brooding giant, giving up very little right now, but impeccably concentrated and pure. Big tannins but big in every other respect, this needs another 10-20 years. It seems like it will effortlessly age to 40, and I need to keep my paws off the rest of my bottles for at least another 3-5 years before checking in on another half bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark and rich opaque color with a layered nose of dark fruit, earthy hummus, tar, and a subtle but ever present animal texture that did not go away over several hours. A little tight, but showing abundant fruit and a youthful strong character that has a long way to go...but is not there yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gambero Rosso + Otto + Ashers place... WOW!: maybe itshiding...or closed .. or what...but this is not blowing me away..where is the animal bau is known for? where is the nose of truffles...where is the mourvede hiding? yes - its young and tight and i wouldnt touch it witha 10 foot pole. needs lots of time. it will be amazing but for now - leave it be (92+++)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium grenadine. Currently rather closed down, this burgundian-styled CDP has a complex, layered nose dominated by floral notes, sweet blackberries, and exotic spices. The palate is long and textured but exhibits substantial tannins and a taut, high-strung personality. Likely to drink well "soon", but best around 2013.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had a restaurant vigorously decant this for about 2hrs prior to dining, then consumed over 2 1/2 hours. Beautiful coloring, nice grape aromas and flavors. tobacco, crushed dry leaves. Silky smooth mouthfeel and a lingering, flavorful finish. Don't have many CDPs, but glad to have several of these. Very Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've been holding on to a few bottles of this and could wait no longer to try one. This is excellent now but will obviously get better with age. I decanted this for about 2 hours before drinking. The color is a beautiful dark ruby red with good clarity and concentration. The nose is very complex with hints of blackberry, blueberry, other dark fruits, leather, animal fur, and a touch of barnyard like aromas that I've come to expect from Beaucastel. The palate is very full, rich, and balanced. The finish was tannic and peppery and not as long as I thought it should be. 50 + 5 + 14 + 16 + 8
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had at Scala in SF with Osco Buco and Risotto dish. Was a wonderful wine, that complimented food nicely. Blackberry, with heavy spice and pepper. Made the Pomme Frites and Aioli really sing...brought out the flavors in both. A great wine pairing brings a smile to your face when the magic works.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bright maturing garnet to look at. On the nose, it’s meaty and immediately obviously more animalistic and farmyardy than the previous reds, with lots of lovely black fruit. On the palate it’s full and much deeper than the Sinards, with lots of character. It’s drinking fine now, but I think really needs some time: Thomas Perrin says it will soon close down and should be left until 2011 or later. Very Good Indeed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lithe and elegant yet at the same time quite powerful. Flavors of plums, blueberries, and a hint of oak. My first Beaucastel and I think I understand why people love this wine so much...
Splash (double) decanted 6 hours in advance. This is the real deal. Dark, brooding, and massive. Aromas of black fruit, earth, tar and animal soar from the glass. Incredibly rich and full bodied. Very long in the finish and in another league comparing to the previous bottles of the night. Beautiful balance, everything is there. Insanely great potential. Outstanding. Buy more even if you're on a budget.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TN: 1989 Palmer, 1989 Montrose, 1990 Chapoutier CDP, 2001 Beaucastel CDP, Core 442 (Gramercy Tavern NYC): Beautiful bright ruby glowing red. What a gorgeous nose. I opened this at my apartment a few hours prior to going to dinner. I smelled and sipped and immediatly recorked as the wine was all there and open for business. Still very primary but clean and layered. The wine was perfectly integrated with hints of oak, cherries, jam, spice, currant berries, and rich mouth coating tannins. Medium in body this is sure to be a wonderful wine in 10 years. I need more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-dark garnet colour. Aromas of alcohol that blew off with time, black plums, black cherry, spice, lilacs. Full-bodied, with plums and currant notes. Moderate finish, 25-30s. Way too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not usually a Grenache girl but decided to give this a try due to all the hype. I've heard this described as liquid excrement, this is actually quite delicious. Initially there was a good dose of the funk, but it has dissipated and there is little left on the nose or palate. A little out of balance at this point, ie, its rather hot. It smells alot higher of alcohol that the 13.5% states; in fact, I suspect its higher than that. Hot with pepper as well. I'm not getting alot of Grenache. Rather fat in the mouth. I would like to see if this settles down in a few years. Its all revved up right now. I am surprised by the lack of game and the absense of Grenache character. I wouldnt necesarily misplace this for a northern Rhone but the lack of grenache would lead me away from Southern Rhone. Think I will buy a few more at this price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well, I opened the split to give a try. 1 hour in the decanter. Hmm. This wine is really changing with sucessive vintages, or maybe I am getting to try it earlier because the LCBO is trying to rotate inventory more quickly. Whatever, this is very primary, purple, hard rhone mineral scented, layered and complex offering. It is very clean, without any of the bretty, earthy, horsey, merde tinges or the 89 or 90. It will be great when the acids get drawn into the fruit. A multidimentional palette of cough medicine, sweet black fruit, jammy, then long integrated cherry and oakyness with a very appealing sweet 30+ second finish. Plush. The tannis are not really evident. Wow, I am far more impressed as it sits in the glass. Not sure it is better than 98/99/00, but certainly is worth purchasing and storing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dried berry, raisin, spice, honey, and milk chocolate nose. Full, assertive and mouth-filling palate with spiced flavours and a long, well-balanced finish. 3.5/5
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
i know many people can smell this wine, and identify it immediately. however, i'm apparently not one of them. nevertheless, a rich and gorgeous wine with leather, cherries, oodles of fruit that begs to be cellared. when i learned the identity of this, i was stunned at how well it was drinking now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby red. A reticent nose of kirsch, with none of the characteristic barnyard aromas one associates with Beaucastel (and which showed up in the 200). In the mouth, a good balance of ripe fruit and tannins suggest this wine should age well. Rich and mouth-coating, but perhaps missing just a bit of excitement on the mid palate and in the finish. In my view, distinctly less impressive than the 2000 Beaucastel, and I think the other tasters agreed. Much too young, but rate now at 91 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2001 Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape rouge, Rhone, France (not blind): Medium to light ruby, brilliant, light rim, very high viscosity. Simple but intense nose after red currant syrup, not your usual Beaucastel or even CdP nose, only slightly alcoholic. Medium to plump body, primary red and black currant fruit, soft persistent tannins, bit of silky acidity, hint of Kirsch. Long finish, soft persistent tannins, very nice aftertaste. Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 12-13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 9 for overall = total score of 91-92.
I would easily take this wine for a very good made non Burgundy Pinot Noir (Gantenbein comes to my mind or may be even from Austria) and I am rather sure that the bouquet will develop fine with some cellaring, same goes for the taste when the primary fruit will go away. What I like especially is the for a CdP (but for Beaucastel usual) rather low alcohol content of 13,5%.
Tasted Aug 2004.
Small ISO standard tasting glass. Did not match very well with my more than simple dinner, so I tasted it solo. Basically openend to make just this TN, will retaste tomorrow from the then one day open bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Top Shelf Tasting at Mark Anthony; clear ruby; herbs, spice and blackberry emerging into mushrooms and forest floor; medium to full bodied and very smooth; long finish; beautifull wine; very subjective 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oh, Nelly. This is great. Still lots of baby fat, but spicy and pretty. Is this Mourvedre based? Let the rest sit for a while - this is astoundingly pretty, concentrated juice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Bright disc. Deep purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing explosive aromas of roasted meats, smoke, herbs, blackberries and dry earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and huge ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very impressive. While this wine will likely shut down soon, it is beautiful now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
$60 retail, on sale. This is an impressive effort from Beaucastel, and, IMO, a wine of solid potential. Well-crafted, with a long future ahead of it - based upon its structure and balance. Red/black fruit and some brambly spice; certainly, it's a bit closed now. This was more subdued than a number of '01s I've had, which in general have had great structure coupled with huge fruit. The '01 Beaucastel shows a lot of restraint and is not made in a flashy, over the top style by any means. I look forward to trying this wine again but will probably wait at least 6-8 years - unless I get an itchy trigger finger...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I found the nose interesting, while others found it offputting. Distinctly cherry cough syrup. I don't mind this, and I think it will tone down some with time as the wine integrates. Other tasters thought it was a sign of too obvous alcohol or heat. The palate is big, bold and beautiful. Showing fat and flashy now, it will undoubtedly morph through many other stages as it grows up. When I receive mine, I'm putting it out of sight for awhile (maybe 8 years min).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I liked this wine quite a bit, apparently more than many of the other tasters. It showed an abundance of sweet ripe fruit that might lead some to question its aging potential, but the stuffing of a classic CdP was there. Perhaps a little disjointed at this stage, with the nose and the impression in the mouth not appearing completely seamless. Still, very good concentration and liveliness on the palate, followed by a medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/10/04 at home. Gorgeous color. Nose fragrant but tight. Wonderful palate, rich, heady, viscous. Amazingly approachable even now, and incredibly enjoyable. Marvelous. 5-12-17-8-92/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the name of science, I opened one to check on the condition of my recently received case. Wow. What a nose. It is massive with leather, candied black cherry, cocao, and cherry laced pipe tobacco. Rich palate of brooding dark fruit, balsamic, and roasted herbs. Great balance. I sense that the palate is a bit closed. Enjoyable now but will be great with some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/31/2024 - Diane (LI) wrote:
It’s been a year since my last bottle and it’s just as good. Garrique,,black olive, and black cherry. Fruit is ripe but everything else keeps it in check. A wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2024 - Coastalnative Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent - At its peak but still beautiful. Drink up...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2024 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 91 Points
Beaucastel Tasting Wunderbrunnen Opfikon
general remarks:
the wines are in general more on the elegant side. red berric. high acidity. almost no wood (they only use 5000+ liters „foudres“) intermixed with some spices and flowery aromas. especially the older vintages gave me some "burgundy vibes". there was some bottle variation (some oxidative bottles), especially with some warmer and better rated vintages such as 1995 and 1999…
the younger the wines got the more similar they became and were hard to distinguish. also hard to tell where the younger vintages will end up in future. highlights were 1991 and 1996 (both 94 points).
in the cellar they use as low intervention as possible. every grape gets fermented on its own. they choose oxidative or reductive ageing for each grape separately according to the characteristics of the grape.
the chateau is owned and ran by the family perrin (7 ppl).
Tasting note Beaucastel 2001:
more cooked and ripe aromas, more masculine than the other vintages as this was a warmer vintage. red berries, but they are mature and more pinchy.
I also found some animalic aromas in the wine.
less elegant and fresh than the other vintages such as 1996 and 1991. I‘d go for 91 and 96 any day.
on the palate more tannins, younger, and more fruit driven.
should be held for some more years, will improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2024 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
CellarTracker me rappelle qu'au fil des ans, entre la SAQ, Iegor et un particulier, j'ai acheté pas moins de 17 bouteilles de cette cuvée! Issu de ce qui est un de mes millésimes préférés, ce vin m'a suivi longtemps et m'a toujours plu beaucoup à travers les différentes expressions que la patine du temps lui a laissées.
Cette bouteille là n'apparaissait même plus dans mon inventaire, comme une erreur de la banque en votre faveur au Monopoly.
À plus de 22 ans, il est méconnaissable, paraissant léger, avec une texture délicate, aérienne, subtile et envoûtante, tellement bourguignonne! Quelle finesse! Il faut le boire sans trop tarder car ce chant du cygne en format volnaysien est d'une exquise beauté, enchanteresse.
Un grand Beaucastel qui nous montre une autre facette de ses grandes qualités. 94 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2024 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Previous btl was 5-1/2yrs ago. This is in a lovely resolved & healthy place! Might still improve but terrific now! Slow-oxed for 3hrs in 2 Riedel Burgs & btl b4 dinner. Served between high 50s / low 60s. Mature semi opaque mahogany red. Big, glorious nose of garrigue, mushroom, dark fruit & other harmonics out of my descriptor range. Velvety but plenty of lift keeping it from feeling too large. While most CdP no longer appeal to my Burgundy centered palate this is completely in my wheelhouse. Complex range of flavors w/ red fruit, meat, earth and more on an elegant expansive palate. Sourced locally for $60 on release and stored in temp control sense. Cork was in excellent condition. 13.5% alc is wonderful for CdP! Fantastic tonight w/ Nita's cast iron seared bone in pork chops! 1 left that I'll hang onto for a few more yrs.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2024 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Consistent with my previous two bottles. This was the last one. Not sure it's going to get much better, so no reason to not drink soon and drink at it's prime.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2024 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Among the better examples of this wine I've had. It's still quite furry/fuzzy, but this one is relatively clean. Meaty notes on the palate, with a slight brothiness that doesn't quite play well with the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2023 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Well soaked corked. Lightly decanted off some light sediment. Full reddish garnet with a mahogany rim. Cranberry, dried red currant, creosote, leather, incense, spice, menthol and maybe even a bit of struck flint. Medium-full bodied, fully integrated tannins, dried fruit extract, good acidity, dry finish. The palate follows the nose quite quite closely. Lots of dried, sweet-tart red berries, leather, spice, tar, a bit of animal funk, tangy acidity and a long, sweet dried fruit finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2023 - Hendmo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for Xmas dinner and the perfect accompaniment, robust enough to stand up to the variety of flavours on offer, but subtle enough to not overpower the turkey. Deep ruby/garnet, the nose is beautifully layered, with plenty of secondary and tertiary notes but this is also clearly still in its prime with a few years left in the tank. Aromas include mushrooms, loamy earth, red/blue fruits and hint of truffle. Palate is likewise complex and silky smooth, with slightly baked fruit, mushrooms, hint of red spices and truffles again. Quality stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2023 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 93 Points
3+ yrs since my last tasting and not nearly as good as the last time around. ...nose is quite tart, like cranberry cocktail, a little smoke, eucalyptus. palate is tart, peppery, herbal. little to no fruit left (which is to be expected in these mature beaucastels) but it doesn't have the funky, bretty or pruny notes i'm looking for. it's a little sour, finishes bitter, and overall, it lacks the flavour profile and depth i've come to expect from these CdPs. drinkable but disappointing. 89
2nd day update. having let it sit in bottle (no vacuvin) overnight, it is much improved, palate in particular. much softer, smoother, slightly oilier texture. an enjoyable finish has emerged as well. 91
3rd day update. nice thing about christmas holidays... you have an excuse to open several bottles and take your time with them. i cannot believe what massive evolution i'm seeing with this bottle. it has completely turned the corner and is demonstrating all kinds of depth and development since my first glass two days earlier. ...it's more fragrant on the nose, with sweeter notes of blackberry and cola and savoury deli meats. palate is silky and lithe. this beauty has life in it yet! 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2023 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Ruby red. Lots of earthy warm berry, black cherry and forest floor in the nose, quite fresh for a 22 year old Beaucastel. Pure earthy berry, cherry and spice flavours and a warm textured dry slightly rich finish.
A bit more Grenache character in this one. Cleaner and more fruit than the 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2023 - thesternowl wrote: 93 Points
I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.
Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.
As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/7/2023 - asgerG wrote: 93 Points
Vinklubben 1983's 40th anniversary X-mas dinner (Hos Sten): DnP
Similar appearance as the bottle I had last week but this was a bit more fruity and fresher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thanks dear Hangi for sharing this, my most prized and aged CDP bottle in my cellar, and I had been saving this for a special occasion.
Bottle-breathed after pouring out a full-pour for L, for 2 hours, and we drank this slowly through the 3 hour dinner.
As always, complex cépage in every Becaustel.
In this case, this 2001 is made of:
Grenache noir 30%, Mourvèdre 30%,
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, and Roussanne totalling 15%
Syrah 10%, Counoise 10% and Cinsault 5%.
15,000 cases produced, very grateful for the gift which Hangi reminded I had to share with DQ and SKT too!
Maybe because we had it so soon after DQ's stunning E Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto 2005, brother SKT pondered hard and confidently described this as similar to DQ's. DQ then called out that this is a Rhone too. Such masters that these two are!
Appearance: Inky ruby colored cuvee. 3mm rim and browning at the edges.
Nose: Truly signature and classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs and garrigue. Blue fruits too. No barnyard!
Mouthfeel: Earthy expression of this Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Full-bodied and powerful. Fully integrated, complex and elegant too.
Acidity: Medium++ and builds.
Tannins: Great finesse, now softened with rounded feel.
Length: Long, over 40 seconds. Chalky minerality on the finish.
This is a beautiful vintage that has it all, concentration of flavor, ripeness as well as that signature uniqueness of character. 2001 was described as a stunning vintage in Southern Rhone.
Whilst it was rainy and wet until the mid to late summer, the strong mistral (Northwesterly wind - A strong, cold wind that blows from southern France) helped at the end of August.
This was then followed by sunny warm conditions which really helped everything. August and September were picture perfect!
Such is the amazing vines and winemaking at Beaucastel, each variety is harvested manually and separately.
Vinification is completed in truncated oak barrels for the reductive grapes (Mourvèdre and Syrah) and in traditional tiled cement tanks for the oxidative grapes (such as Grenache).
After the malolactic fermentations, the family blends the different varieties and then the wine ages in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled.
Thanks once again to our dear friend Hangi who gifted this to me over a year ago, and it had been cellared all this time to be shared especially with dear L, and brothers SKT as well as DQ. ET, TC and LMC were very fortunate to have been there to taste this wine last night too!
6th Dec 2023
La Sense next to Farm to Plate
Damansara Kim, Malaysia
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2023 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
So happy this was a good bottle. Arrived and kid down for 2 weeks and then drank. On the back side of the hill but a great mature cdp. Garrigue on the nose and soft on the palate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - Beachfan wrote:
Pnp fromm375
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pnp from 375
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2023 - asgerG wrote: 93 Points
D1h
Garnet red, yellow tinged, 4.5
Generous mature bouquet, meaty, red fruits, peppery, mushroom and more
Harmonious palate, m-T, mA, m+B, dry, complex, balanced, long elegant finish
Drink now-onwards
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2023 - RED AND BLACK Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a good CDP! I recall a Close des Papes 2001 CDP which was really a bad wine, with almost only alcohol in my notes. But this is very good, with lots of spices, spiced liquorice, and super balanced and no sign of hot/alcohol. Well made wine with elegance and representative of the region
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2023 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mature with nice balance and wonderful nose and palate, but lacks the freshness of earlier vintages such as 1990 and 1998. Long finish. Still has life left but I intend to drink up most of my remaining 9 bottles over the next 2 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2023 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Mmmm, cranberry, rust, a bit of brown sugar. Also very red fruit, a bit linear, quite focused, white pepper, a sharp finish. Upon reveal, clearly young and still rather primary. Pure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2023 - Bob H wrote:
Damn good right now 👍
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/11/2023 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
, probably needed a decant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2023 - Beachfan wrote: flawed
I say corked, others say cooked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/1/2023 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 95 Points
{Bought on release, #9 of 12, minimal ullage of 2-3 mm, tasted in flight with the 1999; tasting also included the 1989}. Great bottle, great aromatics, full, rich, complex, lots of length; for me the next great vintage of Beaucastel after the 1989/90.
Ridiculously underpriced in the secondary market.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
10/8/2023 - Backdoctor wrote: 92 Points
Was a pop and pour. Tight on opening but within 20 mins in the glass opened nicely. Should decant an hour if you have one. Fruit came out , was very good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2023 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear with some age showing on the rim but not yet bricking. Leather and some spice on the nose, palate still has some sweet fruit followed up by some mild spice/white pepper. Lovely long, lingering finish. Truly a wonderful wine drinking superbly.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2023 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sehr fein komplex etwas Alkohol im Abgang, aber nicht störend. Die unterschiedlichen Rebsorten sind einfach sehr gut aufeinander abgestimmt.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2023 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Now fully mature with broadening meniscus and slight browning at the edges. Dark, mellow, brulé hedge fruits with earthy and leathery nuances and some dry spice. Dusty tannins and a hint of viscosity. Just enough acidity to hold the elements together.
Off its 93pt peak and for drinking over the next year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2023 - alamoave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Started opening bottles from a case of this in the last couple of months and have had 3 bottles, each one yummier than the last. Drinking great. Fully integrated, no barnyard (although I wouldn't mind a bit of it).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2023 - alamoave Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fully mature. Good balance. Decant for 30 minutes. Zero barnyard. I think the CT suggested drinking window through 2028 is about right.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2023 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
An Impromptu Wine Night (Mostly Rhones) (Los Olivos, CA): A stellar showing, clean and pure, and much more complex than prior bottles I have had, though not for 4+ years. The wine showed its polish in the best way, seamless and silky, with sweet red fruit, pepper, smoke and truffles. The finish was rich and enveloping.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2023 - alamoave Likes this wine: 92 Points
Singing pure grenache tunes. Less barnyard than other vintages, which is not necessarily a good thing. I think this will go at least 5 more years. Great with duck breast dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2023 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
W wild morels/pasta. Yummy dish and good selection of wine. This was good but definitely drink up. We had the 2005 afterwards and that was remarkably better bottle, rounder and more powerful. This is medium weight with still decent fruit and length but not super impressive. You taste that it was well made. Anyway - drink up - 1 bottle left
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2023 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Beautiful brick colour, wide yellow/orange edged, 4.5. Dusty slightly oxidized bouquet. +4h: Grenache liqueur sweetness, garrigue, red fruits. Quite intense on the palate, lT, hA, mB, dry, surprisingly high acidity which gives freshness, long elegant finish. Drink now-onwards. This is my third bottle and they have all been different. This bottle was deliciously balanced and elegant but lacking the complex tertiary notes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
4/29/2023 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
With a necessary 4-hour decant (and to remove a whole lot of sediment), I can report that it is in its drinking window to be sure. Medium-bodied, but boy, is it a classic tasting CDP. All the aromas one expects as well. To be sure, it is time to start drinking any bottles you have.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2023 - Edclr Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Waited too long. over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2023 - Diane (LI) wrote:
The nose shows black olive, garrique, dark cherry. Fruit holds strong on the palate with game and florals. Fully mature with a lingering finish. Kept getting better and better the longer it was open
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2023 - Marcus Vin Rouge wrote: 91 Points
Past peak. Still good but drink asap.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2023 - DaleW wrote:
Peppery plum, a little fruitcake, smoked meats. Not a bruiser, midbodied for CdP, good length. B+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2023 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine: 88 Points
I drank this bottle, decanted, over about two hours at The Oven, with my good friend Antonio. I drank this bottle alongside an '01 Rayas CDP Reserve. Very disappointing night overall. Both wines underperformed, and never seemed to show a hint of their esteemed pedigrees.
I love Beaucastel wines, and have had many vintages, including the '01 several times previously. Tonight, the wine just never came together. The initiail nose was musty, sweet pruney-resiney, dark, although not lacking in oomph. Dark color, various notes, not very harmonious or pleasing. This might be simply a bad bottle, or the early signs of this vintage falling apart. Still drinkable, just not particularly good. Antonio thought it was pretty good, so maybe opinions can vary.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2023 - LT98 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific smooth mature CdP. A small amount of silky tannin - great fruit with lots of secondary and tertiary flavors.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 88 Points
I think this has seen better days - not spoiled or oxidised, just a bit tired and well past its prime
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2023 - greedy wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding. Smooth silky tannis. Great cherry finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2023 - shifter wrote:
TN: Dinner at Tiny Lou's: PnP. Well developed CdP. Interesting comparison next to all the Burgs, but not my favorite and I moved on quickly.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2023 - Dale M wrote: flawed
Oxidized Tomato on the nose, and it got worse from there. Damn.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2023 - rfarrar wrote:
this was as good a time as any to drink this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): In the bouquet dark berries, cherries, dark chocolate, garrigue and rustic impressions. On the palate juicy red berries, herbs, salty licorice, slightly rustic, beautiful acidity and soft tannin which still has enough power for some more years. Overall a beautiful and elegant wine with still youthful notes. Impressive!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2023 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
12th of 24, opened an hour, perfect cork and level, oddly underpowered relative to previous bottles, elegant and involving as ever, last glass best however, nice enough but I would normally regard this wine more highly and at the pinnacle of CdP, ie VF (eg last Sept's bottle), this bottle merely F (17.5).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2023 - goosebry@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful crimson colour showing its age. Stored in temp controlled cellar. Hints of leather on the nose. Still very spicy. Smooth to drink with spicy tone. Good drinking right now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2023 - Stevie_chams91 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted as expected. Loved it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2023 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. The best bottle by far. Intense, powerful,
real depth and grip with time in hand. Impressive. Classic but needs plenty of air. A surprise! And I thought it would be in decline!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2023 - eboracum Likes this wine: 92 Points
5 years ago, I opined that this wine was near its peak, but this bottle seemed to have plenty in reserve. Initially it was dark complexioned, deep and reserved but as the bottle emptied it revealed greater complexity with a certain discreet fragrance overlaying dark fruit with dabs of spice. The best glass was the last with heeltaps falling to the bottom of the glass. With hindsight, decanting would have been beneficial. Very good.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2022 - grizzlymarmot wrote:
This is a great bottle. Fresh floral and fruit aromas are unleashed upon opening. Decanting required and about 1 hour needed to revitalize the wine. Flavor profile is plum with a hint of the youthful cotton candy notable some young Beaujolais. Smooth mouthfeel and cool finish. Minimal interference from the leather, tobacco side of things - which is fine by me. All in all this is excellent at the 20 year mark. I'd say that there will be bottles that can hit 30 years old.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2022 - jhornung Likes this wine:
liked it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2022 - Jerseyjudge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect cork. 3rd of 3 bottles bought on release. Best bottle yet. If this wine is wild and aggressive in its youth, it has certainly evolved to be suave and sophisticated. Earthy nose with minerals and crisp red fruit with a deep satisfying palate. Light dried herbs and lingering finish. Enjoy now!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2022 - Leendert wrote:
What a fantastic wine to start Christmas 2022!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2022 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – CDPs, Chave, Schrader and etc. (Q by Peter Chang - Bethesda, Maryland): Crumbling cork. Fully mature nose displaying black and red fruit, blackberry, strawberry jam, fruitcake, tobacco, leather, garrigue, dark spices and earth. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered black and red fruit, good balance and detail, bright acidity, earthy mineral, and a medium to long ripe black and red fruit driven finish with tobacco at the end. Drinking nicely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Lovely complex nose with deep black fruit, graphite, vanilla. Much less funky than I was expecting and not particularly herbal on the nose.
Really fresh on the palate, but with a glycerol richness of fruit arriving immediately, then the herbs. There’s a nice tension here between the fresh acidic frame and the rich fruit.
Intense acidity on the back end then a moderately long finish on the herbs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2022 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Deep, creamy, full bodied, very local with sweet Grenache showing along with plenty of garrigue. Mature but still plenty of primary fruit here. Needs time to open, hereafter maybe the best showing yet.
#ElectionNight
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/22/2022 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious very round blackberry/dark raspberry fruit, excellent structure, long finish, slight acidity on finish, ample life on the wine
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2022 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
WineBerserkers dinner (Chicago, IL): The best bottle of this wine I've had. A good mix of red and black fruit; good complexity on both the nose and palate a mix of herbs, earth, and leather. Mercifully clean. The one strike against it is the relatively high and present alcohol.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Bordeaux/Cabernet with Special Guest Lail (Orsay): Probably just starting to get into the drinking window although it's a bit on the early side. It's black and spice and a bit more heft than the other wines even in the slightly cooler vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2022 - melzar wrote: 87 Points
I dumped two bottles of this a decade ago and saved the last two, hoping for improvement. It's better, but all I get from the nose and palate is eucalyptus. Beucastel is noted for bottle variation, and perhaps this is the problem. I considered not rating this. The '89 and '90 remain some of the best wines I have ever had.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2022 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
11th of 24, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level - consistently wonderful, showing its mourvedre side tonight, complex, fresh and silky fruit, balance nigh on perfect, long and persistent as ever, in similar class to the 78, 89 and 90, limited upside, 10-15 years. VF (18.5)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2022 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Braun-orange an den rändern. Leicht alkoholische nasekräuter gewürze, auch Gemüse. Röstaromen etwas port frucht schon sehr zurückhaltend. Noch recht präsente Säure. Langer Abgang
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2022 - DFBW Likes this wine: 89 Points
Last one of these 2001 Beaucastel and they've been a mixed bag. Still a little too much funk for me to fully enjoy the wine but this one was a little better than some of this and other similar vintages. Still hanging onto some meaty savoury fruit. But the "stewed prune" is always lurking...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2022 - mrosse Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last of my bottles from the case I bought at auction from La Tour d'Argent cellars in 2013. Great cork, color and the wine showed fabulously over the next 2 hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2022 - danckie wrote:
Not the stellar experience most others had. Came across a bit tired. Drinkable but on a downward trajectory. Bottle variation?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2022 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 97 Points
These two bottles were stunning and mirrors of each other. I was compelled by the dark fruits, dark, aromatic cherry, cut persimmon, and green and aged tobacco leaf. Added to this perfectly pure are beautiful earth/soil components, spice cake, and a pretty floral thing.. this wine has many secondary traits, and really keeps its head up!! Amazing!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2022 - GreenMoss90 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very smooth and rich. Was fantastic with a New York strip and grilled onions. Definitely CDP and lovely drinking now. - GM
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2022 - SteelerFan wrote: 94 Points
Very smooth and rich tasting. Not too funky but definitely CdP. Drinking very well but years left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Having had the '89, '00 and '06 recently, this was a nice add at the end of the evening. Very little decanting time, but it seemed to work. I'd say it was between the '00 and '06 in its evolution. Not nearly the smooth elegance of the '00 but a lot more of the dominant and overly rip fruit of the '06 without all the still firm and course tannins. This bottle probably had another 6 to 9 years of quality drinking in it and it will likely get better over the next couple years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2022 - Beachfan wrote: 93 Points
Vibrant, just entering maturity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2022 - spineguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Anise and dried fruit with a hint of tobacco on the nose. Palette of strong but mature red fruit with a dose of more dried fruit and black cherries. Mild/pleasant spice. Wonderful balance of tannins and fruits. Perhaps missing a bit of complexity/layers or maybe just so well integrated. Definitely drinking well now and has some staying power. Limited evolution over 2 hours.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2022 - acheng wrote: 94 Points
Truly wonderful bouquet and great drinking now. Bravo! A quick decant and best first few hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2022 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 90 Points
Barnyard and black cherry bouquet. Soft, forward, and mature. Good concentration and medium finish. Drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2022 - capacious Likes this wine: 94 Points
At a very good place now, tannins well integrated, really like how the fruits have come together. Clearly I’ve not found what I reported in prior tastings. I liked this, positively unabashedly. I have come back to enjoying many not all CDP. I think I overdid with 2007s and maybe drank some too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2022 - winemaker Likes this wine: 96 Points
Phenomenal showing. Seamless, fully mature, cherry, shoe box, clove, anise, complex and very long. Outstanding!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2022 - DrBad Likes this wine: 95 Points
Daughter's 21st birthday dinner celebration. Drinking great with a half hour decant mainly for sediment. A bit of brown bricking at the edges, showing some of its age. Some old barn funk that quickly blew off leaving leather and cherry aromas. Sweet cherry and black raspberry fruits with licorice and mint on a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2022 - Ara Kafafian Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Brick colour, oxidised, mushrooms, some sweetness, medium body, medicinal notes, past it’s prime. The 1995 was holding on so much better. Can’t believe the 2001 is already past it’s prime, will try another bottle this summer. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/26/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Popped and poured. Always a safe bet. Full bodied, fine extract sweetness, some Grenache fruit. Good length. 13,5% abv. Full peak and ready to drink. 92-93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2022 - ludwigbpm wrote: 95 Points
Vin de la soirée, nez explosif et parfumé de lavande, épices, fleurs, suave et on y retourne sans cesse. La bouche est moins complexe mais fine, tanins parfaitement fondus, c'est abouti et irrésistible à table. Superbe Châteauneuf à maturité.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2022 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 96 Points
In a fabulous point of it’s life. Wonderful red fruit and still structured to last. The nose was a bit barnyard to start but when that blew off it was a classic terrior driven bouquet. Very balanced and nuanced to go with a variety of dishes. Was worth the wait but I don’t see how it can get any better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2022 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice balance; plenty of life left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2022 - Kevnzworld wrote: 95 Points
PNP at Hinoki MX
Kirsch , cherry, tobacco and old leather .
Beautifully aged and balanced, a joy to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2021 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Cristal clear, fresh, no signs of fatigue. Colour is getting lighter on the edge, but no browning signs what so ever. The nose is spicy with sweet fruit - and certainly some power behind. Needs time to open ... intense wine. Much, much better on day two (took only a glass in the first day, and I am glad); the wine has opened, the juice is running free, the taste is broader, all is well. Will live.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2021 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Brick red. mahogany rim; classic bouquet, warm leather, suave, signs of lift, five spice; black olive, enticing touch of piquancy, supple vestiges of fruit; a C(P of verisimilitude. Enjoy now & next handful of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2021 - dannyg Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 3L bottle was phenomenal. For me it was the WOTN and being un-biased as there was also another 6L CDP Croix-de-Bois from Chapoutier (also 2001). The 6L one was till very young and not ready but still pleasure to drink side by side. There was distinct difference between the regular and double magnum with the regular bottle having advanced tertiary characters of earth, leather, prunes, dates and tobacco. The 3L CDP Beaucastel, was younger, lovely with much rich fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and medium to full palate. It had an aroma of camphor and spice as well. Could keep another 10+ years too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2021 - awitz78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Finally a good one. Had a few bad bottles in a case of 375s
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2021 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stood upright 7 hrs prior to opening. Cork in great condition, not decanted, followed out of Syrah somm stems; initial sampling was more delicate than from standard Syrah stems, which produced a darker and heavier .
Cherry, earth and aged barrel on the nose. Faint tannins offers a dry approach before the red fruit kicks in mid-back palate with a lingering finish. Fine on its own before dinner and a perfect Turkey day pairing; Everything I’d want and expect from this wine, and pleased its none the worse from 2 relo’s.
Not sure how much longer I’d hang on to this based on our preference, but there’s certainly no need to open in the next year or three.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2021 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. The nose shows garrigue, herbs, red fruits and a little funk. Lighter weight palate, medium fruit intensity, and very subtle tannins. Strong showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Superb nose of animal, soy sauce, cedar. Delicious sappy tannin, cèpes de Bdx.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2021 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Mixed bag (The Kenwood): I was expecting this to beat the 2000 Pegau it was served alongside. Not quite. Really really really floral, violets stand out. The spice shows up in 30 minutes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Luis rides again @ The Kenwood: PnP - The first word that comes to mind here is smoooooth....this wine is just classy. There is a nice balance between red fruit, black fruit and tertiary flavors. As balanced as the 2000 Pegau it was paired with, but slight alcohol distracted a touch. Still, a very nice wine in a great place right now. Nose showed dark fruit, red fruit, wood and beef blood....palate was full of red and black fruit, with a slight touch of heat. Should hold here for a while. A solid wine and a solid showing. 93 points with ease.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over a hour. Like the 01 Pegau two nights ago, this was tighter and bigger profiled, consistent with the vintage. Tight, kirsch, mineral, iron, garrigue, blackberry. The palate shows blackberry liqueur, kirsch, pepper, some heat, and full body with medium tannins. 91+ to 92pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2021 - vinolovers wrote: 94 Points
Color of dark cherry red with no bricking on the rim. Opened and left in bottle for about 30 min. did not decant. A nose and taste of cherry. Background notes of plum, leather and provencal herbs (for lack of a better description). Incredibly smooth with no tannins remaining. Fully mature but with some life remaining.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2021 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 94 Points
{Bought on release, bottle 3 or 4 of 12. Sound cork, perfect fill} Big, aromatic, very complete wine, tons of sediment, yet elegant and full of life. One of the best Beaucastels after the 1988-89-90 series. Can hold at this level for another decade.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2021 - Simoncino wrote: 92 Points
Do not decant! If you must, pour half the bottle in a carafe and watch the two parts develop side by side. Perfect cork, slightly lower fill compared to the Vieux Télégraphe 2001 that I was going to open to compare. More Mourvedre in my evening, 30% vs. 15% for the VT. Classic, non-Hommage Beaucastel. You know the elements --sauvage, to say the least. No need to keep this years longer. Drink up and enjoy! Good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2021 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
Vinetasters: 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape et al. (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Mix of strawberry and cherry here. Maybe some sharpie marker and some balsamic. This just got more and more volatile and unpleasant. High alcohol, seems far past its prime. My 4th, group's 5th.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2021 - Tree512 wrote: 96 Points
Easily best bottle yet. Long, ripe fruit, good structure and great balance. I can't imagine it getting better and great now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2021 - Tony Molester Likes this wine:
Single long piece cork, no sign of seepage, good fill level.
Sieving recommended.
Beaucastel is generally a cut above most in any vintage, according to my taste on a 15-20 year age curve. They might be ordinary when tasted younger, dunno.
This one is no different. On the lighter side, not much if any brett on this occasion. Nice, mid weight palate, the blend seems dominated by grenache and cinsault.
Plush and well integrated, tasted secondary at most.
Drink or hold to 2026, limited upside anticipated from this vintage.
Enjoy it now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2021 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leicht braune ränder. Aber für 20 Jahre noch erstaunlich dicht in der Farbe. Volles warmes Bouquet. Elegant kräuter gewürze minze Lakritze tabak hauch toast zedern zartes leicht geröstetes Fleisch pfeffer. Langer Abgang
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2021 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was quite good and tasted balanced and age appropriate. I just let it breathe for about thirty minutes in the bottle. Not my favorite vintage of this wine but decent. I do have two different cases of it so that may account for the variations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2021 - hargy wrote:
there was something "off" about this - a whiff of it being oxidised but completely lifeless
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2021 - tward Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in a nice place right now and is almost too easy to drink. Medium-bodied with feather weight framing. Drinks well on PnP and over hours with some unfolding, but fairly consistent. Has a thread of pleasing funk / brett. Shows much more Grenache character, so perhaps the Mourvedre in this vintage just couldn't go for the long haul? Really lovely. Paired great with a grilled NY steak. 13.5% abv.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2021 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 96 Points
The best for last! It finally turned a corner and became great. Great fruit with ever changing nuances. Terrific nose, terrific mouthfeel.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Heavy tertiary flavors of caramel and some balsamic reduction. Not as good as I had hoped, but not a failure either. The fruit is nearly gone so uncork this soon, if not sooner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2021 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
At peak. Oddly, everyone called this Barolo when served blind. Very enjoyable, whistle-clean. Medium-full bodied, with a solid finish. Drink up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2021 - ct1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. This drank surprisingly well, much better than previous bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2021 - dglebo wrote: 96 Points
Opened and decanted for <1 hour as we prepared a hamburger on the grill dinner. Preface: it is excellent. Bright ruby color, sweet nose of rich Carmelo zing black cherries, balanced, ripe dark fruits.
Another voice says sugar, sweet and fruit forward.
Lingers on the palate….
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pandemic Party Time with Beaucastel and Anthem (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, red cherry, warmed cranberry sauce, saddle leather, dry earth, with hints of licorice and cinnamon, medium/big body, very tasty, at peak or slightly passed it, mouth filling fruit, lovely but paled next to the 2006, long finish, photo uploaded.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2021 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
À point.
Brooding deep black/red colour when a well defined meniscus. In the c.5yrs since my last note all the rough edges have smoothed out. Concentrated mellow dark hedge fruits with baked damson; liquorice, dry spice and dusty tannins. A touch of strap. All elements fully integrated and working in harmony.
No where else to go so I doubt holding will benefit this splendid CnP further - but no desperate rush. Say till 2026 max.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/10/2021 - Sennma wrote:
Really beautiful place at the moment. Just be careful with the huge amount of sediment this wine has thrown.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Red fruit, soil and a very strong, sharp, slightly bitter sage component. Rich and glycerol, but not at all heavy, the acid keeping all balanced and fresh. Excellent CNdP. This probably has years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2021 - Golf_Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very good Rhône, ready to drink after an hour of slo ox.
Last one and I think it finally hit its prime..... but I guess I’ll never know...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Poured blind. This has held up well, and at 20 years old, maintains a fruit freshness that is notable. Has a bit of astringency still left in the wine, which to me suggests the wine is not going to fade anytime soon. Holding up well.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2021 - brigcampbell wrote:
blind: thought it was a pinot noir with some age.
the color was still very dark, this will last a long time. Great bottle of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2021 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Showing much much better than my previous two which seemed to have more Grenache tones than they should. This is classic beaucastel..
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2021 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is amazing for things I don’t usually mention in this forum. The cork was fresh and tight. It required considerable effort to pull out the cork to the sound of a considerable “pop”. On the wine end I found a very distinct small dark ring about ¼” wide. The rest of the cork was clean and clear.
The wine itself showed no signs of age. It was a dark garnet that poured with a purply transparency. We decanted it about an hour prior to consuming. It evolved from a tight leather, tar, and licorice set of flavors to something fruitier and lighter tasting. All along it was balanced, clean, and lingering on the tongue. It could be bigger and bolder.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/21/2021 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this bottle is an absolute stunner! Earthy, deep and umami laden (not really something I have ever noted before in Beaucastel). This blends cranberry, spicy Herbes de Provence, and meaty/bloody notes with a deep and sweet core of gorgeous fruit. It's still fairly primary in terms of flavor profile, but the palate has softened nicely and is finally approachable at age 20. This balances sweet and savory with aplomb, an energetic and simultaneously rather deep and brooding wine. I love it, and it feels like a wine that will explode with secondary notes over the next 10 years.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2021 - DelYap wrote: 86 Points
First bottle opened of two. this one was showing advanced age in color and taste. Odd as the second bottle was much better and they both came from same case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/10/2021 - devraj Likes this wine: 88 Points
Hazy reddish brown in color. Intense aromas of herbs and licorice framed by bright red berries and potted earth. The palate shows muted red fruits, wet earth, soy, medium (-) acidity and a rustic/short finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2021 - Gregmonroe wrote:
Friday Wine Group - CH (Blind Dinner): Tasted blind - nose of blue fruits and black tea. Ruby in the glass. More red fruits, cherry and raspberry on the palate, but not bursting flavors. The black tea aroma stumped me a bit and I called an older Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2021 - Miceri Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium red, orange rusty hue; light caramel, light spices; sweet acidic and rounded with light spices, long slightly acidic caramel-like aftertaste; very agreeable and tasty; very nice 20 years old, the last bottle, think it is absolutely fine right now, not sure it will improve / develop further
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Two Rhônes Diverged in a Wood.... ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): Double(ish) blind in disappointing Châteauneuf-du-Pape flight.Rich and dense cherry throughout with some meaty hints. Sneaky good+ length with good balance start-to-finish. My #1 fav (of 9) in flight, group's #1 as well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2021 - Philip67 Does not like this wine: 91 Points
Mostly tertiary leather and raw steak notes in this fleshy wine. Underlying subdued fruit is blackberry and redcurrant. Medium+ bodied, medium tannin and acidity. medium finish some complexity. I imagine it will last another 10 years but you've missed the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
10th of 24, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, lovely, fresh, nuanced, still grippy, mature but good for 10+ years . VF (18.5).......consistently a top wine in a top vintage!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2021 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Reddish-purple in color moving to rusty red around the rim. The nose was extremely unique - started off with intense roasted root vegetables and garrigue, licorice, dark raspberries and cherries, leather and underbrush. Palate shows sweet, ripe and reddish black berries, licorice, roasted herbs and root vegetables, savory brown sauce, medium (-) acidity, no tannins and a toasty finish. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2021 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Wonderfully clean on the nose with raspberry and garrigue. No hard edges on the palate but not lacking structure either. Much of the weight has fallen away. Terrific drinking now and one of the best old bottles of CNdP I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Very nice, lively, young with a lovely flowering fruit middle. Fairly light bodied with some sap, dark in the middle. Good for an other 5+ years, but nicely mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Very nice, lively, young with a lovely flowering fruit middle. Fairly light bodied with some sap, dark in the middle. Good for an other 5+ years, but nicely mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2021 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was fantastic and Laura says it is the best bottle of wine she has had in a while. Served with a bit of a cellar chill that may have helped it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2021 - jeff nowak Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not decanted, slow ox, over 24 hours. No drop off. Almost too refined. Fully integrated. Moderate brett. Nice red bricking at the rim. Fully mature. Enjoyed it more in its precocious youth, but no complaints, nice wine. Decent sediment. If drinking in one sitting, stand up day before and decant. Good run with my three bottles, tasted now, 2011, 2004.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2021 - Gannet2013 wrote:
Not a great bottle. Stewed fruit. A bit tired
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Expressive nose of sour cherry, asparagus, dark fruit, garrigue. Only 13.5% alc for a Cdp makes it easy and fresh to drink. Lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2021 - Stefan75 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From DMag, very nice expression of classic, not (too) hot CNDP, opens up nicely in the glass and has developped quite interesting exotic/spicey aroms after 20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2021 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully here with a good pairing. We did bacon wrapped quail breasts and elote, which worked really well, which suggests some nice acidity to work with the fat. Here it has ample fruit and is beautifully balanced. No rush but hard to improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/18/2021 - SARED wrote: 92 Points
A little stewed, a little rustic. 91-92 to me, 93 to the company.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2021 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. This is a brilliant ruby wine. The end of the bottle had some modest sediment, but not enough to make decanting a necessity. On the nose, I get red cherries, thyme, pink Himalayan salt, seaweed, and leather. In the mouth, there is a nice display of red fruits with a peppery undertone, all showing an enjoyable, integrated balance. The finish is medium length, with some nice spiced fruit and juicy aspects (there was a subtle raisin note that showed up during a few sips). Overall, this was an excellent showing by one of the world’s classic wines. This is great now, but also has some years left in the tank if one likes Beaucastel more than 20 years old. 94 points.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2021 - kevin h wrote: 88 Points
This bottle tasted old, oatmealy and with slightly stewed fruit. Disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2021 - Mahatma Chianti Likes this wine: 95 Points
A real stunner! Needs a big burgundy glass - very umami and spicy. Got even better with 2h decanting. Found some animal notes (horse sweat), forest (black truffle), smoked black kalamata olives, some iron (blood / red meat), cold smoke, crushed slate, all interwoven with black dried fruits. On the palate silky medium tannins, medium body, great (medium plus) acidity, fresh minerality in the long saline, spicy and peppery finish. Southern rhone full spectrum wine, with a cool sexiness and only 13,5% alc: power without weight, high drinkability!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2021 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Opened two hours in advance New Year lunch and filtered last quarter in order to eliminate fine-grained sediments. Cork had one third soaked, on the other hand with mold on top (pictured). Undoubtedly a quality seal. These are long legs. Pitch black colour, purple watered down rims no more. Now offering a brick to ruby tone for a bright, almost crystal wine. Beautiful and amazing with only a 30% of grenache. Same on the nose where oxidative aromas prevail with notes of iron ore, flesh, leaf litter from the floor forest, ... only a few balsamic accents (mainly white pepper and menthol) are remembering us that Mourvedre and Syrah are here too. Where are those traditional ones like lavande, black pepper or Chinese ink is still a mystery.Endless complexity anyway.
On the palate showed warmer still softie and friendly. Delicate, watery mouthful with direct yet savoury and succulent apple acidity. This is salivation even to jaws indeed. Good length and an finally an extraordinary garrigue aftertaste. Evolves constantly during lunch giving more and more. Aged to perfection but I wish it even a longer pleasure. Until the last drop. Very Rioja like.
Once again I have to recognise that in general speaking, I am not a big fan of Rhône wines but this one is damn good. Congrats family Perrin. One bottle remaining.
Abierta dos horas antes del almuerzo de Año Nuevo y filtrado el último cuarto con el fin de eliminar los sedimentos de grano fino. El corcho tenía un tercio empapado y de otra parte con moho en la parte superior (en la foto). Sello de calidad sin duda. Estas son lagrimas largas. Tono de color negro profundo, bordes de un púrpura diluido nunca más. Ahora ofrece uno a rubí-ladrillo para un vino brillante, casi de transparente. Hermoso y sorprendente con sólo un 30% de garnacha. Lo mismo que en nariz donde predominan los aromas oxidativos con notas de mineral de hierro, carne fresca, hojarasca del suelo del bosque, ... sólo unos pocos acentos balsámicos (principalmente pimienta blanca y mentol) nos recuerdan que la Monastrell y la Syrah también están aquí. ¿Dónde queden los más tradicionales como lavanda, pimienta negra o tinta china sigue siendo un misterio. Complejidad sin fin de todos modos. En el paladar se mostró más cálido y aun así suave y amigable. Delicado, bocado acuoso con acidez de manzana, directa pero a la vez sabrosa y suculenta. Esto es salivación incluso hasta las mandíbulas. Buena longitud y finalmente un regusto a garriga extraordinario. Evoluciona constantemente durante el almuerzo dando más y más. Envejecido a la perfección, pero deseo hasta que no pare de dar placer. Hasta la utima gota. Para amantes de lis vinos de La Rioja.
Una vez más tengo que reconocer que en general, no soy un gran fan de los vinos del Ródano, pero este es puñeteramente bueno. Felicidades familia Perrin. Una botella me queda.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - DFBW Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drunk from the Magnum of NYE. Still going but and I totally get that some people like the older tasting wines but this is not for me. Just a little too old tasting with the prune-like flavour being a little too prominent for me. Enjoyable for a glass or two but not stand-out for me. Think I enjoy CndP when younger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2020 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. Raspberries and Christmas poupourri on the nose. Immediate garrigue on the attack with soft red berry notes and a vague sense of pine. Quite tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2020 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 92 Points
As with the previous bottle, this is just brilliant now. So silky in the mouth and exquisite maturity and balance. Drank this on Christmas day over the course of many hours and it remained enjoyable to the end.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2020 - Claus_sverige Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep red, good nose, very little sediments. Still rich in taste of berries with good tannins, fill your mouth with joy and long taste afterwards. Same note as 2015 but this producer really surprised me from the very first bottle. This is the last one. High quality and stored at 12 degrees celsius.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2020 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Very similar to the bottle I opened two months ago. Another great bottle with a quiet Christmas Eve dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 95 Points
Arômes de fruits rouges mûrs, de garrigue, de grange...épices à bois et selle de cheval ainsi que des notes minérales...galet. Un vin fruité...sur le noyau de fruits noirs, acidité fraiche, mi-corsé. On perçoit très bien sa composante grenache. Moyenne à longue finale. Délicieux avec le repas.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, great from the get-go but even better after open 2 hours. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Enveloping nose with earthy, floral notes and cigar wrapper melding with black cherry. Full body, great balance, ripe/mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent - outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2020 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 95 Points
{Case bought on release, bottle #2 of 12; 0.5 cm ullage, PopNPour} Within 10 minutes of opening just gorgeous, sweaty, leathery wine, brick red color without any browning. At 2 hours black cherry fruit forward that just saturates the palate, and the leather was gone. Not a trace of heat, superb balance, length, richness, gentle maturity. Great. Magical. Better than the '81, '83, and '85 were at this stage in their evolutions (~ 20 years). Will hold here for another decade, I think.
Tons of flaky sediment - even the sediment from this bottle tasted good. Back label reads: "Decanting is recommended." Did I decant? no ....
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2020 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow what a wine. Today 19/20yrs later this wine is right in the majority wheelhouse. Right now is all the CDP taste like. Amazing youthful but rich meaty fruits, cigar smoke, saddle leather, plumb sauce all come to mind. Decanting is highly recommend!
It will nice to follow this wine over the next decade.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2020 - baroloboy55-2.0 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thoroughly enjoyed and I think at peak. Very dark fruited, the mourvedre and syrah are certainly forward in the blend, with a subtle edge of funk. Very well integrated and resolved, dark, brooding without being at all heavy. A joy to drink and came alive with a very tasty shepherd's pie made with ground lamb and a cauliflower (rather than potato) crust. I didn't get the black olive tapenade I sometimes get with beau, just dark dark yet sweet fruit. Delicious. Of the recent tasting notes, the following was closest to my impression:
Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1st 5 mins had me worried regarding the raisins comment...but after my tastebuds and nose overroad any negative expectations...stunning. Wont get bettter but no rush either
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2020 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 94 Points
here's the trouble with Beaucastel's CdPs... they're excellent. but. ...none (that i've had) hold up to the '89 or '90. that said, this one was delightful. paired with the most expensive short rib ever (but worth every penny, WolfInTheFog, and thank you, uncle victor!). beautifully balanced, it has all the characteristics you're looking for in an aged Beaucastel - damp understory, leather, stewed fruit. highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2020 - pigdaddy wrote: 93 Points
decanted one hour, consumed over 2.5 hours. dark garnet core, w/rusty red edge; nose initiates as spiced red fruit confiture, evolving to wild herbs, cracked fennel seed & black pepper, complex & evocative; med-full bodied, but in no way syrupy; exquisite balance of fruit, soil & resolved structure, at peak & an exemplary bottle. continues to remind of '85, a pleasure to drink tonight.
black peppered pork loin chop, tomato chutney & dijon sauce; braised Romano beans w/bacon & garlic; confit crushed bintje potatoes
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2020 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is still drinking well despite it being 19 years old! Lots of garrique on the nose and on the palate. It still has nice dark red fruits, garrique, dried cherries, black olives and even some tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2020 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Finally opened the first of three and won't sit on the next two. IMO, fully mature. The cork looked brand new, did it's job perfectly. Deep red, with an amber rim. Black and dark red berries, dark plums, anise, garrigue, leather, thyme. Soft. It did throw a lot of sediment. Really nice.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/27/2020 - schneesurfer wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle, took a while to develop his character. Fully matured. Will hold for another 4-5 years. Wonderful CdP
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2020 - jh270457 wrote: 94 Points
Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1st 5 mins had me worried regarding the raisins comment...but after my tastebuds and nose overroad any negative expectations...stunning. Wont get bettter but no rush either
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2020 - Jadiii wrote: 84 Points
Last bottle, drank one last year and it was good. Now Past it’s prime, taste of raisins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2020 - Kim Gerner wrote: 89 Points
CH9 semi blind vertical tasting of Pegau, Beaucastel and Salon 1990-2009 (Nordsjaelland): Flavours of mint and licorice. High tannin
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 90 minutes and drank over the following 2 hours. Dark, brooding wine. Tar, leather, heat. Many of the 2001 CDPs are just not for me, and I will put this one that category as I have tried it from multiple collections and just do not enjoy it vs. other very good to great vintages. B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2020 - ohne_musik wrote: 93 Points
Perfect cork, only 1-2mm stained. Nose of leather, game, black fruit, but not especially effusive. Palate is complex, savory, and with a moderate amount of funk. Black fruit, leather, game meat, garrigue and a bit of tutti-frutti. Full bodied but not heavy. Sweet, integrated tannins. Long finish. At peak and not in danger of decline soon, based on this bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2020 - mukden wrote: 88 Points
Drink up nearly gone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2020 - GeorgeSW wrote: 91 Points
Drink now,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2020 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well out of half bottle. Paired with grilled pork chop.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - BradA Likes this wine:
Summer in the San Juan’s
It’s sure nice to be settled on a warm Sunday watching the sunset over the harbor and sipping a fine aged CdP. A slight whisper of orange peel on the nose and back end, this is clearly a wine that is softened and should be enjoyed now. Garnet in color with a slight amber rim. Delicate flavors surge across the tongue like a gentle incoming tide..... further notes with dinner forthcoming.
Night 2. A much softer wine. Elegant, but soft and showing a bit of prune on the close... I would drink- not hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours before service - throwing a fair amount of very fine sediment. In the glass, pinkish-auburn at the rim, shading to auburn/maroon at the center. On the nose, raspberries and a faint hint of orange peel. On the palate, leading with raspberries and cherries, secondary notes of plums and herbs, and hints of anise and smoke, with a pure, lush texture and a moderately long finish with mild tannins. No funk or brett whatsoever, and other than the color, no signs of aging; if this bottle was representative, there are still many years ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed time to open up in glass. Garnet tone with rim bricking so it looks advanced in age and shows off predictable earthy tones. About 30 minutes in glass you get cinnamon orange spice, creosote, plum and cherry liqueur and jam, but also some brighter floral notes. I like the “depth” of the nose! Complex and long. The palate is smoothly textured with a hint of edgy tannin but overall refined. Full body. Stays lovely in glass over a two hour period with a long finish. In a good spot now, but likely not getting any better. Be ready for sediment. Good pairing with goulash.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2020 - nmichaud1 Likes this wine:
Après plusieurs expériences avec des jeunes Beaucastel qui m'avait déçu, je dois dire que cette fois-çi je suis comblé.
Nez suave avec des arômes de fruit rouge mûrs, fines herbes, du sucre brûlé et légèrement florale (lavande). Les tannins sont fondus et c'est tout en finesse. Cette bouteille est dans son prime et je la boirais sans attendre tellement que c'est bon! Belle expérience!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2020 - WarnerNL Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice, became better/more round after an hour of opening
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning virtually perfect ChNP. Leather,mushroom and herbs de provence.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2020 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 90 Points
Looks and smells of advanced age. Quite a bit of sediment. Mid garnet in colour. Forest floor, dusty nose. Fruit is intact, but this is past prime, and in gentle decline. Still has concentration and richness and would have been fabulous in its prime. Probably not going to last much longer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2020 - irvingn Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank this from a magnum. Absolutely stunning. It had aged gracefully with the fruit in a stewed manner and earth notes surrounding. Great producer and great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2020 - RBurgundy99 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous. Decanted for about an hour; some slight sediment and brownish tones, but to be expected in a wine of this age. What was not expected was still how vibrant it was and the depth of the flavors. I don't think I'll wait too much longer for the other 2 bottles, but I also don't think it has yet begun its steady, inevitable decline.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2020 - PJM0208 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle is just lovely.
Great colour & well balanced.
Lots of dark fruits and so refined.
An uplifting experience.
NB: I have drunk a fair few of the 2001 over the years and the bottle variation is significant.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2020 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly pale colour and loads of bricking in this 19 yr old wine. On the palate there's a sense of raspberry and some lovely tertiary notes that might be described as leathery. What really marks it out is its seamlessness and balance. There's still really good body and intensity. Altogether beautiful. With that balance and intensity I see no reason these can't be drunk for another 3 years. Decanted for 3 hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 3 hours and it needed it. Not much at all in the first two hours. At 3 hours it is open, but just not what I was looking for tonight so will not comment any further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2020 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 95 Points
It's loaded with solids. Decant carefully and filter to remove them. This wine needs lots of air to really open up. Dark red and black fruit flavors against a tarry background. Great moutfeel and length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes, cigar wrapper, black cherry on the nose. Full body, great balance, savory and mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. May develop additional complexity over time but drinking beautifully now. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2020 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe dark fruit, violets, wild strawberries, and dates on the nose. Well integrated tannins with plums, berry jam, and herbal notes on the palate. Nice finish. This is in a good spot right now. Clearly ripe and somewhat bold, but also interesting and delicate at the same time. I liked the nose more than the palate, though.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2020 - jhw425 wrote: 92 Points
Really good especially after 3 hours or so. Goes form a solid, easy to drink bottle to something ‘Wow’ and complex. Lots of spices, tea leaves, tobacco kind of like a richer/fruitier Barolo or bar Ares I
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2020 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Youthful and vibrant. Clove, pipe tobacco, blood. Gentle spices and herbs on the palate, with softening tannins, and light, juicy acidity. The wine is not super exciting, but its balance is near perfect. Should be great for drinking over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2020 - MRichman wrote:
This is really lovely. Quite lively with a strong bright cherry core, rubber, cassis, cinnamon and a bit of dark tar. Intense, tight. Great long finish. This is so much better than my last bottle. Great complexity, perfect maturity. Drink now or wait, based on this bottle this wine should be fine to hold for a few more years. That said, my last bottle was approaching over the hill.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous and mature. Very harmonious and long. Red fruits, garrigue, layered and complex. Beginning to show some tertiary notes. Delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2020 - MLipton wrote:
So this is what a good bottle is supposed to taste like. Smooth entry, medium bodied, rich, plummy fruit and surprisingly little to no Brett. This was a treat with mesquite-grilled steaks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark reddish garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries & strawberries with kirsch & garrigue overtones with floral notes, herbs, earthy, spices, beefy/bacon, pepper, some red licorice notes, minerals, leather & smoky oak undertones. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balance & silky smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, tart cranberries & red plums with herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of toasted oak. Long lingering finish. Drinking quite well at 19 years of age & has the structure & fruit to hold onto this plateau for a few more years if cellared properly but I doubt any further development would occur. Cork was clean & intact with fill level well in the upper neck.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2020 - TheWineMonkey wrote: 94 Points
Colour: Definitely looking tawny to me.
Nose: Plenty of cherry and hints of leather.
Palate: Cherry, pepper, red fruits etc. Still some tannins, although obviously fading. Comes across as quite refreshing for a Southern Rhone a pleasant surprise. Doesn't come across as to hot either, just checked the alcohol 13.5%. Oh and the length, very good for sure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2020 - PJT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dusty berry and bright cranberry on nose. Nice soft, slightly earthy berry on palate with a freshness that is surprising for 19 years. Really good. Taste like a much younger wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2020 - Bernt Olav wrote: 94 Points
Samme som forrige flaske 1/12/2020. Viktig å gi den luft, minst 2 timer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2020 - streethawk wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful secondary and tertiary aromas on the nose of earth, spice, cherries. Finely structured tannins with some nice backend acidity. Wonderful.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2020 - DrBad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Holding up nicely. Cork came out cleanly with about 1/3 staining. Decanted for an hour. Medium-plus opacity and body. Plum, blackberry, red licorice and dark tea with smooth, silky tannins. Medium length finish. Opened next to an '98, which was losing some structure, lighter in body but nice fruit. Christine preferred the '98.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2020 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
Again, a scary bottle immediately after opening - brown color, raisin nose, overripe taste. Only after two hours in the decanter did it become approachable - interesting cherry on the mid-palate. After three hours, as an accompaniment to a tomahawk steak, it was excellent - classic notes of leather and tobacco, and a long finish. After four hours, it seemed somewhat subdued, though very pleasant, finish not as long as I would hope. If you have this, my advice is drink soon, decant at least three hours, and have it with steak or lamb.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2020 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Amazing seductive nose of elegant red berries, perfumey lilac, with a hint of leather, simply delicious. On the palate there are refined tannins, excellent mature fruit. I agree with others, this is at peak now, just great, but won't get better. Drink up!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2020 - johneagle wrote:
Is it just me? I don't get the Beaucastel hype. This was a good bottle of wine but against the Clos des Papes 01 and Telegraphe 01, both of which I had drunk very recently, it didnt even get near. The other two have such charm and elegance....Beaucastel 01 is an ugly sister against them....but why do so many other people want to dance with her?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2020 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Kleur: Oranjebruin, opvallend licht rood. Aroma / bouquet: Zacht, verleidelijk maar tegelijkertijd 'vermoeid'. Een restant van zoetig rood fruit, vooral aardbeiencompote, zacht zoete drop en kruidkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Boterzachte, fluwelige wijn in het laatste stadium van zijn drinkbaarheid. Aangename zachte en frisse zuurgraad, fluwelig zachte tannines. Lange afdronk met een inmiddels toch wat afgenomen complexiteit. Algemeen / potentieel: Volgens WA heeft deze wijn een drinkbaarheidshorizon tussen 2008 en 2025. In de afgelopen week proefde ik drie totaal verschillende flessen. Eén fles met opvallende harde zuren, één fles die in alles 'over the hill' blijkt te zijn. En nu de laatste fles uit de kist van 12, die gelukkig (in veel opzichten) de klasse vertoont die deze wijn eerder openbaarde. NU DRINKEN!!! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 92/100
Color: Orange-brown, striking light red. Aroma / bouquet: Soft, seductive but at the same time 'tired'. A remnant of sweet red fruit, especially strawberry compote, soft sweet licorice and gingerbread. Pleasantly soft and fresh acidity, velvety soft tannins. Long aftertaste with a somewhat reduced complexity. General / potential: According to WA, this wine has a drinkability horizon between 2008 and 2025. In the past week I tasted three completely different bottles. One bottle with striking hard acids, one bottle that appears to be 'over the hill' in everything. And now the last bottle from the box of 12, which fortunately (in many respects) shows the class that this wine previously revealed. DRINK NOW !!! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 92/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at the new TableAt7. Bottle off the wine list.
Appearance fine sediments, deep intensity, ruby going garnet colour. Legs.
Nose medium intensity, with aromas of dark red plums, red berries, garrigue, earth, minerals, red licorice, bits of honey caramel and herbs. Initially tight. Animal meat just a tinge of brett, and blackberries with more air. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), silky elegant smooth integrated tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of dark red plums, ripe strawberries, macerated raspberries, red licorice, grilled herbs, sweet spices. Bits of animal meat and blackberries with air. Medium+ finish.
Very good quality. Complex, integrated elegance. Seems to be a lot of bottle variation for this bottle from the CT reviews. Based on this particular bottle, it seems to be holding well, but unlikely to improve any much more with further age. Balance of structure and acidity may unravel. Drink earlier is safer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
La vedette du Superbowl ce soir là!
Nez suave de fruit rouge, laurier, de la lavande!!
Un vin d’une grande finesse, les tanins sont fondus, le vin parait aérien, savoureux et d’une rare finesse. Une superbe bouteille et un vin à boire sans trop attendre. 93 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2020 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Odd showing. Started out a wee bit pruny and all over the place, then quickly came together and at the end, it seemed rather tight, firm, young and concentrated - I think the latter description is correct.
#Fogheads
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2020 - Marc wrote: 95 Points
Final Summer Meal with Rob and Gord (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Absolutely stunning example of a mature Beaucastel. The 2001 is an even more structured example of Beaucatstel, with a firm tannic backbone and clear and clean acids. Very farmyard, very tree bark, beautiful fruit, but the tertiary hung meaty aspects of the wine lift this very far from the ordinary. Great intensity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2020 - king-bing wrote:
Decanted for sediment. A little muted to start. Darker fruit profile for a CdP. Very clean - no funk at all. Real depth and refinement though, esp on the palate. As a wine it grew and grew over time so that after around 6 hours this was singing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2020 - Bernt Olav wrote: 94 Points
Luftet i 2 timer før konsum. Dyp rød med oransje kant. Flott aroma uten preg av fjøs og stall, men med kirsebær, sur-søt frukt, skogbunn, lakris og litt svak røkelse. I munn har den flott integrerte tanniner, medium fylde og god lengde. Smaken følger aroma. Oppleves som perfekt moden. Ser at andre har litt forskjellige erfaringer(både kvalitet og modning), men dette var en god flaske uten urenheter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2020 - Roughl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Funk and figs. Drank this alongside a 2008 Hermitage chave (which was the better wine by a landslide, even if 2008 is not the best vintage in northern Rhône...). This was good, and could last longer, but i don’t see a lot of upside here
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2019 - rlove wrote: 90 Points
Not as expressive as expected, a bit dark and brooding, with plum, red berry, and white pepper. Turns thin at the midpalate. (from magnum)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2019 - alamoave wrote: 92 Points
Love it. Love it more with a hint of funk. No hurry. Decant for an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just a quick taste at a holiday party. Somewhat shutdown, perhaps in a dumb phase? Muted red fruit, some pepper and mild spice. Concentrated and backwards.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2019 - dlduchon wrote: 87 Points
A bit too raisiny for my palate, unlike any Beaucastel I have had and I have tried them back to the early eighties. Has some vibrancy on the finish to counterbalance it. If you like The Paso or Aussie style you should like this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/11/2019 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 90 Points
More Grenache-y than I remembered, especially in comparison to Pegau
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2019 - Philippe_C wrote: 93 Points
Nose a little bit closed and dusty, red cherries... Sappy red fruit, still quite primary fruit, still quite primary for it's age, still plenty of potential ahead!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2019 - DFBW Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for a few hours to try and shift the inevitable Barnyard you often get with aged CndP's. Last time I had a bottle this blew off revealing a lovely balanced aged savoury Rhone wine but this bottle never shook it off. It wasn't undrinkable by any means but the harsh stewed prunes never gave way and were the lasting impression of the wine..
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2019 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
The best bottle of the ~10 '01s that we have drank over the past few years. On opening, I could immediately tell that the bottle had promise - none of the overripe nastiness that we experienced on many of the other bottles, just a strong scent of ripe fruit, and a promising first taste to check quality. Developed very nicely after three hours in the decanter - leather and earth, medium body, long finish - as it was meant to be.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2019 - schneesurfer wrote: 93 Points
Consistant to previous note. Great wine with 5+ years ahead. Give em at least one hour in the glass. Gains length power and complexity. This wine is on the elegant side - great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2019 - Javachip Likes this wine: 93 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass for an hour. Clear intense deep ruby-garnet color. Fabulous notes of juicy red cherries, pomegranates, fragrant wood chips, potpourri, mincemeat, stony soil, hoisin sauce. Medium body, seamless, excellent balance. Improved steadily with several hours of air. Seems to be in a peak drinking window with no sign of fatigue.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2019 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Dissapointing at first, opened up for the first time after 15 min, then another layer of complexity at 5-6 hours. Sour-sweet, moderate intensity and length, yougurt with more air, not much brett or garrique. Tannin absent, still: hold another 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
The first of four bottles consumed by our group at dinner at my cousin David's house. Opened for an hour, the nose was dark cherry and leather. The palate was dark cherry, bramble, leather and white pepper. The finish was moderate to long.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2019 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: Only slow O'd a couple hours. Completely consistent with my last 2 notes, and probably brought by the same person as well. This needs more time or a long decant. The 2001 Beaucastel is very youthful still. It is clearly a CDP of great pedigree.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Guys Night Out: Bring Something You're Looking Forward To Drinking (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color. Brief decant. Drank a glass over 2 hours. I've had this wine about a dozen times now and it has been pretty consistent. While this is still youthful in a sense, it has a lot of classic CdP character and complexity. I love the spice profile on this, very nose tickling and provocative, dark cherry, leather, plum, wood spice. The palate opens more gradually, tart cherries, a little plum, kirsch, excellent Provencal spices, and then later a lot of scorched earth. Do yourself a favor and give this a healthy decant and then enjoy. 93+(+)pts.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2019 - asgerG wrote: 95 Points
D2h. Garnet red, yellow tinged, 5.5. Generous complex bouquet, forest floor, mushrooms, sweetness of maturity, red fruits, lightness. Elegant harmonious palate, still some tannin, fine acidity, well balanced finish. Drink now - onwards
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2019 - alamoave Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the best Beaucastels I have had in several years. Decanted for an hour. Heavy sediment. Should drink well far a decade. Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2019 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
Another bottle that required 3+ hours decant. Brown with an unappealing nose and taste at opening, after significant time in the decanter it eventually reveals deep leather and tobacco flavors with a long finish. Drank after a 2005 Croix du Bois - it's shocking how much livelier wines that are only a few years younger than the Beaucastel are in comparison. Net - a great wine, but continues to be disappointing relative to expectations, with wide variations between bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2019 - Mansavage wrote:
the first bottle did not seem flawed on the nose but the fruit had abandoned the wine as it it were corked. The second bottle as I remember from a year ago; soft, full in the mouth with caressing flavours of black plums and cherries.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2019 - Rixon wrote: 85 Points
När vi drack den senaste flaskan för fyra år sedan sa vi att den sannolikt tunnlade. Nej. Det här vinet är över. Tycker detta är en gravt överreklamerad producent. Tyvärr.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2019 - Papies wrote:
We are guessing an off bottle as its a far cry from the 93 we rated this albeit 9yrs ago and the rest of the ratings in CT . Ours was a bit sweet and on the dull side so we will refrain from rating this time round.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2019 - Jonathanmustang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Une bouteille magnifique, qui semble commencer son peak. Beaucoup plus ouvert la 2e soirée. Une main de fer dans un gant de velour
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2019 - akbash Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Drank at room temperature with no decanting. Room temperature was around 18 degrees celsius. Soft tannins. Low acidity. Perfetc balance of tannins and acidity. Dark sweet stewed fruit. Very jammy. Thick and juicy. Excellent. Lots of cassis. I just had one small glass now and I am reluctant to pair it with food. I think this is a wine to sip on on. I am so glad I still have another bottle in my cellar. I would have given this wine a 100 had it not been for the slight chalkiness in the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2019 - Ben F Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml. Popped and poured.
A wine of place. Bold, roasted fruit dominated by a wild gamey Mourvèdre funk that played off the sweet kirsch liqueur of Grenache. At the same time remarkably perfumed and imbued with a warm stone minerality across the palate. A pleasure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2019 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes, black cherry on the nose. Full body, great balance, savory and mature fruit on the palate, nice complexity, medium-long finish. May develop additional complexity over time but drinking beautifully now. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2019 - helLTea Likes this wine: 93 Points
Servi sans aération préalable
Nez complexe épices truffe, fumé, fruit mur
Bouche ample très élégante qui reste structurée par un fond tannique et surtout une belle fraicheur. puissant sans être envahissant. Long.
Pas d'urgence a boire.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium-dark garnet color. Nose of Hawaiian Punch, sweet and delicious. Delicious, juicy wine with notes of raspberry, strawberry, tobacco, and the aforementioned fruit punch.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2019 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last bottle and this one was drinking beautifully! After reading my last notes from about a year ago, I was afraid the stewed notes would dominate this bottle(which I don’t prefer), but to my pleasant surprise, they were in perfect harmony with the earthy, garriquey, cherry fruit roll up flavors with supporting pipe tobacco, floral and white pepper undertones. Drinking well very shortly after opening.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2019 - alamoave wrote: 90 Points
More modern style than I like from Beaucastel. Where’s the funk? No hurry
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully mature and lovely bottle with nice meaty earthy notes with a touch of mushrooms on the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2019 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
Decanted 4+ hours, this was one of the better bottles we've had. Ripe fruit layered over tobacco and dark earth. Excellent with rack of lamb.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2019 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine:
This needed a long decant - an hour was not enough and the wine was initially unbalanced - acidic and tannic. After several hours it has mellowed to a very nice wine and was just as good a day later. Mature but should keep going for a few years yet.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2019 - Rollerball wrote: flawed
TCA
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2019 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravined. Bricking on the rim and getting tired. Sediment present to be sure. The color throughout is even quite brick-reddish. Aromas of stewed berries, garrigue, dried flowers, leather, salt air and moss. The wine had flavors of stewed prune, vanilla, salt, meat, licorice, some mint, and dark chocolate. Medium bodied. Seems older than it is, but I will give that feeling to its old-world charm.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2019 - Vancouver wrote: flawed
Bottle 5 of a six pack purchased on release and stored properly.
I knew this bottle was done 10 seconds into a Coravin pour- the color was reminiscent of a pale Tavel !
Filled the glass and no aromas and nothing left on the palate. No evidence it was corked- just nothing- suggesting there was a problem with bottling or its just too old?
Puzzling as I have had stunning examples up to 2 years ago.
Would be interested in anyone else's experience with this.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/19/2019 - mflesh wrote:
After an hour and a half, this one settled down. Quite "weedy" initially, but then became a very nice wine, almost with a youthful kind of nose. If tasted blind, I would have said this was a 2009-2011 high end CDP. But, there's a HINT of mushroom on the nose and front of the palate, along with raspberry tart and some mature pipe tobacco and worn saddle leather, hint of clove. Finishes with a lot of fruit influence. Tannins have resolved quite nicely on this wine. The youth of this wine is starting to give to a more mature side. Nice. In a good spot right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2019 - Mark van Delft wrote:
Wining & Dining with Cy: no score - Not giving what it should. Yesterday there where dark cherries, power, spices, earth, but today flat, raisin, over the hill ...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
A wine still young, but old enough that it should have been slo-ox’ed opened. As part of the line up of Beaucastel at R&RR with ‘78, ‘89’ (regular and hommage), ‘90, ‘94, ‘98, ‘00 (regular and hommage), ‘01, ‘07, and ‘10. Not a bit of brett in the bunch of them despite the wide range of years. Loads of iodine, black raspberry, bacon, and rosemary. A wine lighter in body than the ‘00 (the Hommage from that year was the favorite of the line-up), but not light bodied in any respect. Precise and classic next to the fatter ‘00. Maybe a bit tight; plenty of life ahead of it. 14% alc. With lamb and brisket at the Souths as part of R&RR. Recommended leaning toward Highly Recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2019 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Perhaps an off bottle but I found it to be a touch tired and simple. I will try another bottle and see.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2019 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, lighter at rim. Savory, earthy, floral notes with a hint of green are more prominent on the nose than the black cherry fruit. Full body, great balance, more savory than fruity on the palate, complexity comes forth after about 90 minutes, medium-long finish. Should drink well for another decade. Excellent.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2019 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
I can't help but feel that there is something missing from this wine... We've had a few bottles which have been wonderful, but it's been a bit hit or miss despite the same storage conditions, etc. This bottle had some excellent earth and leather notes, but there was a sour and unbalanced undertone with food. Not sure that more age will help, just feels like every other bottle we've had has not lived up to expectations
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2019 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sadly, down to one remaining bottle. A great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2019 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very complex aromas of red berries, soil, leather and smoke. Flavors were an interesting mix of high-toned black cherries and low-toned smoked meats, charcoal and earth, with herbs and spices spiking in. Still a lot of acid and tannin structure. More so interesting and complex than delicious; it was still enjoyable to drink.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2019 - MLipton wrote:
Looking quite tired with major bricking at the rim after a crumbling cork was removed. The wine had definite pruney notes to it and seemed older than it should have, though not entirely unpleasant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2019 - Patrick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Relatively cold cellar since release. This is beautiful right now. Bright, fruity, little to no barnyard, pretty well resolved. No need to wait, but no need to fear.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2019 - dnnk88 wrote: 91 Points
Gamey initials, dark plums bouquet. Deep, dark fruits, bitter grape skin, haw with menthol aftertaste. Medium body, rather straight forward; not complex. Smooth, rounded. Enjoyable. Open now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2019 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
Delicious with Asian food. Lots of secondary notes, roasted golden raisin, plum fruit and almost a sherry like quality with a long, integrated finish. Delightful bottle
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2019 - TNK wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for over four hours. Believe this has a number of years in it. Excellent balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2019 - sschen Likes this wine:
Slow ox'd for three hours. Upon pouring, vanilla nose and dark fruit palate, perhaps a bit pruny as other have mentioned, with a long ... vanilla finish. But the lively acid kept me hopeful.
Poured into the decanter for another hour. A rich nose of leather, herb and incense emerged, and these notes enhanced the earlier flavors noted on the palate, as well as flavors of earth, cedar and cardamom , building to a voluptuous, spicy finish. Excellent savory minerality as well. Unfortunately quite a bit of vanilla flavor remains when all else dissipates. More time?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2019 - Jurgens wrote: 97 Points
On a very good place right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2019 - Force5 wrote: 90 Points
Unlike a lot of recent notes this one had the touch of the prunes / overripeness that some other folks mention, but decent enough. Good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2019 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Expressive fully mature nose displaying slightly dry red and black fruit, dry cherry, strawberry jam, crushed blackberry, strong tobacco and leather, garrigue, a hint of fruitcake, dark spices and earth. Beautifully integrated palate, very finely layered dry cherry and blackberry, silky and polished, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, nicely resolved tannins and a long dry cherry driven finish with strong tobacco and leather at the end. The palate is lean. This is a classic Beaucastel that is drinking perfectly, a CDP that AFWE can love!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2019 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at Yazawa. Deep garnet. Expressive aromas of dark fruit. Medium bodied, well balanced with generous sweet fruity notes. Soft rounded tannins. Overall a beautiful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2019 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Youthful , peppery , pretty classic
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2019 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Kleur: Oranjebruin met een opvallend lichte rand. Aroma / bouquet: Verleidelijk bouquet. Zacht, zoetig en tertiair maar overtuigend. Een hint van aardbeiencompote, marsepein en kruidkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Boterzacht en verfijnd maar tegelijkertijd krachtig en vitaal. Prachtige gerijpte Ch9dP met accenten van zoete zachte drop en bosaardbeien. Prachtig gerijpte tannines, fluwelig zacht. Een perfecte lange, zachte maar indrukwekkende afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Briljante Chateauneuf-du-Pape, subtiliteit en complexiteit 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 95/100
Google Translate:
Color: Orange-brown with a remarkably light edge. Aroma / bouquet: Seductive bouquet. Soft, sweet and tertiary but convincing. A hint of strawberry compote, marzipan and gingerbread. Taste / Finish: Smooth and refined but powerful and vigorous at the same time. Beautiful matured Ch9dP with accents of sweet soft licorice and wild strawberries. Beautifully ripened tannins, velvety soft. A perfect long, soft but impressive aftertaste. General / potential: Brilliant Chateauneuf-du-Pape, subtlety and complexity 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 95/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Suave and polished. A “classical” style from magnum no less, better on day 2. Ripe fruit with tertiary aspects starting to show. Like the orange freshness that lends nuance to the red fruit character. Keeps you coming back for more, as the wine has breadth and spice but never heavy. Went well with the Cefalonian meat pie. I dare say a subtle style. Nice!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2019 - whits Likes this wine: 93 Points
shows some mature looking red and brown hues, big aromas of dried flowers, licorice and spices in the glass, bright acid, softened tannins, plum, raspberry, red licorice, cherries, anise seed and leather flavors, bright and lifted, mouth watering, complex, aromatic, long, drinking perfectly but shows no signs of fading
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2018 - winot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium deep black cherry red. Rich, almost vintage Port nose, some perfume, cassis. Sightly drying on palate, but the flavours are excellent - smooth black fruits, cassis lozenges - really gorgeous - restores my faith in CDP - some saddle leather - good complexity. This is definitely very fine wine, and CDP enthusiasts might well rate it higher. Definitely ready to go.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2018 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Opened an hour without decanting, then drunk over 2 days. Dark red core, lightening at the rim. Potent nose of blackberry, plum, black cherry, fresh earth and floral notes with a mouth-watering savory element. Full body, excellent balance, good acidity and integrated tannins, layers of complexity, flavors follow the nose, medium-long finish. No deterioration on day 2 after a night in the fridge. In a great spot now and should hold there for another 5-10 years. Excellent to outstanding.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2018 - Rico100 wrote: 97 Points
Superb and drinking really well right now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2018 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #314; Mysterious theme: What could be Christmas wines….. (@ VD): In the bouquet black berries like blackberries and blueberries as well as good herbs and spices. On the palate dark berries, garrigue, some soy, but also a lot of fresh acidity and firm, still slightly sticky tannin. The wine has a good length and there is no hurry at all to drink it. Can easily last another 4+ years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2018 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine:
Beaucastel through and through, even if not quite as expressive as other vintages I’ve had. I generally like these around the 18 year mark, give or take, so I figured this would be in top form - still a very tasty bottle, but maybe I just missed the mark a bit with timing. It still showed classic character, from ripe red fruit and garrique to cedar, licorice root, and ample gravel/cigar, all in excellent balance. Signs of age were more prevalent here than in the VT, with stewed tomato, brown sugar, and a murshroom/vegetal sense all making notable appearances. Though lacking a bit of mid-palate depth, the tannins have rounded out nicely the wine was drinking quite smoothly. It may not have been up to the ‘01 Vieux Telegraphe’s challenge, but a very enjoyable bottle nonetheless from a long-standing favourite of mine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2018 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
In my cellar since release. Decanted at 4:15pm. As I was decanting the bouquet was quite effusive, smelling it easily from at least a foot away. The color is a translucent medium to dark garnet with a light ruby edge. On the nose it has blackberry, black plum, sous bois, chocolate and a touch of leather. Acidity is medium to high. Tannins are fine and integrated. The palate has earthy black fruit, leathery chocolate and a super long finish. These notes reflect the first half hour. More later... throughout the rest of the evening the wine evolved moderatly but never really flattened out or deteriorated until none was left around 9pm. There was a little Brett detectable after about the 2 hour mark but it was quite subtle and did seem to add some complexity. This was unanimously the #2 wine of the night with only a 1997 Spring Mountain Vineyard Cab unanimously drinking better among a melange of wines including 1989 Forman Cab (admittedly left over from the night before), 2016 Dom. Camille Giroud Ladoix, 2012 Dom. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Les Clos, 2006 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese and 1997 Nichols Soleil and Terroir Cab Reserve Vinas del Sol Vineyard.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2018 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thanksgiving dinner pop and pour. Needed about five minutes to come to room temperature and open up. Breadfruit, strawberries and rhubarb on the nose. Medium to light in weight, this began to lose structure within 45 minutes of opening but was still an excellent pairing. Well a drink my remaining bottles has quick pop and pours by 2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2018 - Vinomnivore wrote: 89 Points
The first glass was the best. Became quite flat after 30 min. Would have rated much higher for the first glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (5)
11/10/2018 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 86 Points
Kleur: Oranjebruin met een opvallend lichte rand. Aroma / bouquet: In eerste instantie opvallend tertiair, het eerste aroma is dat van maggi. Daarna vooral zoet rood fruit en subtiele kruidigheid. In dit stadium in eerste instantie wat gesloten. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullend. Frisse start, krachtig en geconcentreerd, zachte en romige tannines. Algemeen / potentieel: Niet onaangenaam. Maar op dit moment ook niet groots. Flesfout? 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 86/100
Google Translate:
Color: Orange brown with a remarkably light edge. Aroma / bouquet: At first strikingly tertiary, the first aroma is that of maggi. Then mainly sweet red fruit and subtle spiciness. Initially closed at this stage. Taste / Finish: Mouth-filling. Fresh start, powerful and concentrated, soft and creamy tannins. General / potential: Not unpleasant. But not great at the moment. Bottle error? 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Taste / Finish: 15 + General / potential: 7 = 86/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2018 - MC wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. From the same case as previous bottles but this was on the roasted/pruny side and not what I was expecting given previous bottles. Not flawed, but showing heat and a roasted element that I did not enjoy, so hoping this was an off bottle or I was not in the mood. B+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/2/2018 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Small Rhone Tasting w/Aussie Ringer (R&D's): Our contribution to the flight, decanted for forty five minutes before being rebottled for travel then poured with the flight, perhaps two hours or so after the cork was initially pulled.
Single blind. A touch of mint to start, turning to eucalyptus (this is the Grange, right?), along with plum and dark fruit underneath. Balanced. On the full side of medium-bodied, with flavors of red plum, mint and herbs with a finish showing more dark fruit than red. Develops a nice licorice note to complement the mint and red fruit notes. Lengthy finish; adds a nice soice element as it opens in the glass. I initially rated this 93+ but it developed very nicely in the glass. My guess: given the nice minty herbal edge this displayed, something I often find in Aussie syrah, I guessed this was the Grange.
My #3, Domino's #3
Group #2, 15 pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2018 - Beachfan wrote: 92 Points
textbook beau
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2018 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 92 Points
3.5 hrs of slow o. Very rich. Aromas of blueberry, gingerbread, saddle leather, mint, roast pork. Palate had dark berries, licorice, fig. Lots of grip, so I don’t think this is in any danger of cracking up.
Score: 92-93. Relative to expectations: +
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2018 - BradA Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a fabulous spot, drink now or hold. Perfect balance, depth and full bodied. The wine may be at its optimum window.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2018 - MC wrote:
Decanted 90 minutes. Big wine, but balanced and fresh. Great ripe red fruit, structure for the long run. Fun to drink now. A-/A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2018 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
This was a good showing for this wine which at times has been verging on pruny. This is all about dark ripe fruits, rocks, licorice and cooling minerality. Tasted youthful and powerful, but certainly a cool weather wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2018 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fidèle à lui même !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2018 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Terrific. The nose on this wine is fantastic with notes of black fruit, tobacco and roast meats in a lovely complex bouquet. The wine is maturing nicely but has not yet peaked as there is still quite noticeable tannin. Structurally it is well integrated with a long finish and terrific balance. A great wine which will continue to evolve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2018 - MC wrote:
PNP but at room temperature, which I think mattered vs. my last note. This time, not so disjointed out of the bottle - was pretty good. Still big, primary, with some tar and leather - but balanced. Likely will improve over time but pretty good right now. A-
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 83 Points
Over the hill unfortunately. Developed nose with mature strawberries, figs, dates, brown sugar, coffee, mocca, leather, campfire, Christmas spices, madeira and some burnt notes.
Round, soft, velvety tannins, low acidity, boiled fruit, burnt wood and coffee grounds.
Still drinkable for an old wine lover but clearly over the hill.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2018 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Still youthful, four hour decant gave it some smoky complexity, nice peppery fruit. Needs a few more years yet to really shine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2018 - cos82 wrote: 89 Points
4th time from my cellar, but its been a while since last one. Never understood the high CT scores for this wine. Somewhat rough on opening. After 2 hours a nice fruit emerged with some spice and charcoal. Still black in color, but mostly earth and charcoal on the nose. I suggest a several hour decant to get the most out of this wine as well as dealing with some sediment.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2018 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Not as funky as all that, the sweet fruit takes center stage; a broad wine charming, creamy and layered, yet a wee bit more polished than the Beaucastel of old. Seems mature.
#VeddingeBakker
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
9th of 24, decanted 30 minutes, perfect cork and level, back on top form, still youngish and with lovely drive and complexity to fruit, scope to improve, WOTN, pipping attractive and peppery 03 and smashing a tiring Bosquet Chante Le Merle 01. VF (18.5).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2018 - Atbat82 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking so great right now. Dark berries, slightly stewed fruits, smoked meat, leather, mesquite on the nose. Dark plum and blackberry. Soft tannin with just enough structure. Long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2018 - tciguy wrote: 95 Points
Delicious wine. Does not need a decant. Actually tasted better after short 15 minute decant vs 60 minute mark. Only negative, sediment, but flavor sooo good right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2018 - mmcdds wrote: 91 Points
Still quite nice, but as I feared, the stewy notes are beginning to become more prevalent. One bottle to go. I'll drink it soon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2018 - Rajbusto wrote: flawed
Not a great showing tonight - perhaps a less than stellar bottle. The wood notes and leather overpowered for almost 2 hours . After that it tasted dull without any acid to carry it. Nose had great black fruits, but taste was dominated by stewed. Oddly I’ve had bottles from the same case that were singing! Assume a flawed bottle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2018 - MC wrote:
A bit disjointed out of the bottle, but with an hour in the decanter this mellowed and came together. Big wine, still somewhat primary, with dark fruits, tar, leather. Still plenty of structure, but tannins are enough in the background you can enjoy this now. Again, big - but balanced for such a big wine. My guess is will improve from here. A-/A
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2018 - condita1@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aging well. Not a lot of sediment. It popped and poured well. I do wish I bought more back in the day. It is a classical chateauneuf du pape wine
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2018 - chatters wrote:
Beaucastel Birthday dinner (Bistro Moncur, Sydney): Leathery, gamey, meaty, earthy, Garrigue, spicy and peppery over sweet berry fruit. On the palate it's initially tight with sweet berry fruit but, over the evening it get's more gamey and the tannins soften. Yum
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Beaucastel review (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Leather, mushrooms tending to truffle, sweet spice, dense, but not over ripe, red and black fruit, a little barnyard. Juicy, fleshy, a touch of bitterness; like cherry stones, black and red berries and soft, leathery, tannic grip. Umami on finish. Long. Lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2018 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Vinetasters: Beaucastel (1979-2006) (Skokie, IL): Served double-blind in a Beaucastel lineup. A bit of heady alcohol on the nose here. This is clearly a relatively recent version of this wine. Almost a slight hint of mint to go with all that extreme fruit. Then, the palate. How weird! It's almost sour, and the tannic structure, while young, is clearly unresolved. Really chewy. 2006? (My 8th, group's 4th.)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2018 - jhack1961 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mourvedre influence is clear but it's not overpowering. Well balanced and seemingly at peak, it should hold for quite awhile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2018 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
Superb!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
A Big Mix at Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Popped upon arrival, open for about 90 minutes before pouring. Drank a glass over an hour. This was flighted with an "01 Clos des Papes, and while both were good and the table seemed split on which they preferred - I found the Beaucastel,tonight anyway, to be more integrated and more exciting. Fairly typical for what I've experienced with this wine. Sappy dark red fruits, garrigue, tons of Provencal spices, kirsch and tart red cherry along with a touch of anise. This is still youthful and really does need air to put this the best light.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
This should be my WOTN if only because its the very first 2001 Beaucastel that has lived up to its potential and finally is drinking very well. This showed up at the venue with the cork still in so I immediately pulled the cork for my buddy and all of our benefit. Think, we started drinking it about 90 minutes in. This showed excellent resolution of the structure but more importantly this is the first of three btls I've tasted that was balanced and starting to show mature nuance & complexity on both the nose and the palate. Really enjoyed THIS btl. Hopefully more perform this well. I'm inclined to still sit on mine for another 3 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes, but perhaps not as good a bottle; delicious, but not quite as impressive as I recall recent bottles, drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2018 - Ben F Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at home with friends, Mill Valley, CA. From Magnum. Opened (but not decanted) 1 hour prior to serving.
A stellar showing for this wine. A wild, complex nose that followed through into a mutlifacted palate, which continued to fascinate throughout the evening. Mourvedre was prominent in a good way, balancing out the sweetness of Grenache on nose and palate.
With its mellowed complexity, this CDP certainly has benefited from aging, but it strikes me that there's still many years left (at least from magnums).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Un vin qui a développé une élégance et un côté aérien, avec une texture qui évoque presque la Bourgogne. L'aromatique reste toutefois résolument sudiste avec de belles notes de laurier, de garrigue et de cerises à noyaux. Il lui manque un poil de fraicheur sur cette bouteille et je crois qu'il ne faudra pas trop tarder à boire ce vin, il est sur son plateau et va tranquillement amorcer son déclin sur la prochaine décennie. 92 pts
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2018 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Aromas of forest floor, spices and some caramel. Quite tannic and rustique, but also firm and dry, and as such quite elegant for a C-d-P.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened yesterday. Good ruby color, bricking at the rim. Big-time legs. This really struts Mourvedre, both on the nose and in the mouth. Gorgeous nose of garrigue, red berries and olives. Nice secondary autumnal notes. Drinking beautifully right now, this is redolent of fruit and earth, and it finishes with a very long and satisfying finish. Still has tannin, but it is well-integrated and chewy. Great balance of all components. Best bottle of this vintage I have had, alas it is my last bottle. 5-14-18-9: 96/100.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
An evening of Rhone (Bobo): Started off almost a touch hot but that calmed down. My pour was a touch grainy and suspect could have done with a strain and decant, but so it goes. Nice wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior notes but decanted for an hour then back in the bottle; outstanding & ready to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
French WTDS at Bellecour (Bellecour, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color; PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Also drinking pretty young, but showing the most tonight of the three CDP's. Spices, deeper fruits, garrigue, baked cherry, kirsch on the nose. The palate is similar, full bodied, kirsch, black raspberry, baked cherry, garrigue, mineral, long and powerful. This also needs time or air to fully show. These '01's are still young and intense.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2018 - Kris G Does not like this wine: 88 Points
showing too much evolution, over its top
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2018 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 90 min. Right away I knew we had a clean one this time, as my last bottle was over the top pruney right out of the gate. Here, the bottle had a plummy like character but very fresh and almost crisp. A lovely wild lavender note carried the mid palate and back end is seeing some tertiary development via mineral and earth tones. If representative, this is hitting a plateau of maturity and should hold for a good while. When Beau is on Oh baby....
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2018 - hargy wrote: 90 Points
this bottle seemed to have closed down somewhat - leave for a while
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Warren's. And his notes were perfect: "A very clean Beau, decanted a few hours. Still young, it's just starting to show some tertiary notes. Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs. No horseshit, sweat nor other barnyard".
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2018 - WST Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bellingham blind tasting party; great champagne, loire whites, old nebbiolos, CdP, & a Bdx (Samish Hill, Bellingham, WA): Coincidentally, two of us brought Beaucastels. I thought I was done with CdP, and hadn't opened any bottles in a couple of years. This one brought me back. A very clean Beau, decanted a few hours. Still young, it's just starting to show some tertiary notes. Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs. No horseshit, sweat nor other barnyard visitors. None of the prunes nor BBQ sauce that has marred some bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2018 - W&FS Cellar Chair Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delightful wine, many years of pleasant drinking to go. Not in the class of 2005, 2007, 2009 or 2010, but has a long lingering finish of characteristic Beaucastel appeal. Double decanted a couple of hours ahead - developed further nuances over the dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2018 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
Rhone dinner in Boston (Boston): Still young/tannic. Great fruit.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2018 - Rico100 wrote: 95 Points
Superb. Drank on V-Day with a delicious sous vide strip steak. Drinking really nicely now. Go for it!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2018 - Mazy Likes this wine: 88 Points
30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre (pas typique de CH9 - le Beaucastel en utilise plus que d’autres), Syrah 10%, Counoise 10%, Cinsault 5%, autres 15% (Vaccarèse, Terret noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne).
Ouvert et épaulé 5 heures d'avance.
Les arômes sont ceux de fruits rouges mûrs cuits (fraises) avec une douce amertume de sucre brûlé et des fines herbes. Les tannins sont fondus. Malheureusement les lies remontent rapidement en suspension et le 2e verre de chacun est empreint de l’amertume, de la texture un peu épaisse qui en résulte.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2018 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 95 Points
BYO @ Tribeca: 95 At its peak, medium to full body, dark cherries, blackberries, cedar, dried herbs, superb long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2018 - chefluilui wrote: 91 Points
Open up very silky smooth ink Chinese herbs after 20 min is ready and almost drink over 3 hour not much change let see next hour like other said after 3 hour
........after two more hour not much change I think it can drink just open.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2018 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
John Rater hosts at the Edina Country Club: Despite a 3 hour decant, this was incredibly youthful. This has all stuffings that would suggest a great wine, but it hasn't turned the corner into that lovely, friendly, funky, complex beauty that I'm looking for. My friend brought this, I brought the 2000, and I expected to be amazed by the 2001, as I have liked it better in the past. I ended up liking the 2000 a lot more tonight, although the opposite has occurred on previous engagements. What are you gonna do? What is clear is that this wine has a longer lifespan. I would drink the 2000's now with minimal decant, and they are truly great. The 2001's require a long decant or a little more cellar time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Celery, floral, underbrush and light fruits. Got better throughout the night but this underwhelmed. Good acidity. Decanted 3 hours and I wonder if 30 minutes would have been better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
The Revival of the ECC Group: Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Very dark red color. Decanted for 3 hours, drank 1 glass over 3 hours. The nose is really subdued, just brooding and introverted for the first 20 minutes. It very slowly starts to emerge, almost at a snails pace it starts to reveal hints of itself, black cherry, dried spice, pencil, subtle dill and much later some damp earth. The palate, on the other hand, is open for business immediately with full body, dark fruits, juicy blackberry, cassis, tar, pencil, glycerin, dried herbs, big, but well balanced with a medium finish. Much more youthful than the precocious '00 tonight.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2018 - HueBreCellars Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing.
A better cared for bottle than our first, so there was fruit and tannins after 40 minute decant. The nose was all vineyard after a rainfall - dirt, trees, leaves, green and mushroomy.
The start was silky earth that opened into very floral red berries, mixed with mushroom risotto, with a medium tannin finish that was medium plus.
I don't see how this wine gets better, the balance and integration were incredible, but I don't feel a rush to open up our last bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2018 - GWAsh64 wrote: flawed
Corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2018 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Monthly Tasting Group: Southern Rhones (Tilia, Mpls): Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light and earthy and beautifully balanced. Drank it with dry rub BBQ ribs and cedar plank salmon -- actually worked better with the salmon, I think!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2018 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Needs a four hour decant before it shows any complexity. Medium weight black fruited wine with a bit of pine/menthol on the nose. No real complexity yet, needs five more years at least.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2017 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really lovely Chateauneuf. Plum sauce, blackberry pie, barbecued meat, and licorice. A bit of pine resin. Plentiful acidity to balance the full flavors. Pop and pour or give some time in the decanter for slightly more tertiary flavors. Has the acidity and fullness to hold up for many more years and will probably develop for slightly longer.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2017 - andy C Likes this wine:
Drank at Duck dinner November 2017
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2017 - Asgard Likes this wine: 97 Points
4 hours in the decanter, perfect Cd9dP experience.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2017 - Double-A wrote: 85 Points
Medium garnet colour, lighter and more evolved than the 2000. Pruny, dried berry nose. Desiccated, rounded fruit on the palate and finish.
3/5
*sampled from 375mL bottle as a vertical tasting: 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2012
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2017 - eboracum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not the biggest Beaucastel but medium/full bodied+ and both generous and harmonious. It showed mature dark fruit showing good depth and length and infused with herb, balsamic touches and hints of forest floor with enough acidity for balance and still some firmness and gentle bitterness on the finish. Close to or at its peak, I guess. Very good.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2017 - Wadham Cellar wrote: 92 Points
Nose initially had feral element; more than the usual gamey aspect of beaucastel. Settled after one hour decant. Drinking very well with food. precise but with tannic structure and long finish. Age evident from colour but this has plenty of life left. I wouldn't serve above 15 degrees.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - pbaek wrote:
Opens up with a red-fruited nose and palate, almost Burgundian in style, but then with air firms up considerably and takes on more weight. Shows darker fruit, some brown tones, but still cool and upright, marks of pepper and garrigue. More nuance and complexity on day 2. A very young showing, this is some years away from showing its full potential.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2017 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was really nice tonight with lots of rich, penetrating, dark red fruit, that has reached the cherry fruit roll up stage, abundant earth and garrigue and firm peppery tannns on the long finish. To my tastes this wine has reached its peak with the stewed fruit notes in harmony with the remaining structure. Soon, I fear that the stewy notes will become dominant, which I don't prefer. I think I'll be drinking up my remaining 2 bottles in the bearish future.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2017 - Marshall G Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted for three hours. The wine seemed very young when tasted along with other Chateauneuf du Papes from 1989 thru 2005. Good balance overall with big red fruit but a little heavy on the acid. I won’t taste again for another five years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 87 Points
Even after some time in the decanter this was just raisin city on both the nose and palate. After two hours in the glass the nose has some pretty florals and dusty intrigue, but mostly it's like a blueberry liqueur or something. Palate remains raisiny and hot. Metallic. Grippy tannin.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2017 - KPB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark plum red... spicy nose with red currents, leather, licorice. Sweet yet tart with the fruit wrapped in soft tannins, good mineral finish. Fully mature and delicious... drink up if you own it!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2017 - unrelenting wrote: 93 Points
super young. try again in 2021. no mushroom or earth elements yet. great structure. not huge.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2017 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful wine 🍷 that is certainly ready with 2hrs decanting. The nose is so pure. Hints of fresh flower of honeysuckle with loads of fruit like strawberry 🍓. The taste is very smooth and the tannins are shedding off. The tatste gives you lots of warm Strawberry compote. Chocolate cake and tabbaco leaf. It goes on for a min and this wine is ready today but will give lots of pleasure for another 10yrs for sure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2017 - MAOC wrote:
Best bottle I can remember from last 2/3 years. Quite vibrant cherry fruit but with pronounced white pepper and also Mouvedre character, some leather notes but in particular classic Southern garrigue, a slightly sunny feel. I am not sure it is a top Beaucastel but it will show nicely for the next 5-10 years. ****
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2017 - Sean Tay wrote:
The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, raspberry and red currant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2017 - DFBW Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened as a tester really as I've had a bad run of aged CndP recently - wanted to see if there were any legs left in this as I have a few left. Always worried that I'll get that whiff of fusty stewed fruit on the nose but early signs were good. Only given two hours of air in the bottle. Colour is medium with some bricking around the edges. Luscious fruit on the nose and one sip was enough to restore all faith in this wine. Beautiful balance of fruit and acidity, smooth and long finish. Excellent.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Last bottle and drinking just as well as the prior two. Decanted for 45 minutes and served with steak and heirloom tomato salad. Love the mature fruit and brambly quality to this wine - kind of makes me think of eating warm berries right off the bush as a kid in summertime. Want to find some more of these - just a lot of quality for the price.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2017 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Lovely wine, complex and interesting with lots of nuances. Red plums and cherries are the predominant fruit, but with earth , leather and tobacco notes. Tannins are fine but still dry and there, acidity is well balanced. Overall comes across as a really well made tasty wine, with enough complexity to merit a high score.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
From magnum, a pretty wine full of tart black cherries and spice, you'd never think it was 16 yrs old. Well done.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2017 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Friends (Giant, Chicago): Popped and poured, given a few minutes in the glass to open up. Dusty garnet in color showing a little bit of age. Aromas of dark fruit, red currants, spice, roasted game, rose and floral notes. I could have spent the rest of the night with my nose in the glass except that the lamb ragu with gnocchi and pecan-smoked baby back ribs had arrived at the table. Tannins have almost completely integrated. Red berry fruit, pepper, spice and rare beef flavors. There's a garrigue-like element that develops with a bit more air and the beefy/iron quality on the palate deepens a bit as well. Long finish. Impressive depth and balance throughout. Simply an awesome bottle. 96 pts for Domino and 96-97 pts for me.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/17/2017 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely. Soft spicy cherry and camphor on the nose. Wonderfully expressive. In the mouth you get a hint of some powerful spiciness but age has given it a feminine wrapper. The result is very harmonious and round with just enough edginess and grip. Menthol, cherry, and barbecue grill. This is in a great place and should be enjoyed in the short-term. The epitome of mature CDP. Fine pairing with New York steaks with a fresh herb rub and anchovy compound butter.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2017 - Jurgens wrote:
Nice agree in the good comments. drink now and next 6 months
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2017 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine: 93 Points
Next up in my line of Beaucastel CDPs, the 2001: like sipping wine in a smokehouse surrounded by BBQ meat and spices. This bottle was a bit of a departure from the previous I’ve had (95, 98, 99) – sure they all shared a smoky, meaty quality, but those older bottles also showed a fair bit of both ripe and dried fruits, as well as more intense sweet spices and forest notes. Here, the smoke and cigar really did dominate, for better or worse. Currants, raspberry, black cherry, and spiced plums all showed up, and with a decant the smoke did give way to oak (vanilla, biscuit), cinnamon, and stewed tomatoes. The wine showed good structure, though it was a little thinner on the palate than I would have liked – I suppose it could just be vintage variation, but my impression could also be staying true to my preference of 17/18 years for these bottles to really hit their peak. I think perhaps this one could use at least a few more to fully round out! Regardless, and as always, this was a delight to drink. 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2017 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez finement épicé, avec des notes de laurier, du fruit rouge (au lieu du fruit noir et de l'anis habituel). La bouche est douce, tant par le raffinement de ses tanins arrondis, que le coté mûr et sucré du fruit. Un vin large, raffiné, à point. À boire sans trop attendre toutefois. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Similar to prior notes; took a while to fully open then blossomed into a truly beautiful wine. Loved by all at BB!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2017 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smoke, ripe fruit, leather. Decanted for four hours, enjoyed with Camembert, chèvre, and blue cheese. Wonderful, and will likely continue to improve
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2017 - dawgdaze Likes this wine: 93 Points
A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation.
Friends came to our house for a dinner on the patio overlooking the Pacific. This was the first experiment with Chateau Beaucastel. We had two bottles of the 2001.
Decanted for 6 hours.
Color: Inky, ruby.
Aroma: dark cherries, plums and blackberries.
Palate: Smoked meats, prune, earth and mineral, with hints of truffles.
The vintage was very light like a Pinot Noir showing very well. Hard to believe it is 16 years old. I wish I had two more bottles cellared. It was enjoyed by all!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/19/2017 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is the first bottle I have tried of the 2001 vintage of Beaucastel. This is an excellent CdP. This bottle has been open 2 to 3 hours and the nose is offering somewhat muted aromas of garrique. On the palate, there is ample fruit of dried cherries, black olives, garrique, saddle leather, minerality and a medium finish. It is a very mature (and earthy) wine at this point, but I believe it will hold for many more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2017 - BriGuy22 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice French wine. Aged nicely. Smooth tannins. Slightly brown in color. Very enjoyable.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2017 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Chateauneuf du pape tasting (at Eli Raban's home, Rehovot): Dark transparent red brown.
Delicate tertiary mature fruits nose with tart and fine aged oak-vanilla notes
Medium bodied, soft integrated tannins, well balanced and harmonized, fine structured, delicate layered complexity, mature fruity flavors, Grenache dominant sweetness, smoked meat, earthy, long fine finish and alcoholic aftertaste
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2017 - Mr T wrote:
initial funk on the nose but good soft, mature CNP fruit and gentle finish..not a blockbuster but pleasant to drink and tannin well resolved...pretty wine
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2017 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: Ruby core with brick orange leading to a clear meniscus.
Smell: Scents of dried red fruits, clove, leather, and dehydrated plums.
Taste: Golden raisins, cherry, Levi Garrett chewing tobacco, and blood oranges.
Overall: This is showing quite well tonight...the complexity is on full display as the wine is an ever changing enigma that has shifted with each glass over the course of an hour with 2 hours in the decanter prior. Medium body, Med-high acidity, Med tannin, med+ fruit, and a long...long finish. I love when Beaucastel is on...and tonight this bottle is on fire! Outstanding!!! (Save the last bottle until 2025)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 80 Points
Yet another disappointing Beaucastel. Have 80% of my bottles really been "off." It sure seems like it. The cork on this was stellar, and there wasn't even seepage past 1-2 mm of the cork. Moreover, the color is a strong bloody red, with only a bit of lightning at the rim, and the legs are strong. Yet the nose is high-toned, and has a distinct iodine aroma, without much more except a shoe polish note. And on the palate, though there is some red fruit, it is muted and even somewhat dirty. I just don't get it! 4-7-13-6: 80/100.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/21/2017 - Machiavelli wrote:
Still awkward, and took time to open, but a big, monolithic style of Beaucastel, with fresh acidity and a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2017 - guido23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped (perfect cork), decanted, and consumed over four hours. This started out very simple: almost like fruit juice. Within an hour, though, it had really come into its own. Still very fruit-forward, but with balanced tannins and a forever finish. Going very strong right now with years and years left.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2017 - ludwigbpm wrote: 93 Points
Superbe nez de chateauneuf évolué, grande finesse de tanins et de texture, il est ouvert et à boire sur une dizaine d'années.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2017 - ggj wrote: 91 Points
May be in a awkward adolescent phase.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2017 - emo Likes this wine: 87 Points
Not as fine as other bottles, a fraction stewed. Still delicious though!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2017 - nm10 wrote: flawed
Very faint cork taint, but it was like the wine was dumb. Drank like a $10 bottle. Strange.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2017 - AB16 wrote: flawed
Oxidized
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2017 - silton Likes this wine: 94 Points
Killer showing of a classic wine. Animal, vegetable, mineral; wet earth and a plum-berry pie. @ Evvia.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2017 - lolo66 wrote:
It had some funk and dirt on nose, but with time this has blown off. The nose is more fresh mulberries and cherries along with some barnyard. The taste is more subtle and moves towards dusty cherries and shows a bit more advancement than the nose. Very nice. I would drink these up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2017 - schneesurfer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Whow what a blast. My first CdP from the Beaucastel Estate. Basically don’t like the Grenache characteristic but the 30% in this blend are perfectly integrated. Very elegant wine, great freshness, only little licorice, no excessive medicinal taste. Medium+ bodied, dominated by red berries with a vibrant acidity and perfect smooth tannins. A phenomenal volume in the mouth. This tasteful wine has a long long finale that last for at least 30 seconds. Rated one point higher on day 2. My first bottle out of OWC – fully matured now, but will last for another 10 years. The only negative point is its one dimensionality, compared to high level Bordeaux wines.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2017 - Deputy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted in a temp controlled room for 4 hours before serving. It was very good and drank nicely, but I didn't find it to be particularly special, for the cost.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2017 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bam! What a terrific wine. Big nose, deep dark berry, garnet hue, acidic. Dark fruit in a wonderful balance, tremendous flavor. licorice, pencil lead, soooo smoothhhhh! One of my favorites of the evening. Drinking exceptional at this time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2017 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Joli nez de fruit rouge un brin compoté, avec des nuances d'anis, un côté floral, bien épicé. La bouche nous montre un vin évolué, qui parait un peu fatigué à l'ouverture, mais loin d'être moribond. Avec l'air il a graduellement gagné en énergie, finesse et définition, se montre encore bien fruité, avec une certaine amertume. Le grand intérêt de ce vin tient à sa très belle complexité aromatique qui se révèle après plus d'une heure d'ouverture. Il se montre alors magnifique, savoureux et abouti. 93 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
8th of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, consistent with my best previous notes, still very youthful, focussed and pure, yum (and best match with pot roast)! VF (18.5).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2017 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Fogheads@HSA - Østerbro (Østerbro, Copenhagen): Tasted vis-avis the Pegau 2001, this comes out as leaner, even somewhat Burgundian; elegant indeed, still with a core of fresh fruit and a long way from unfolding, I think. Certainly approachable, but will gain depth... 93+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2017 - Fred_Bo Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is really delicious.
There are a lot of strawberry porridge going on here. With some spices and pepper to keep it funny and interesting to drink.
Its luckily not as sweet and thick(i.e dull as the Roger Sabon Le Secret 2007). This has more muscle and body to it. But I reckon this is better in a couple of years!
Great bottle!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2017 - wineismylife wrote: flawed
WIMLNR
Tasted non blind. Tasted from Magnum format.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Slightly vegetal nose with some added notes of smoke and black berries. Seems muted, likely very mildly tainted with TCA. Tasted OK with some basic black berries and cherries on the palate. Yeah, I know...never taste a TCA tainted wine. Bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Not rated for obvious reasons but I sure did want it to be pristine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2017 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Third bottle of the night. Consistent with other two bottles. Performing nicely. Balanced, complex, lengthy expanding finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
1/3/2017 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Second bottle tonight, similar notes. Drinking really well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2017 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. Really coming into its own now and showing signs of tertiary development. Nice now, but should continue to age and improve for quite awhile.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2017 - crowino wrote: flawed
Over the hill
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2016 - Miceri Likes this wine: 96 Points
Medium red with rusty browny rim; expressive nose, star anise and licorice, delicious; very agreeable approach, silky and soft, lean and intense, a hint of caramel; very very good
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2016 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Aged Beef Dinner (Pine Close): A really strong showing - this was just delicious. The Mourvèdre is really starting to come out after 15 years, with lovely dark aromas of blackberries, dried earth, menthol herbs, and a bourgeoning meatiness, along with a panoply of sweet perfumed tones, with violets, licorice and garrigue coming out with time. Tons going on. The palate was absolutely lovely too. It has put on weight and thickness since the last time round, with a robe of velvety tannins and soft acidity draped over pure, juicy flavours of blackberries and cassis, all seasoned with blushes of peppery spice, herb and garrigue, and the patted down with a bit of dried earth and a suggestion of stony minerality a long finish. At a beautiful place now, really wonderfully integrated, even if still just a touch on the youthful, primary side at points. If I had any bottles left, I would leave them aside for another 3-5 years, but there is really no harm in popping them now. Previous bottles were half asleep, but this one was clearly awake and starting to sing. It was the perfect pairing with a 60-day dry aged sirloin too.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2016 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Next to the 89 (3 bottles left), this is our favorite Beaucastel. Everything you want in a CdP with just enough of the barnyard to let you know what it is. Bricked color, powerful nose and lovely balance on the palate. Stood up well to the city ham cooked sous vide at 140 for 5 hour. Yum.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/26/2016 - HolgerDM wrote:
Wonderfully balanced, 95
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2016 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
PnP - this was lovely but would have been even better with a proper decant. On the nose this is full of red fruit and bramble. Complex and layered on the palate with the red grenache fruit softening and complemented by the earthy components of the wine. Really enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2016 - enofilene Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red and purplish in the glass, oodles of red fruit, with tons of rock, spice and earthy notes in the glass. Get a strong red strawberry taste mid palate and this CDP actually shows the acidity to keep all the Grenache tasting interesting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
What a sneaky wine. Opened a bit pruny and disjointed. However, with 30 minutes of air, it opened into an amazing bottle of Chateauneuf. Wild berry and garrigue nose - rich and full. Perfectly mature palate with fruit, earth and structure perfectly in balance. Old style, classic southern Rhone. Delicious. (95)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 96 Points
From magnum. Double decanted back into bottle after two hours and served after another hour and a half. Although bought retail, was well cellared for the last 10 years. This was everything it needed to be for a great CDP. Wonderful ripe fruit (not raisiny) complimented by fabulous secondary notes of charcuterie, mushroom, and terror. Can't image a 750ml holding up as well as this magnum.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2016 - pigdaddy wrote: 93 Points
decanted one hour. two years since the last one, this really reminds us of the '79 and '88 at the same age, although maybe less rustic & animal. no longer young & primary, although the fruit mid-palate is quite sweet & pure without being overripe. mourvèdre lends a dusty, earthy funk to the finish that truly delights. fairly elegant & drinking well, in a good place.
local pork chop w/wild-foraged oyster mushrooms; blistered wakefield cabbage w/walnuts, gorgonzola & pancetta vinaigrette; roasted sweet potato w/spicy honey & aniseed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2016 - Dury wrote:
This was my second consecutive off bottle with the same shortcoming: stewed fruits and not much else. Purchased both from WineBid around 2006 so no clarity on provenance prior to then.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/11/2016 - Dale M wrote:
off bottle, slight oxidative baked plum scents and flavors covered what should have been an epic beaucastel. Major Bummer.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2016 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
Ttook to Paul's Xmas party. It was most people's WOTN. I can't taste so no notes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2016 - winemaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning wine. This has more structure to it than the '98, '99, and '00. This wine is bigger and bolder than the wines in this flight. This one needs a decant for a couple of hours to show its best now. However, in a few more years, this wine should be even better.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2016 - DFBW wrote: 88 Points
Decanted this for two hours. Had a slightly strange aroma that I thought would blow off with some air but it stayed there and followed through onto the palate. There was some good nice blackberry / cassis fruit there but altogether not as good as I was expecting and not as good as the 1994 bottle I had a few weeks ago. Might just be an off bottle and I have three more that will hopefully be better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Terrific, wonderful fruit and minerality. Exactly what I would want it to be!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2016 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine decanted for 2hrs. Amazing nose of cassis, lavender, and fresh boxed raisins. The taste is smooth and lovely. Caramel, leather, blueberries come out. The wine is mature but will age well for another 5-7yrs. Great juice.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 95 Points
So smooth and elegant! Lots of solids in the bottle, so filtering or decanting is in order. Delicious velvety wine with dark purple appearance in the bottle. Tastes and smells of red fruits, spice, and a hint of smoke. Terrific mouthfeel.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2016 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Even with a cold the flavours of dense cooked plums, dark berries, spice etc were amazingly concentrated and shone through my blocked up system.
Must show restraint and hold my remaining bottles till 2020 to see if there are further developments. Problem: drinking beautifully now. Solution? Buy some more!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2016 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bought on release and stored perfectly...amazing...love this. deep purple and doesn't seem 15 years old. deep nose of currant and flowers. currants, cassis, blueberries, floral kiwi, layered cinnamon and spice...long finish..can age more but great now. Will try and find more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2016 - minndavid60 wrote: flawed
3rd bottle in a set of 4 bought on release from a local retailer who is notorious for all sales final (no store credit, no nothing The first 2 bottles were extremely ripe and pruney, to the point that blind, one might have thought 2003. This bottle was corked beyond belief. After 2 hours in the glass, it almost made me gag. Hugely disappointed considering the producer and vintage. One last bottle and I'm not expecting anything drinkable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/15/2016 - Moonie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well tonight. Second to last bottle of a case. I found the wines over time had a lot of bottle variation, but this bottle was right at its peak and showed the essence of a fine Beaucastel.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Yolanda's Birth Month Wines (Chagrin Falls): Not the best showing for this bottle but still quite good. It was pop and pour and really should have been given more air. The nose was very clean with cherries, black cherries, spice and even dried flowers. There was also a note that a couple described as asparagus. I got that when it was pointed out, but would not describe it that way. I think i was more going with the dried flowers, I think. Anyway, that was not there on the palate, and much younger and fresher on the palate. Showing some dark cherries, spice and black raspberries. Some complexity. Lighter tannins. Good balance. nice finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2016 - Musigny1955 wrote: 88 Points
[from 375, purchased on released, perfect fill] My experience is that the 375s and 750s can be quite different, this is 375 -> Garrigue and lovely top notes on nose, palate very good but not the same you get from 750s right now, respectably long length but not remotely a mind-bender. Impressive sediment, this wine has stuffing, but will drink up remaining 375s in cellar. This half (a satisfying quaff) not as good as some recent other 375s which were 90 pointers.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright, semi-translucent ruby colour. Nose is wet furry rabbit, fresh figs and fresh black ripe cherries. Palate is silky smooth and velvety seductive, lots of vibrant acidity and a bit too high alcohol still. Lots of ripe fresh red and black cherries. Reasonable length. Is still in its adolescence. Revisit in 5 years and is probably good for at least 15.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Rhone wines with friends (The Posk's): Great showing for this wine which certainly seems to be coming into its peak (it has a long life left though). Purple/ruby in color. Dark cherries, black raspberries, violets, leather, slight earthy funk but a clean wine and some cigar tobacco. On the palate, full bodied. Juicy black cherry fruit with some black raspberries, some earthiness. A lot of complexity here but fresh and vibrant fruit. Long finish. Just outstanding and the WOTN.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2016 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 91 Points
Au début, "90", puis, à partir du 3ème verre, "91". Ouvrez-le 2 bonnes heures avant de le boire ou carafez-le.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2016 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape tasting (at my home): very good CDP (as always, almost)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2016 - lolo66 wrote:
barnyard on nose initially. blows off with 30 minutes of air. on riper side but with balance. A very nice plum, prune compote with all spice and enough verve to keep it interesting. on 2nd day after day in fridge it is quite silky and very much alive with the classic garrgiue flavor of CDP. At a slightly chilled temp, this is quite nice and am enjoying very much.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2016 - beatles Likes this wine: 94 Points
There is the stuffing of a real Beaucastel, but it's less funky than that; the new regime makes a bit of a mark. Nevertheless, this is a classic wine, that adds to the usual local notes of B. an elegance and a minerality, that is 2001. This has entered it's drinking windöw, but will live on for a decade - and could improve.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
7th of 24, decanted 20 minutes, perfect cork and level, better than May bottle and showing purity and concentration of earlier bottles. Top wine in a top year! VF (18.5).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2016 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Decanted for two hour - really opened up during this period compared to initial taste from bottle. Significant fine sediment - may want to filter. Ruby red color with slight browning. On the nose red fruits and earth. No noticeable brett. On the palate red fruits, leather and garrigue. Drinking very nicely now although it has tons of life left in it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2016 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 98 Points
This one is more garnet than ruby red. Softer, more complex nose of dried red fruits, new leather and red licorice. So soft and smooth on the tongue. Sweet, strawberry fruit leather, full and round middle. Some pure tobacco. Finish goes on and on. Have to try to not drink this right down. It needs to be sipped and savoured. Wow! This is what it's all about! I could smell and sip this forever.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2016 - noppakit s. wrote: 96 Points
Truly Classic CdP !!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2016 - SteelerFan wrote: 94 Points
Very, very good. Not overly barnyard. Smooth. No evidence of decline.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2016 - rocknroller wrote:
Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Gotta agree with Chablis28 on this one too. Just not showing well tonight. I've had this a number of times and had it fare much better, but this was all wound up and very backwards. No score. Still the '00 has always out shined the '01 side by side. Needs time or significant air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 89 Points
This wine is not ready. Hands off. A shell of what this should evolve into around 2021.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2016 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Aging glacially and gracefully. Wonderful nose of spice savoury herbs, red fruit. I was hoping for the barnyard which did not make an appearance. Rather we were treated with an earthiness and a mellow smooth finish. Will wait another 5 to 10 years for more tertiary development.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2016 - le fouloir wrote: 93 Points
Even better than the bottle I reported on in 2014. Still evolving.. Wonderfully spicy, strong fruit (sweet cherries?), Not much earthiness, but smooth as silk.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted then SO'd for a few hrs, similar to prior note except this bottle was a little more brick in color; delicious & ready to drink!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Nez d'anis, épicé, avec du fruit.
Bouche équilibrée, encore vigoureuse, avec une finale longue et délicieuse, sur des notes épicées de garrigue, de laurier, un peu de fraises. Superbe profondeur. 94 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2016 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
dark opaque red-brown; excellent fruity spicy nose; soft firm tannins, medium bodied, rich fruity flavours, medium structured, fair complexity
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet hue that has a maturing rim. Love the nose - red and black fruit, bacon and herbs. Very classic and deep. Kissed by the sun, this is a full wine but balanced. I would rather drink wines like this (or Pegau or Charvin or Rayas...) than many of the high scoring CdP's out there today. Will hold for a while. Drink over the next ten years. (94)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2016 - rmalloy wrote: 93 Points
Tastes remarkably young. Dark fruit character. Blueberry, black cherry, bacon, licorice, pepper, herbs. Gamey undertones of mourvedre. Ripe and fruit driven. No hurry to drink this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
4th of July Weekend Wines - A nice selection; 7/1/2016-7/5/2016 (Out and about over the weekend): I actually opened this as our hostess/friend loves stink on her wines. I thought this a likely candidate. Actually, it was pretty clean. Just the slightest hint of earthiness. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries, slight spice and slight earthiness. Medium tannins. On the palate, plenty of fruit; black raspberries and plums. Deep and layered, there is a beautiful soft complexity to this wine. I rarely use this term, but it is quite sexy. Very food friendly as well. Great showing for this wine. Seems to be entering peak but a long life ahead. Glad to have a few more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2016 - ccplaza wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle. Oxidized. Couldn't drink it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 89 Points
My first two bottles of this were flawed but the last bottle was good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2016 - Kierkegaard wrote: 93 Points
Well integrated and harmonized - leather and pepper on the nose
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2016 - t-sama Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good, but not great CDP. A bit thin for a Beaucastel. Don't see this getting much better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2016 - grapist Likes this wine: 91 Points
VG. But many 2001 CdP's I would place ahead of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 93 Points
6th of 24, opened 40 minutes, perfect cork and level - as last October note, high toned example giving bright cherry fruit a nice lift, overall not as impressive as previous bottles. F+ (18).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2016 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
PFV tasting. Odd wine, not super pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2016 - Tree512 wrote: 91 Points
Just beginning to drink well, still needs more time. Fruit isn't big but is long, good tannins, no brett but needs more time to develop the complexity that will come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2016 - Winiac wrote: 92 Points
Ruby color. Very expressive bouquet with violet and vanilla without any brett or impurity. Medium to full bodied. Very ripe and sweet fruit without becoming jammy. Very elegant and finessed on the palate with focused flavors. Medium to long length and pleasant finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 93 Points
Clean fresh and intense, a little gummy yerba santa herb and red licorice, lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2016 - Haesebrouck wrote: 90 Points
A garder encore pas mal d'année.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 92 Points
Would think this is around peak drinking season - seeing a little hint of brown on rim
Lovely mature CdP with savoury tannins fully integrated; aromatics round, continuing to palate
Black juicy fruit, pepper mocca, stone and mineral layers all soft into lingering finish. I also get hints of mint at the end
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2016 - Jeffrey Silver wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 90min. Nose is deep leather saddle and dark fruit. There is hint of caramel as well. You are on to a great wine. The taste is wonderful butterscotch with red currant. Honeysuckle and coffee come through as well. It stays with you for a full min. At 15yrs of age this wine is awesome. It's well balanced and its tannins are soften. It's most enjoyable today but will say it can age easily for another 5-8yrs. Great juice. Glad to have lots more!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Layers have melted together so beautifully here with a gentle tar infusion.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2016 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Uncorked and not decanted, followed over 5 hours. Showed strong, mature fruit flavors along w some herbal aromas upon opening. As time evolves this shows a little more alcohol on the nose as a precursor to mature blue and black fruit, modest wood, tea leaves. Really a solid bottle that's in the heart of its wheelhouse. Good for another 4-5 years but doubt this will improve much at all, only benefit from less air before drinking.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2016 - ggj wrote: 89 Points
A correct but tired and lackluster bottle. Lacks the fruit, density, aromatics and depth of other bottles
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
HdR Opening Tasting: What a great wine and in a great spot. Of course, there is some stink. deep purple fruit. Lots of layers. Great length. Love this wine. Time to start opening some bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at WWS Rhone tasting. Slight bricking, but not really showing much age. Aromas of cigar smoke, pepper and red fruit. Oak fairly well-integrated. Saddle leather, green pepper, tobacco, and plenty of sour cherry fruit. A lovely wine that still needs some bottle age under it. Decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2016 - moany rhoney wrote: 90 Points
Lovely fruit, just a bit unfocused and old on the finish. Question if this is a great bottle. still good drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2016 - Wineshington Likes this wine: 92 Points
delicious and in a good window. drank with 1997 and 2009. 1997 stole the show. this was a close second.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
Much better bottle than previous one. Much fresher, nice fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2016 - PC73 wrote: 88 Points
Quite attractive on the nose but rather dull on the palate. Rather musty and old. Opened up after a couple of hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2016 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 92 Points
I'd prefer some more maturity, but this is supremely elegant - will become an excellent Beaucastel
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely wine. In a really nice place. 90-minute decant. Sour cherries, herbs de provence, and integrated oak. 40-second finish. Still has a few years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2016 - llink wrote: 93 Points
This is in a good place tonight, my favorite wine of the tasting. The nose is starting to show secondary aromas, some dried fruits, plums and blackberry. The palate is rich and velvety with a lovely texture that lingers on your palate and makes that next sip irresistible.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2016 - Nekodab wrote: 95 Points
First two hours after decanting in glass tasted a little outdated, after the 5th hour poured directly from bottle into glass was the classic stone with exuberant fruit forwardness.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2016 - WinoRick wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind together with a group of friends who taste regularly. All CdP's and some heavy hitters such as Pegau, Mordoree (Bois), Ferrand, Cailloux, etc. The '01 Beaucastel was the clear winner, with a spicy, balanced palate. Yum!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2016 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
celebrating my 60 with Zuker at lunch (at my home): Coravin tasting
light transparent red with brown rim (in great contrast to the 2005 Janasse VV tasted before) that seems to become darker in the glass
soft textured with a rustic elegance to its sweet-earthy kirsch, garrigue, spice and peppery character. a classic CDP of high quality. great pleasure. ready now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs, ruby with a touch of brick on the rim, huge nose of red fruit & spice, touch of pepper, soft tannins, mod.-long finish; delicious & ready to drink but no rush, at the heights of the 89/90
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2016 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
Simply put, great wine. As fine a wine (in a different style) to the marvellous 1985 - being more savoury, tannic, lean and structured. Beautiful fruit quality - not a trace of over-ripeness, classic acorn, tree bark nuance, vegemite, leather and boysenberry. Mineral and long. This is linear, focused and is clearly ready now. Difficult to imagine this improving , but it will no doubt endure and develop for the next decade or more. Great (and typical) Beaucastel. While this has achieved a certain resolution, it is still shows a certain stern quality that is serious and involving.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2016 - blanquito wrote: 87 Points
Strange showing, nothing wrong with this, but fairly mute and this should be terrific. Not tight, not hard, just dull. Maybe this just needs more time?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
2/22/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
At 16, this is really drinking well. Popped and poured, the wine is soft textured with a wild elegance to its sweet kirsch, garrigue, spice and peppery character. The texture continues gaining a silky feeling and the ripe, sweet, fresh, kirsch fruits linger in the finish. If you have been sitting on your bottles waiting for the moment, this is a good time to pop a cork.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2016 - kenthargis wrote:
This was flawed unfortunately.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Opened by Mark. Not decanted. More approachable than the 1998 which was also opened. Notes of leather, berries and garrigue. Needs time. 92 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2016 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red, sweet plush nose, drinking at a pointe, tasted blind fooled us we thought it was an Australian but good palate, silky, just about entering its drinking window
93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2016 - Pknut wrote:
Raisiny but not too overripe. Pink garrigue. Lots of sediment.
Acker auction at Marea.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Our First Acker Auction (Marea in NYC): Still a very young wine, can even get a touch of the alcohol on the palette. Dark fruit. Overshadowed again by some of the others, but suspect we'd enjoy on a normal night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2016 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+: Dark core with red crimson rim; compote, raspberry, a little lean, medicinal, slight seaweed note, meaty; nicely aged on the palate, bitter note, raspberry, leather; Grenache blend, tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2016 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
Sumptuous. Just a special wine. Glad I have some more. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2016 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous, delicious wine. Very clean and smooth. Layers of flavors. Glad I have more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2016 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beaucastel is one of my favorites from Chateauneuf-du-Pape and I still have a few bottles of 1978 and 1983 that I look forward to drinking. However, while very good, this bottle did not live up to expectations. Double decanted about 2 hours before serving and initial flavors and round mouth feel of Grenache followed by saddle leather and spice from the syrah. Still a bit closed in. I think the wine is still young and will benefit from another 5 years or so. Served with grilled pork loin bone-in roast.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2015 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
6 bottles back-decanted at 3pm and transported to friend's house for our New Years Eve dinner etc. Bottles open to air for 1-3 hours before drinking between 9 and 11pm with our venison casserole and subsequent fine English cheese platter.
The different treatment from my last February note resulted in a much fuller and rounded experience. Dense plum and summer pudding-like dark hedge fruit flavours. Herb and liquorice spice add considerable complexity, the whole wrapped in velvety but nonetheless assertive tannins. Dry and long finish.
Excellent. The ten of us, (including two former wine trade colleagues) easily polished off the six bottles - say no more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2015 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Annual CDP tasting (Edina Country Club): Pop and pour, slow o'd for a short time. This really needed a decant. It had secondary/tertiary flavors, but also quite hot and liqueur-ish. If you held this for a few more years, you'll be rewarded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Very dark red color. PNP with a touch of slow-O time. The nose is savory, brett, lacquer, dense, black fruits, garrigue, black pepper. The palate starts out disjointed with some heat and volatility, settles down for the most part over an hour, tons of spice, pepper, oak, leather, black fruits, black cherry, lots of garrigue, full bodied, liqueuerish. This wanted to be a bit of a brute tonight. Showed its youth in spades. IMO this needs a good 3 hours or more of decanting if approaching now, or give it 5 years to begin to get there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/27/2015 - mzimberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
2015 CDP Annual Dinner (Edina Country Club): Slow-ox for 3 hours. Tell tale lacquer nose . Amazing, expansive palate. Tangy and a kick of black pepper spice. Still mostly about the fruit. A bit hot. Very long finish. So charming. Still drinking very young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
With Christmas Eve dinner. Opened about an hour before dinner (not decanted) and followed two bottles over a couple of hours.
Really drinking well now, but no great hurry to drink up (5 years or so?). My favorite C du Pape these days, rich and ripe, silky smooth, enjoyable complexity and typicity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Tasting Group Holiday Party (Mouton, Laurent, Essencia, Hundred Acre, Staglin, +++) (University Circle): Really nice showing. It was probably in the wrong place in the lineup as it took a sip or two to re-calibrate. In any event, once I did, this was great. Not really showing much age, although obviously not a baby. Purple in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries and a slight floral note. On the palate, more black cherries with a strong and nice black licorice note. Good acidity. Tight complexity that slowly unwound in the glass. Great showing. As I still have a few left, I was glad to see that there is no hurry.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/12/2015 - asgerG wrote: 90 Points
DnP. Beautiful garnet red, yellow rim, 4,5. Mature atypical liquor like bouquet, not much fruit more mellow mature sweetish notes. Harmonious palate, almost fully resolved tannins, elegant style. Drink now! A little disappointing but maybe an off bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2015 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine:
Turning brick in color, this wine was clearly far over the hill, possibly because it was a Katrina wine (no electricity for two weeks). The hurricane seemed to single out my Rhone bottles. There was no bouquet or flavor, apart from unpleasant barbecue notes, with pronounced acidity predominating. I didn't rate the wine, or several of its sisters.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2015 - RandyAboutWine wrote: 92 Points
Light-bodied, showing some brick in color. Purchased at auction, its provenance is unknown. A subtle nose with many Beaucastel nuances, delicate palate of cherries, leather and a touch of gravel. This bottle was past its prime but reasonable with dinner. Not clear if it wasn't stored properly or this is just another of the mixed reviews for this vintage. The CT drink date through 2023 seems overly optimistic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Dégustation horizontale Châteauneuf du Pape 2001 (La Caverne de Collin): Un magnifique nez, le troisième de la soirée, suave, épicé, avec ses notes de garrigue. La bouche est aussi fort agréable mais peut-être un peu plus limitée que les meilleurs vins de la soirée. Excellent quand même. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2015 - tcosgriff wrote: flawed
Turning to a brick color. The bottle suffered from cork taint, so I did not rate it, but I could still discern its underlying features. Unfortunately, it didn't have much in the way of flavor, nuance, or definition, apart from the taint. There were quite variable reviews of this wine by other tasters, and many seemed to be expecting more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2015 - flybrain wrote: 92 Points
Mistake of drinking it after a more full bodied wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2015 - MRichman wrote:
A little candied. Fully mature, good to continue aging a bit but not too long. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2015 - amred wrote: 93 Points
Has aged so gracefully and drinking perfectly right now. Wonderful and classic nose--garrigue, game, but with fruit still evident. Smooth as silk with leather, garrigue, a bit of tar for us and soft, sweet fruit in the mouth. Simply a classic aged ChdP. Still a few more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2015 - PeterMole wrote:
Needs 2-3 hrs caraffing. Beautifull, subtle, not very strong.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice tonight. The tannins are still abit on the firmish side, but the palate was all full bodied, dark red fruit, earth, garrigue, spice and perhaps the barest hint of stewed notes. For me, this is in its perfect drinking window, but I suspect there's no hurry here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2015 - Pavan wrote: 92 Points
Still a really enjoable wine but somehow it seems a bit hollow. My guess it has passed its peaked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2015 - SonnyChiba wrote:
Other bottle I had must've been bad. Tried again and loved it. Sweet supple cherry fruit. Lots of secondary flavors. Time to drink up and enjoy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2015 - majamke Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP. Layers of flavours, blonde tobacco, potpourri, old leather, plums and red currant. Cigar ash on the finish. Complex, rich, full body with well integrated tannins. Aged chateauneuf at its finest. No rush on this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/2/2015 - Tony Molester Likes this wine:
Liked this much more than a few years ago. Silky and developing flavours nicely; lovely wine.
Drink or hold to 2025.
13.5% abv
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - lolo66 wrote:
kind of sweet - compared to other wines-but very supple. Certainly time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar impression to another bottle consumed earlier this year. Popped and decanted for an hour prior to dinner. Good concentration and depth. Dark fruits. Still showing very youthful. One taster noticed heat but I thought the overall balance was good. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2015 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
4th of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, essentially as November 2014 note, lovely cherry fruit cut with tobacco, high quality and developing nicely, long life ahead. Very fine (18.5/20).
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/11/2015 - Jeffkunins wrote: 93 Points
Deep ink-stained garnet with clearly defined dewey rim. Aromas of cinnamon, cobblestoned earth, baked plum, bits of iron. Dense but supple on the palate, more earth and spice.
Lovely first bottle of the 2001 for us after visiting Beaucastel this summer and tasting the promising '12s.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2015 - Raycheng77 wrote: 88 Points
Not as good as expected. Maybe condition problem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - Jptillinghast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome
Still bright
Currant,cherries
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2015 - ConnIntChicago Likes this wine:
Garnet, olives and funk on the nose, complex wine that will last
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2015 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consistent with my last note. Just singing. A brilliant wine. Fortunately the other nine bottles are buried way down at the bottom of a stack of full wine boxes so getting to them will take some doing. Otherwise we might drink them all up in a fortnight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2015 - gthelen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Strong nose with balsamic vinegar, leather, black cherry, slate, and minerals. Moderate acidity with smooth tannins. The nose improved throughout the 2nd day, suggesting that it will benefit from several hours of decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2015 - rromain wrote:
Purple with dusty-brick hues from a bottle with great but lubricated cork. Funky raspberry and earth nose, sweetish undertones. Delicate texture; juicy, with fine tannins and energetic finish. 91/100; drink now--2019. romain 'hog roast' reunion, today, Evansville.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Medium-dark ruby. Expressive nose of garrigue, licorice, blue fruit. Enters the palate with good fruity core, freshness and structure. Fully mature and balanced - a very nice showing of this famous and consistent CdP.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/21/2015 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 95 Points
A great CdP. The nose burst out of the bottle upon opening, brimming with dark berry fruit. Succulent on the palate with just enough barnyard to tell you what it is. Excellent balancing acidity with soft tannins. 45 second aftertaste. Just about as good as it gets. In a really good spot right now and should stay there for at least 5 more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2015 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wow! Red leathery fruit, garrigue and touch of VA on the nose. Ripe sweet fruit entry. Delicious red fruits and leather. Huge finish round and full. An OMG wine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2015 - Madidus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Terracotta at the rims. Nose of cherry, cigar box, ash, green pepper, white pepper, with a lift a a green citrus fruit. Well integrated but strong tannins, well balanced with fine raspberry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2015 - sfqwino Likes this wine: 91 Points
So different from the previous bottle. Much more focused and young. Slight maturer and complexity poking through but still so fresh and a lot more stuffing to age for many more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2015 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chateauneuf du Pape (Bronte, Sydney): rich colour. Deeply scented, earthy and developed. Extremely smooth, has real delicacy. Flavours are rich and earthy and in nice balance. Not a blockbuster but drinks well. Soft finish and low acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2015 - SteelerFan wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2015 - Claus_sverige wrote: 95 Points
Deep red, good nose, very little sediments. Still rich in taste of berries with good tannins, fill your mouth with joy and long taste afterwards. Nice to follow the development of this wine, my 2nd bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2015 - dsimmons wrote: flawed
Flawed. Second of three. I think these must have seen some heat along the way
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2015 - petec-s wrote: 91 Points
Brick red rim/ mature funky cherry, cough candy, liquorice and damp earth nose/ fine complex palate, touch of VA, dry , very nice tannin, reasonable length. 13.5% offered great pleasure at the table.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2015 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red colour with just a touch of brown brick along the sides. Dark red fruit, dark cherries and strawberries on the nose with lots of herbal and leather complexity. I think I notices some brett... Palate is balanced, sweet fruit and ripe soft tannins. Long finish. Drinking well now but will get more complex.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/21/2015 - jerry6 wrote: flawed
smell of turning to vinegar m tasted vinegar , so upset that it had gone bad , Was looking forard to a great bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2015 - wineappreciation wrote: 88 Points
Old vines, unripe raspberry; medium bodied, sensation of mild fruit, medium to long gentle plateaued finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/31/2015 - DrewGoin Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP, was impressed by the brilliant ruby color in glass. Nose initially of raisins and licorice. Palate was very soft, fresh, and balanced. Licorice, hint of tar on the finish, with a pleasant mix of subdued primary fruit flavors and secondary earthy tar (was not funky in traditional Beaucastel sense). I am pleased with the wine's current state, and confidently state that it can age for several more years with grace. I am waiting to taste the wine again in two days.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2015 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. Perfect fill,cork and condition. Rather dumb nose.Classic flavour with good depth and balance. Had expected something more intense so a touch disappointed. Bottle variation? On this evidence drink by 2020 at latest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very similar impression to Kevin's note. I would add that this is a classically styled CdP and has a sense of finesse and lightness that I find very appealing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2015 - Grenik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thin clear rim on a deep burgundy core. Wine looked younger than I expected it to. Sweet and earthy nose of tobacco, crushed pine and raspberry. Layers of flavor on the palate that were in great balance and purity. Red fruit, crushed stone, lavender, cassis. I did not spend enough time studying the wine and I am probably under rating it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2015 - bengti Likes this wine: 90 Points
Interesting experience for tasting, considering that many rated this an ideal vintage and how accessible it was in its earlier years. Now it is at first without nose and only a hint of fruit. After 20 minutes, classic CdP mint, vanilla, leather and fruit all nicely balanced. probably indicates it is in decline though it seems early for such a phase to set in. Still a good drink though.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/2/2015 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit dusty on opening but decant and leave it to open for an hour or so. Sweet red fruit, southern warmth and provencal herbs comes through. In the mouth more animalic notes, smoke and lovely cherry and black fruit. Full bodied and soft, but to me the alcohol comes through a bit too much. Not overbearing, more a matter of taste. Very enjoyable and in better shape than expected. Will last for a long while yet. 92-93p
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2015 - ccn wrote: 90 Points
I suspect this suffered by comparison to the 1998 tasted alongside. Good but not very expressive at this point; quire light. Moderate length and firm tannins on the end. Wait 3-5 years to try again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
Blind tasting, red wine flight 2 wine #3. Medium ruby with light brick red hue.
Dried fruits, plum, smoky and some pepper on the nose. Still primary and tight on palate. Some sweet fruits along with cherry, herbs and white pepper. Very good structure and mid-palate, fine tannic backbone with long finish.
It is still not ready after bottle breath for 1+ hour. In contrast, Pégaü Réservée '01 is more open and showy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Although stood for a few weeks, still quite cloudy. Dominated by cherry tobacco, but with some red berry fruit, and a lot of wild herbs scents. Rich. With a very long finish. Very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2015 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
While this has lost it's deep, deep and hard core of kirsch, that was the signature of it's youth, it is still very young, and the fruit is very primary indeed; more gentle now and certainly with a supplement of all your local garrique galore, this still needs time to become a real B. Has the stuffing for it. First bottle of 12 from my own stash, will hold the second for a couple of years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2015 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great bottlle! This wine has been showing so consistently over the past year. The 2001 is really singing right now.....should have another 8-10 years of life, if not more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2015 - BradE wrote:
Magnum. Everyone loved this, I liked it. Will revisit soon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
A few bottles on a Thursday (Toronto, ON): My best bottle of '01 Beauccastel yet! The nose is of raspberry, strawberry, old spicy leather, stony soil, game, herbs de Provence, Dried florals, charcuterie and blood. The palate features mostly red fruit on a light frame with good acid and low tannin. Finish is medium plus carried on red fruit and lots of secondary gamey notes. Great showing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2015 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
surprisingly delicious, balanced and ready to drink - may improve slightly with time but why wait?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2015 - WST Likes this wine:
Gorgeous and clean Beau. Still young (or early middle-aged). Raspberries and dark fruit, licorice, herbs; limited tertiary notes, no barnyard visitors. None of the prunes nor BBQ sauce that has marred some bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2015 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
In the beginning of its drinking window. Restrained
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Meritage, St. Paul): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This was really savory with lots of umami going on scorched earth, tar, youthful, black fruits. The palate was also very savory, scorched earth, deep black fruits, concentrated, youthful, full bodied, spicy and a bit of heat on the finish. There's so much going on here and in another 5-10 years this should be amazing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2015 - ilee Likes this wine: 92 Points
An improvement over my last bottle some months back. Ripe, black and spicy but with a crisp, fruity core, this is a typical but/and (delete to taste) very drinkable CDP.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2015 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 93 Points
A refined Beaucastel, light on the trademark funky Brett notes. Well-rounded, with brambly fruit, licorice and a hint of garrigue. In an ideal drinking window now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2015 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy and dusty nose. Turned off some tasters. Sweet red fruit palate with loads of depth and complexity. Each taste was different. Firm tannins and nice acidity. Minerals, pine, pepper, floral notes. It was really good. A bit jumbled, but developing nicely. Feels like it has a lot of time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2015 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3hrs.
Hint of age round edge of glass, but still deepish red rather than brick. Grippy, dark brambly fruit touched with spice and herbs; earth and dusty tannins. Much more refined than the beefier '98 I've been drinking recently - but none the worse for it.
A fine drink indeed as it stands and with perhaps a further 5 years evolution time and 10 years optimum drinking time (from now) ahead of it.
92+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2015 - mattfong85 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A enjoyable noseful and mouthful of ripe fruits, it was a pleasure with a nice long finish!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chocolate, orange, somewhat odd collection of flavors. A very well made, a good wine, a change from the usual, I think fully mature. Used to love Cndp. Not sure any more. Had this after a 2000 La Gaffeliere and I love the right bank.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2014 - Impulse wrote: 93 Points
Great nose and perfectly mature wine, round tanins and ripe, delicate fruitiness. Chateauneuf drinking the way i like them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2014 - KenPlace wrote: 92 Points
beautiful developed bouquet. drinking gret. drink now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 93 Points
Seconding @Pigdaddy's love letter.
Started out rather non-descript/bland during morning decant but grew according to expectations.
At Restaurant Tani we had a superbly balanced, youthful, elegant CdP with amazing potential for those better at keeping than we are.
No more btls, but as the price for this domaine has become insane, we will not join in with the choir of insanity. There are so many other wines that are as good as or better than this, that are available at a more agreable price point. At least if you blindedly examine what's in your glass more than you look at what's on the label.
...nevertheless, I really wish we had a case of this for the spread-out long-haul.
Superbly enjoyed with Restaurant Tani's magnificently fabulous baked cow-cheek (Tokyo).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
12/14/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 94 Points
double-decanted. muted red w/pink rim; sweet, ripe raspberry on very clean nose, some kirsch, followed by roasted meats & campfire, toasted brown spices, cracked fennel; med-full body; red raspberry, red licorice, supple, roasted spices & peppercorns, wild herbs, tart apple skin bitter & good acids, fine-grained tannins. showing young-ish, w/more upside ahead.
local lambshanks w/rosemary-orange gremolata, nicoise olive jus; escarole w/flageolet beans, garlic, thyme & lemon
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2014 - Sennma wrote:
wonderful stuff...drank with a quick decant (30 mins). lovely texture and depth on the palate. this still has many years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2014 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredible! Dried red berries, sweet smoky salty brown spices, dried herbs. There is some salty coolness to the fruit. Layered, this has lots of depth to the array of flavors. It's so precise, the way it delivers the flavors. Luxurious texture. For me this is a classic style of great CdP. The Mourvedre really shines in the blend.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2014 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 89 Points
Uncorked and allowed to air without decanting for 45 mins, then followed over 2 hours. Seems thin, light on structure and weak fruit. Will open another bottle to gauge life, as many have noted significant bottle variation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote:
A Casual Monday Night in Toronto (Fine Wine Reserve, Toronto, ON): (tasted blind) Nose is very overripe and stewed. Showing worse than a bottle opened 6 weeks ago. Nose of prunes, raisins, dates, figs, saline, a slight black olive note, undergrowth, soya and lavendar. Palate has a lot of alcohol, a bit of tannin and fairly low acid. Lots of raisin notes on the medium minus finish. Some positive notes and some negative notes here. Not sure this is an entirely representative bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/16/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
A bunch of CdP on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School fo Cooking): Everything I want in a mature CdP. Certainly about at peak but no hurry. This was pop and pour and got better over the two hours. The nose has a meaty component along with black raspberries. Dick said he got some brett, but I did not even after going back to it. I think that is just the Mourvedre which does have that earthy funk to it. There is also a coffee ground note. On the palate, juicy acidity which was more than the other wines IMO made it quite food friendly. Layers of complexity as it unwinds in the glass. This is medium to full bodied and perhaps a bit leaner than most of the wines, but this is not wimpy. Great wine. If you have these, I would not be in a hurry, but I would certainly start checking in on them.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2014 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Tight on opening, but after an hour it begins to open up and continues to improve over time. Potent nose of blackberry, plum, black cherry, violets, savory umami and fresh earth. Full bodied, palate follows the nose, freshness from a nice balancing acidity and well-integrated tannins, medium-long finish. Layers of complexity begin to peek through after a couple of hours but this is still young, with great promise to develop classic Beaucastel complexity in another 5 years, but drinking very well now. Excellent.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2014 - KenPlace wrote: 92 Points
Very good wine. In a good drinking window right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2014 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
First of 24, opened an hour but not decanted - bright dark cherry red, no rim development; pure, fresh cherry fruit driven bouquet, very attractive, no secondaries or usual mourvedre "sweaty saddle"; med/full, very long and complex, pure, Beaucastel at its most Burgundian and one of the most impressive young Beaucastels I can recall. Very fine at least (18.5/20).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
CDP and Spain, Plus Whites (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 1 hour. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was really good, but not the wow it has been in the past. The nose has blackberry liqueur, glycerin, floral, dried herb, cherry-raisin. The palate shows blackberry liqueur, kirsch, molasses, spice, glycerin, raisin, ripe, and a little heat on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2014 - comfycat wrote: 94 Points
Good nosing, very complex with long after taste. this demonstrates the good year of 2001.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2014 - RaggaMat wrote: 90 Points
Tried at a group tasting:
Deep ruby colour. Pronounced intensity on the nose which shows stewed and dried red fruits, with raisins, liquorice and a little medicinal. On the palate, the wine is full bodied with medium+ acidity and tannins, which are well integrated. The fruit flavours are much fresher than on the nose, with a medium+ finish. Many different opinions across the group. My view: a very good, complex wine, but not really for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2014 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A fairly deep colour, showing signs of maturity; rich, raisiny fruit, quite intense, with elements of damson and spice. Not as fiercely alcoholic as some Châteauneufs, but even so it has an almost port-like character. Fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful and juicy wine with a good concentration. Good garrigue and acidity. Ripe fruits and currants. Beautiful and elegant wine. In a perfect drinking stage now and the tannin has still enough bite for several years more. Would be nice to try again around 2018.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2014 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
I've been having bad luck with C du Ps lately, but this was the opposite - a delightful wine with great character and quality. Classic nose, smoothe, drinking beautifully. A wonderful wine drinking at peak, I'd guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2014 - alittle wrote: 91 Points
Super Tasting 4 of 5; Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chris' House): Double decanted about 2 hours in advance, served blind. Garnet in colour with the light brick. On the nose, perhaps the biggest wine so far; blackberry, crushed raspberries, kirsch, anise, crushed rock, garrigue, and a touch of tar. On the palate, clean fruit and fresh acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and medium acidity. Tastes of blackberry, kirsch, licorice, mineral, herbs and spice round out the moderate length finish. A well made fine for sure, but compared to the older Beaucastel that I've had, seemingly devoid of any distinctive character.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape: (tasted blind, wine #4) This wine revealed a very nice, complex, but restrained nose of rustic new leather, toasted nuts, roasted chestnut, lacquered furniture, plum, dried cranberries and raspberry. Fairly mature and quite pleasant. Palate has relatively low tannin and the finish is medium in length. Quite a nice, but not a profound wine overall. This is kind of what I expected from Beaucastel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2014 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Southern Rhone (Dundas, Ontario): Double decanted 1 hour ahead of service. Served blind
Nose of cherry, kirsch, plum, wet dog, tar, rubber, herbs and leather. The palate had flavours of plum, garrique, spice, herbs, cherry and wet fur....really quite pretty wine. This is fully integrated and ready to drink.
Finish was medium but a touch simple.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted, but missed the solids again! Very deep and penetrating wine with layers of deep red fruit. Rich reddish purple color.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2014 - aquaman wrote: 92 Points
Decante for 2-3hours... This bottle seems better then the last bottle. No spice this time but needed more time to breath but the guest wanted to drink already
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2014 - Rico100 wrote: 95 Points
superb!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2014 - rocknroller wrote:
Siggy's BBQ Featuring a Trio of 2001 La La's and a Bevy of 2001 CDP's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): this wasn't the best bottle of '01 Beaucastel for sure. Still very good but tending toward sour cherry and a bit pruney. Maybe a heat issue? 90ish tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: flawed
Jag har druckit det här vinet tidigare med stor behållning.
Denna flaskan tror jag tyvärr har förvarats felaktigt och utsatts för hög värme i solen eller något annat.
Detta vin skall inte smaka så här så att jag ser det som skadat istället för att sätta ett betyg på typ 80 poäng.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2014 - Patrik H wrote: 85 Points
On the nose, swamp, rubber, pigsty, charcuturie, oak
On the palate, Acidity, cherries, alcohol heat, tobacco, leather. Nice balanced wine but it lacks something that I can not put a finger on.
Medium finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 84 Points
I like really good CNdP, but this wine fails to impress and please me, despite a good producer and a good vintage.
The nose is quite mature, showing rubber, loads of smoke oak, charcoal, smoked charcuteries, and unfortunately a touch of swamp and smoked fish (!?).
The last two ingredients in the bouquet gives a less pleasant overall impression I must admit.
(I have only found fish in a wine once before, and that was in a bottle of the legendary Great Wall of China , worst wine up to date I have tasted).
This is not at all as bad as that particular one, but it’s not a very good wine, given the producer and vintage.
The palate is better, showing mature and drying cherries, leather, sweet tobacco and quite high acidity.
My impression are that this has started to decay and is past peak.
Was probably better a few years back.
(83 – 84)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/27/2014 - ilee wrote: 88 Points
Strange, this bottle came across as stewed prune and toasted raisin. A desperate search for fresh fruit yielded nothing of note. Taste wasn't off though, so it was drinkable though somewhat disappointing of course
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $60+ (Bin 75): Dark crimson core with rose rim, good clarity; aged nose of mahogany, dusty red cherry, roses, fennel, maple, celery seed, slight brown sugar; nice delicately aged texture, tart raspberry, black tea, long finish of light raspberry cranberry and sour cherry; very good; called '01 Charvin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2014 - Mike V wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Solid choice not a wow wine like 98 in its prime
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2014 - La Grappe wrote: 89 Points
Now fully mature, with prune and damson fruit, good weight and length. This might have been better a year or two ago as it is starting to fade slightly, although it is still enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2014 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong. Should drink well for years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2014 - falp wrote: 93 Points
vary good, complex - a lot of tobacco. Need to be decanted for one hour at least
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2014 - Yagil wrote: 82 Points
Chateauneuf du pape tasting (my home): blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation.
double decanted to an empty bottle, sediments removal and back to original bottle. consumption less than an hour later.
ruby/purple-colored
unfortunately not a a classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs, black truffles, underbrush, and blackberry & cherry fruit as we all expected, but some unpleasant odors & flavors. second time that this wine doesn't perform. did I buy a flawed 6-case?
On the following day it was less bad, but still....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2014 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank without decanting. Great wine, but took 45 minutes before it completely opened up. Wonderful nose, very smooth on the palate, berry, hoi sin,bit of garrigue etc. Should have many years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2014 - Derek Darth Taster wrote:
Limited notes from brief pre-auction tasting.
From decanter. Not sure how much air time it had been given.
Nose is very expressive with a wonderful bouquet of floral violets, raspberry, red plums, spice, licorice. Developing.
On the palate, smooth approachable tannins giving a velvety mouthfeel. Primary character with flavours of raspberry, red plums, cherries, licorice, and spice. Long finish. Youthful and enjoyable now, but this can still develop for another 8+ years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2014 - PeterMole wrote:
Great, mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fine, attractively mature Châteauneuf, with ripe fruit and notes of game and spice. Quite concentrated and with good length. This is superb now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2014 - Fid wrote:
Drank with dinner at Hakkasan in BH. Nose took a lot of coaxing to deliver faint smell of dark berries and some camphor. On the palate the most dominant characteristic was astringency but after about 40 minutes some fruit appeared. Maybe an off bottle, have had better ones.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2014 - coremill wrote: flawed
Off, likely heat damaged.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully right now - not sure I see this getting much better. Good on PNP and then opened quickly enough and went great with a sunday sauce dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Wines That Don't Suck (WTDS) Offline (Tilia, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, drank 2 pours over 90 minutes. Lovely CDP nose filled with violets, garrigue, Asian spices, raspberry, and blackberry. The palate is complex with full body and good concentration. There's tar, blackberry liqueur, raisin, black raspberry liqueur, kirsch, tart fruit, with somewhat firms tannins on the palate. Still drinks young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2014 - ekenneth wrote: 99 Points
This is the best bottle of this that I've had. It's got some of that quality of a young beaucastel often has; candied violets, new leather, tobacco leaf, blackberries, licorish/ fennel, but with none of the heat and hard edges. It also has the beginnings of the qualities that a mature beaucastel often has; cola, caramel, dried figs, ros al hanout, and beef broth. And it's all in harmony in a way that usually takes more time to develop in these wines.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/7/2014 - WST wrote:
Hospital Foundation Annual Charity Gala (Bellingham, WA): Very nice. Clean for a Beau. Well within it's drinking window. Surprisingly pleased the crowd and the geeks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2014 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice CDP nose of garrigue, stewed beef and dark red fruits, Asian spice. Medium to full bodied, blackish crimson color, hardly any signs of aging. Smooth entry on the palate, great acidity and soft but strong tannins after two hours in the decanter demonstrating the wine's long aging potential, and a decent finish. Very nice wine, would be interesting to see how it evolves.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2014 - Rob_Sutherland Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young and tight-ish. Classic Beaucastel profile but stuck between harsh youthful beaucastel vitality and wonderful beaucastel maturity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2014 - DaleW wrote:
Ripe fruit, a bit of alcohol but not really sticking out,dusty earth notess, most potential. B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Friends (Beaucastel, Keller, McPrice, Saxum, ++) (Our home): Decanted for sediment and served. Got better all night so perhaps a bit more air would be right. This is clean with no barnyard. The nose is powerful with black raspberries, plums, spice and violets. Full bodied with a nice balanced acidity. Lots of black raspberries, black cherries and depth on the palate. Layered tightly, it unwinds in the glass. No hurry on these, but in a nice place. I think a few more years until peak though. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet colour, with a touch of brown; quite evolved, spicy fruit, with a slight sweetness; concentrated and with good length. This is at its peak now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2014 - Kropsterapeut wrote: 98 Points
Super super CDP. Fantastisk flot spicey, krydret lakrids peber bær.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Nez de fruit noir, d'anis, de garrigue
La bouche a une belle texture, avec une finesse qui amenait les amis en Rhône nord. C'est dense et très bien équilibré, très belle bouteille. 93 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2014 - maw246 wrote: 94 Points
An outstanding drop. Drunk with 2000. No comparison except interesting tobacco nose on 2000. Complex and robust nose. Lots of structure, complexity, fruit and balance on the palate. Drinking well now. Wish I had more of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2014 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a really pretty bottle of wine tonight and drinking very well after about a couple of hours of double decanting. The nose was expressive with rich aromas of candied fruit( think cherry fruit roll ups), garrigue, damp, slightly greenish underbrush, some raisin notes and hints of nutmeg and allspice, all of which carried seamlessly thru to the palate where the flavors were penetrating and nuanced. Some white pepper shows up on the med to long finish along with the tannins which are fairly soft and dusty. There's a lot of finesse here and, for my tastes, this is in a really good place right now. Excellent!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/7/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature fruit (raspberry, cherry, plum), with well-developed secondary flavours and a touch of marmite. A slight dryness on the finish, but it was otherwise open and rounded. Still fresh and drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2014 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank in Davy's
Big variation from previous bottle. Much more forest floor which took a couple of hours to blow off and the fruits to start appearing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very impressive bottle of wine! Really still quite youthful!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2014 - ilee Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sat night at home with some 2001's (At home): Lighter and more evolved than I expected. The nose is typically Beaucastel with spicy, slightly funky but solidly fruity notes. As it sat in the glass, notes of licorice and dried prunes became more prominent, with the wine also taking on a mineral-driven complexity and a slightly sweet alcoholic edge. Quite mature and just nice to drink up in my view.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2014 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Rhone gathering - 08 Rayas, 85 and 89 La Las (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Ripe black and red fruits, raspberries, blackberries, blackberry jam, tobacco, garrigues, black olive, anise tobacco and earth. Very good concentration, dark fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins. It is still youthful and will improve further for at least another decade. A classic CDP with nice overall balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2014 - Longnose Gar wrote: 93 Points
Tons of life left in this one of you can keep it in the cellar. Was just coming together after two hours of decanting. Cranberry, earth and barnyard. Plan ahead and let it open for several hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2014 - AudunG wrote: 93 Points
Barn and leather aromas (brett?). Powerful, with great tannins and acidity. Relatively elegant and polished. Great concentration and length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2014 - WineKen Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fruity nose, still young although 13 years old. Balanced but didn't show much complexity. Medium+ body. Still in adolescence and should improve further. Still have 2 bottle in my cellar. Will give another 3 years before open the rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2014 - AndersHed wrote: 90 Points
There seems so be some bottle variation here. My bottle was medium bodied. Not much fruit, 100% dry. Cherry, funk and nice minerality and acids in the finish, but it clearly lack some fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Deep aromas of black cherry liqueur, lavender, barbecue spice and kirsch and flint let you know you're in for a treat. Full bodied, rich, powerful, long and concentrated, the sweet, fresh, long and pure cherry finish gets better and better as the night goes on. This will be better in a few years. But it is so good now, there is no reason to wait. Decanted about 30 minutes before tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2014 - Stirling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium red. Gorgeous nose of cherry liqueur, herbs and plenty of earth. Medium body, well-balanced and nice long finish. At peak, drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2014 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep garnet, dusty sediment ...... but not inky. 375 ml bottle.
Nice deep tones of dark red fruit, plums. Earth, pepper and spices and slight meatiness. A bit of licorice at the end. Very much in an old world aromatic manner. Not overpowering but hints at nice complexity.
A nice richness and fullness to the overall taste. An initial attack of raspberry , blackcherry and english black licorice. No sense of alcohol (no heat). Beautiful full length to the finish. Round, drying but smooth tannins. A beautiful mid palate showing meatiness, licorice, spices, black olives are very noticeable.
GreaT balance, great tasting wine ...... what Chateauneuf should be all about. A great bottle of wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Valentine Dinner at Goosefoot with a '66 Petrus (Goosefoot Restaurant Chicago, IL): Bright, crimson, oozing with intense flavor, time on its hand with tannins to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Although I'm giving it the same score, this bottle may have showed even better than the previous one, as the fruit seemed a little richer. A very nice wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Mostly French (& A Few More) Offline at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Slow-O'd for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 60 minutes plus. How fortunate to able to drink this again after a bottle just over 2 weeks ago. This bottle performed even better and seemed quite young and fresh. The nose has lots of garrigue, cherry, dark berry, spice, anise, and dry earth. The palate shows great purity, cherry, kirsch, along with some deep dark fruits, ripe, full bodied, with pepper, anise, and a touch of oak on the finish. Youthful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: There is a seamlessness to the nose with kirsch liqueur, licorice, black cherries, hot stones, and some lavender notes. While I wouldn't say that the nose shows off much maturity, it is very well balanced with excellent depth.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with youthful and chewy tannins. The structure is still quite youthful, but there is a plushness and seamless quality with kirsch liqueur, licorice, black cherries, lavender, and some garrigue notes on the back end.
Overall: This is still extremely young. It doesn't have the Beaucastel leather and funk signature yet (or ever will?), but it is balanced and open in a youthful style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped this one tonight for no special reason. Still closed after a 30 minute decant. No real nose to speak of. Lots of sediment! Some raisin flavor. We'll see how this one progresses. Still nothing after 1.5 hours. Alcohol and fruit have faded and left nothing in return. This one is past its prime. Surprisingly got better 3 hours after decanting - grape jam aftertaste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
1/28/2014 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Bellissimo's bottle, and despite him and Rocknroller, I liked this better than 1995 or the 2000. They were all drinking well, but this one had better fruit and verve. Style preference?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/28/2014 - spillwine wrote: 92 Points
Idem
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Cafe Lurcat, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Slow- O for about 5 hours. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes plus. This was the most backwards of the Beaucastel trio of '95, '00, and '01. Brooding on the nose with black fruits, spicy, tar, oak, and licorice, funk. The palate is very primary, black fruits, dense and chewy, firm tannins, oak, tar, and minerals. Needs 3-5 years or significant decanting. 92 to 93pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2014 - Bellissimo wrote:
Slow O'd this for 90 minutes; recorked and brought to a dinner. Tasted some 3 or 4 hours later. Tasted along side a 95 and 00 Beaucastel and this was the youngest by far. Still some oak on the nose along with the telltale garrigue and leather and a good bit of white pepper. Taste followed the nose but most noticable were the tannins at this point. '95 was the most integrated, loved the nose on the '00 and my '01 needs another 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/19/2014 - le fouloir wrote: 91 Points
Excellent Beaucastel. Light in color and texture, but several layers of CdP flavors. Bright, ripe and sweet fruit, lightly spiced barnyard, and very satisfying before meal and with meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2014 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
An Eclectic Bring Your Own Red Night (Los Olivos, CA): Popped & poured by a keen eyed guest who spied it in the rack and "needed it" with the steak, I was blown away by the depth and complexity of this wine, the first of my 2001's I've opened. The reviews are much more mixed than I'd expect, but I found this to be gracious, complex and very, very rewarding. Dark red in color with a barnyard nose: leather, pepper, garrique, herbs -- dirty. Silky textured waves of earthy flavors and that Mourvedre texture in the mouth. Long, satisfying finish. Can you discern that I loved this?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 89 Points
Started out thin, weak, disappointing- particularly following a 2000 Monbousquet- and it took two hours and it came together, and so the last 25% was what it should have been. Surprised about that. The final glass was a 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
1/1/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Dark red core with crimson rim; red fruit, clove, bitter red fruit, exotic spice; spicy tart red fruit, good acidity, larger scaled but great lift, structured and balanced; very good- best example of '01 I've ever had, almost feel this bottle over-performed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2014 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 94 Points
New Year's Beaucastel Verticle: Of the flight, this was certainly the most developed. Rich flavors of cherry, garrigue and leather. Some secondary flavors of raisin are beginning to make an appearance. The tannins are still quite firm and chalky. The finish is on the med to long side. Very nice. Double decanted for several hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2013 - PC73 wrote: 90 Points
lots of tannin, acidity, structure.
i was a bit disappointed, as i found this a bit jammy on the palate. slightly stewed fruits.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2013 - Yagil wrote: flawed
Chateauneuf du Pape (and one Hermitage) soirée (Jaffa home dining by Dolev Rotter): Unfortunately, this bottle was somewhat corky and not pleasant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2013 - Jeff U Likes this wine:
Christmas dinner - terrific wine. Sadly only have one bottle left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2013 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted an hour. Heavy dark berry nose. Very gamey. Plum nose. Smells much older than 12 yrs. raisin, prune, black currant flavors. Very gamey flavors. High alcohol flavor. Heavy weight, medium acid. Woody flavors. Rum raisin type taste. Interesting but not my favorite flavor profile. A little too funky flavors for me. I believe it has peaked.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 88 Points
Not what I was hoping for. Shriveled up prunes on the nose and palate. Smooth, but simple and one dimensional. The fruit and flavor profile I have come to love from Beaucastel are just not there. As someone else pointed out, it comes across tired and limping on its last leg.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2013 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
Monday night Dinner (Bedrock Bar & Grill): Clear ruby red, complex nose of roasted herbs and exotic spice, subtle smokiness and hints of capsicum.
On palate it has dark cherry, blueberry, herbs and white pepper. Chewy tannins with long finish, still young and not yet at its peak. Still need time to develop.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
12/11/2013 - MeMyself&I wrote: 90 Points
Whoa...really nice stuff and for those of you holding the almost 10,500 bottles listed in inventory on this site I have to ask: What are you waiting for? It's great, so drink up!!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/9/2013 - h2ofowler55 Likes this wine: 92 Points
For me the palate was a little underwhelming. An elegant wine but lacking a bit of personality.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
11/30/2013 - chablis28 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for just over 2 hours and back into the btl just before dinner. For some reason, I just never really fell in love with this btl last night like I fully expected to. I don't think it was flawed but perhaps a tad closed? In any case the flavor profile seemed a tad incomplete. Seemed to lack any berry fruit flavors and only to offer the spice and herb spectrum along with some gaminess. Without food the tanins seemed a bit rough but with food and time they softened considerably. I need to open an '05 soon to see what I think of that in comparison. I think of myself as a big Beaucastel Mouvedre fan but this btl puzzeled and disapointed me. Not undrinkable but not enticing either? The cork was in perfect condition.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/28/2013 - Pknut wrote:
Thanksgiving 2013, our house. Beautiful wine, but still too young. This is all about balance, the fruit, the tannins, the acidity - - nothing sticks out and this is oh-so-gentle on the palate, yet there is so much in reserve. Plenty of red/black, liquorice-tinged Grenache fruit with a bit of pepper, but this is still rather simple and primary. Caresses the palate like silk. But too primary for my palate. Let this sleep for another four or so years. Bottle 1 of 4.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2013 - Longnose Gar wrote: 93 Points
Strong cranberry on initial tongue. Super lively with bright acidity. Well balanced and flawless.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2013 - ColinR wrote: 93 Points
Garnet-brown; blackberries, herbs, tobacco, game, tar; dried berry/cherry, slightly spicy, slightly gamey, medium body, good acidity, smooth tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 2 hrs. Smooth, dried fruit with complex layers of secondary flavours but not much brett/savouriness. Drinking well now, not sure how much longer it will age gracefully.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/9/2013 - spillwine wrote: 91 Points
Idem
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark core with brownish red rim; stewed fruit, ripe red fruit almost figgy, sweet baking spice; seaweed, crunchy red fruit, lavender, open and ready, graham cracker, hot stone finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2013 - Bandreas wrote: 90 Points
Color starts to soften: Orange peel at the rim. Nose ripe and quite round. On palate some tar and tannin plus leather dust. Still closed, intense and tannic.
Wait for another 5-10 years.
A good wine but a far cry from the much superior "Hommage a Jacques Perrin" of the same vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2013 - spillwine wrote: 93 Points
Décanté 3 heures, mieux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): Drinking quite well. Still youthful. Clean. Aromas of dark cherries, spice and floral notes. Great texture. Layered tightly on the palate. Unwinds in the glass. Lots of fruit. Did I say clean? It is. Best days are approaching.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Drank my last 375. Time to start in on the 750's. This wine rocked. In a good place although maybe not at peak yet (depending on bottles and how you like them). The nose is clean, dark cherries, floral notes, spice and no barnyard. On the palate, great texture. Layers of complexity. Lots of fruit. Great balance. Wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2013 - jbouchy wrote: 96 Points
Graceful, elegant and beautifully integrated. Wow!! This wine is the pinnacle of age for my palate. Good fruit being replaced with an exceptional earthiness.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2013 - Rani wrote: 86 Points
Blind. Consistent with my 2011 TN. Very ripe, confected prunes. Not much structure. A bit tired.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine was double-decanted, allowing one hour in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was then presented in double-blind fashion to our Friday tasting group. Deep garnet and intensely perfumed, it has a beautiful nose of bramble fruits, ganache, chestnuts, graphite and underbrush. It is full-bodied, fresh and supple on the palate, with medium fine-grained tannins and seamless alcohol (listed as 13.5%). The flavors run tandem to the nose and persist throughout a solid middle. With a lengthy smooth finish, this Châteauneuf is clearly in the "sweet spot." Enjoy it over the next five years. Drink now-2018.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2013 - WST wrote: 95 Points
Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy. Not really that big; an elegant Beau. Smoky red fruit (not at all roasted), brown spices (clove, cinnamon) and garrigue, leather and moist rich earth. Perfect match for braised short rib ragout. Best allowed to warm up from cellar temperature; this showed better after an hour or two.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2013 - UTPK wrote:
Decanted4 hours and served slightly chilled at 15C. Refined nose of pork chops, washing powder, rosemary, orange peel and some spice (clove, cinnamon and vanilla). Medium body with very good balance. Soft tannins and succulent finish. Great wine today!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Une bouteille qui parait plus évoluée que la précédente était Il y a deux ans. Celle-ci montre un profil presque tertiaire, avec des tanins arrondis. L'ensemble est harmonieux, avec une certaine amertume en finale, Qui s'étire sur les notes de cerise rouge à noyau L'ensemble est complexe, finement épicé, suave, dans un style un peu austère. Pas la meilleure de ce millésime mais tout de même très belle. 92 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2013 - cct wrote: 96 Points
This is a great show of power and balance. Dense and everything in place, with a great mix of deeper pitched fruits, stoniness, and savory-meaty notes, and just starting to gain some secondary complexity. Great texture, rich and focused, and quite long. In this format, it is absolutely singing right out of the gate. Beautiful stuff. 96pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2013 - Partenaire wrote:
À l'ouverture, le nez est très animal, avec des nuances de poivre noir, d'herbes et de chêne. En bouche, les tanins sont bien fondus, mais l'alcool domine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2013 - KristianT wrote: 95 Points
Wow. While still youthful this comes across as an extremely complex wine. On the nose, you find everything: garrigue, cloves, sandalwood, pepper and thyme combined with some almost 'earthy' tones. It is such a pleasure to drink a wine that opens up gradually revealing layer upon layer of taste. Will be hard to resist the remaining bottles in my cellar, but I must try :) No doubt that another four or five years (and more) will make this wine even better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2013 - FYC wrote:
Slow ox'd 12 hours in advance. Dark rich fruit, black tea, no Brett and not much spice on the nose in comparison to the Vieux Telegraphe. Not nearly has hot either. Palate is dense and rich, smooth tannins. Improved 24 hours later with the bottle being open. This has a lot of time to go.
Update. 10 days later, with 1/5 sitting corked in the fridge, the meat and spice make an appearance. Still with ample fruit and more acidity. A long long life ahead.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2013 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in a good drinking window but still quite youthful. Expressive nose of meat, tobacco, leather and sandalwood. Palate is rather silky, fine tannins, with some red fruits poking through. Long finish. Elegant and powerful, going very well with food.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2013 - deverett wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic Beau, love the flavour profile the Mourvèdre gives this wine. Opened up beautifully after about an hour, terrific depth in the ripe savoury fruit, fine and soft tannins, so much complexity and interest in this wine. Good bottles will live for some time yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2013 - spillwine wrote: 92 Points
Magnifique, bu trop vite, aurait dû être décanté plus longtemps.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2013 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 92 Points
We drank this like water over lunch at LGP. Earthy, complex, berries, clay - this wine changes incredibly with different foods. With the raspberry sorbet, all of the leather that is in this wine came out in full force. What fun to experience this wine's many facets.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2013 - lolo66 wrote:
first one of 7. Real good. Needs air to show is finer points. This was a pop n pour, next time decant.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unmistakeable Beaucastel blend of rich, smokey fruit scents and flavors, with plenty of spice, a hint of brett, and fine-grained tannins. Like a junior version of the 1990 and that's high praise indeed. In a good spot but with plenty of legs for long aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2013 - Trader79 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing wine. Best I've ever had I think. From a magnum at Veritas in NYC. The smoothest lightest yet substantial wine I can remember having. Just wonderful. I can't imagine a wine being much better, at least not a CDP.
Ethereal is the best word I can come up with to describe this.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2013 - kingcanute99 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was performing very, very well. Cherry and leather. Tannins smooth, balanced, well integrated. Super intense flavor, deep red color. Just totally delicious, classy, and well-balanced. A lot of very fine sediment, so do filter it. An extremely good mature red - preferred this to the 1995 I had a few months ago.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Lush, juicy, silky and round, loads of fresh black cherry, pepper, earth, spice and tapenade create the perfume. The wine is rich, long and drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2013 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
This was in a bit of a sleeper state that CDP often go through about 10 years in. Great body and fruit but probably will get better. Accents of cigar, smoke, herbs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2013 - PeterMole wrote:
This is fantastic. Fully mature now, round, medium bodied, immediately after decork. Complexity kept increasing during 2 days, in the bottle, recorked. Love it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2013 - akbash Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very rich and opulent. Opens up with a strong bouquet of dark red fruit. Mostly cherries. With some notes of cigar smoke and leather. The aroma is heavenly. Felt more like just smelling it than drinking it. Decanted for less than an hour. Drank at a temperature of about 16 deg. Celsius. Tried a glass with a rib eye steak and then with some very ripe brie and some chevre. Did not pair well with the food I had. Would probably go better with lamb. I enjoyed most of the bottle with no food. I still have 2 bottles. Will leave them for a few years. But it is very drinkable now. I would have given a higher score if it had paired better with the cheese.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2013 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Châteauneuf du Pape tasting (Fish restaurant, Rishon LeZion): another great CDP - which was very enjoyable
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 90 Points
This CNDP is aging well, and was well liked by my wife and I, who can roughly self define as knowledgeable, and our friends, who strongly self describe as knowing nothing about wine. I rate it 90 because I am tired of the number of 90+ point wines. A wine can be an 88 and be a good wine but because of popular rating schemes a wine less than 90 probably is not considered worthy. But an 89 is pretty darn good and a 90 is excellent.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/22/2013 - defigio Likes this wine: 92 Points
Appearance: Opaque dark center, medium ruby, unfiltered.
Nose: Dried cherry, black fruit, spice and leather.
Palate: Juicy red and black fruit, warm earth, herbal and brown spice notes, a little tobacco. Still youthful, but opulent. Structurally balanced and nicely integrated. M+ body, fine tannins. Drinking well now (2013), but probably best from 2015–2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2013 - jfurey21 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted four hours. Just fantastic. Earthy nose. Palette has an undertone of spice and the wine is showing nice balance. Enjoyable, but has many years to go if you choose to hold.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2013 - jhieb wrote: 92 Points
This Chateauneuf is in a very good place right now. Still needs an hour or so to breathe. Great Rhone fruit, that is not too big.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Phil's graduation. Italian restaurant.
Light pale color. Nose not like a bordeaux. Muted fruit. Went well with pasta. Didn't wow anyone.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2013 - ilsa wrote: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully. Did not open early or decant. Exceptionally balanced with a long finish. Served with Chambord duck, Wild Rice with Pecans, Cranberries and Yellow Raisins, and a Salad of Raw Kale with Ricotta Salata.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2013 - spillwine wrote: 91 Points
Massif, profond, grande complexité mais toujours le rustique du CNDP. Ouvert 2 heuers avant, pas décanté
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2013 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Home
Beaucastel has a massive nose of earth, plumbs, meat and spice. Amazing complexity with no sharp edges to be found. Great length. This is really a wonderful CNDP.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2013 - mattyboy_ wrote: 92 Points
McCarthy & Schiering - Chateau de Beaucastel Tasting (Seattle Wine Storage): once again this wine outperforms the vintage. A lighter, yet classic style of Beaucastel - i suppose the 2008 may have the same trajectory as this. Showing well with nice light brett perfume, floral, damp forest floor and black cherry. Would work well with light dishes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2013 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
CK's farewell dinner (Otto Ristorante, Red Dot Museum): An excellent wine, but not quite the best example I have had of the 2001 Beaucastel. This had a lush, lovely nose, with savoury aromas of meat and earth and a little layer of funk wafting out of the glass alongside dusty garrigue and subtle tones of dark, ripe plummy fruit. Wow. Great palate too. This seems to have put on a bit of weight and flesh from the last bottle I tried. However, what marks this vintage out for me more than anything else, and indeed what marked this bottle, was how the wine was full of vibrant energy, with a bright, tingly freshness running through its lovely, pure flavours of dark cherries and berries underlined by earth and mineral, a brambly undercurrant and a little soupcon of spice towards its chewy finish. This was just a lovely drink - wonderfully integrated, wonderfully balanced and poised, a beautifully elegant expression of Beaucastel that married a nice depth to a great sense of focus and clarity. Unlike a bottle we had a in Paris a couple of years back though, this still did not seem completely resolved, so that it still had a touch of austere chewiness at points. Still though, it was great with good and very enjoyable on the night. This will be great in a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2013 - Sovinator Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another great wine from Beaucastel which is one of my favorite producers. Decanted one hour before serving. Wine seems at maturity now ( but will certainly last another 5-10 years). Elegant, great structure with dark fruits, hint of tobacco, and earthiness. Less spicy than other vintages, but thoroughly enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2013 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 92 Points
Alcohol :: 14%
Slight dark garnet core than the 98. This is not really showing and I only able to get hint of smoked meat, dried fig paste, kitsch and spices. Not expressive but it is focus and lifted. Medium bodied. Soft entry but expands on the palate effortlessly with complex flavors growing. It has good depth and intensity but the wine remains fresh and delineated. The tannin is ripe and firm but well integrated which giving the rounded, silky mouthfeel with good energy driving to the really long, persistent finished.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/12/2013 - no leashes wrote: 93 Points
Red cherry, blank fruit, spice, beautifully balanced, long finish. Very delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2013 - Jeffrey Silver wrote: 95 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of bell pepper, eucalyptus, strawberry, apricot and apple. It's balanced and has flavours of asparagus, green beans, tobacco, blackberry and raspberry with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful Wine and so glad I have lots more. It will be interesting to see how this wine will evole in the next 5-7yrs. I suggest it will truly grow even better within the next 5yrs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2013 - Arch57 wrote: 86 Points
I was very disappointed by this wine given the producer and the CT reviews. We followed a simple 09 Cote du Rhone that I sacrificed 1/2 the bottled in an attempt at Coq du Vin and I was actually bummed out I used the CdR on the chicken!
This wine was a gift from my future son-in-law sourced from a decent wine merchant in NYC so I had high expectations for this bottle. I tried decanting, swilrling, sniffing, etc. but this bottle never came around. It was pruned and had an high alcohol taste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2013 - mnoljo wrote: 92 Points
very enjoyable. great length. red fruit and brambles. pdp could of used a short decant. a real treat and went well with our homemade white bean and ham soup.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2013 - Colia wrote: 92 Points
The whole package, fruit and spice, balance texture, medium body, medium plus finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2013 - Ary wrote: 93 Points
Chateauneuf-du-Pape semi-blind tasting by Vin Gilles (Restaurant Harkema Amsterdam): Medium red, brick on the brim. Dark fruits, meat and licorice in the nose. Beautiful balanced, powerful and complex. Long lingering with herbs and spice tones.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2013 - jigy wrote: 91 Points
Nez un peu funky, un peu too much de réglisse noir de cuir et de sang animal. La bouche est par contre plus agréable bel équilibre avec des tannins polis. Longue finale sur le fruit noir. Sur sont plateau et ce pour une dizaine d'années.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2013 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Umamicatessen: potting soil, lush blue and black fruits with coffee, blackberry, licorice, sweet and silky with a touch of raspberry liqueur. Not heavy, elegant and complex, really nice and in the pocket. Could go another 3-8 years+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2013 - gregg g wrote:
Wow, this is really a polished version for this domain. I had this a few weeks ago, that bottle was less exciting, and bit more closed up. Here we have a wine that retains its primary fruit, yet seems to add a level of sophistication and depth. Extremely clean for Beaucastel with nice garrigue elements. The wine is still well structured and in need of additional cellar time to resolve some grippy tannins. I would keep this another 3-5 yrs in the cellar and have no doubt it will entertain a very lengthy drinking window. Another excellent wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2013 - the player wrote: 93 Points
Very nice indeed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich,deep, and lush come to mind. Decanted for two hours and improved for another three. Then suddenly, it went off tasting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2013 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Dark purple color. Nose of garrigue, black pepper, blackberry, olive tampenade, thyme. Sweet, peppery, hearty black fruits on the palate with quite ample acidity and firm tannins, layered with earth, stone, and licorice. Long finish with a bit of heat but also lovely red plum fruit and briars. Lots of grip at the end. Classic mourvedre-based CdP showing very well early in its drinking window.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2013 - the player wrote: 94 Points
Similar to the 2000 in richness, power, length but less exotic and more typical CDP. Delicious with a long life ahead of it. Stock up on this marvel.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2013 - BradKNYC wrote: flawed
A disappointing evening of Beaucastel 1995 - 2005. (Snooth.): Heat damaged and it should be noted that it had a grey market label on it. A real shame as this vintage is one of my favorites and I was looking forward to checking in on it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2013 - Will Devize wrote: 94 Points
What is this polished monstrosity sitting in the glass before me? Surely not my old horsey, animally, brett-infested pal Beaucastel who, when lacking these trademark characteristics, is rendered as pointless as trying to teach a woman the value of a good forward defensive stroke. However. Despite the massive concentration and thickness, this is just so beautifully balanced that I find myself making peace with this unusual absence of manure. The colour is deceptively light, showing signs of maturity at the rim. The nose is detailed and rich with flavour: showing baked, ripe cherries, raspberries, liquorice, wild oregano and a deep smoky character. The palate is spicy, intense and feels almost monolithic with the raspberry pie character really coming to the fore and some mushroomy, cedary notes just starting to emerge. Firm but perfectly-judged layers of tannin help the palate to cope with the abundance of flavour and power, before a savoury, acidic twist offers a cleansing conclusion. Drink now for fruit and power or watch the secondary complexities evolve over the next two decades.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2013 - Unico59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From Jules' birthyear collection, the first of 3. Brick red, with amber edge. Showing much more age in color than on nose or palate. Enjoyed over 24 hours. Might have discarded it initially as flawed, but with a little time and aeration this wine developed steadily. Complex nose of pepper, leather, meat , black cherry and raisin. Nice balance and very good length on palate. Moderately heavy sediment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2013 - Jeff U Likes this wine:
Wonderful, delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2012 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted at 10am; served around 9pm. This is developing nicely. Elegant nose with dark fruit, dried herbs and smoke. Very clean with no brett/barnyard. Equally great on the palate. Still showing youthful fruit, but great texture and perfect balance. Flavors expand across the palate nicely. Tannins are relatively tame. The finish is long and satisfying. Just entering a good early drinking window, but with years and years in front of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2012 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
The colours shows more age than the palate. Dard subdued red with just a touch of brick on the rim. Cooked cherries and strawberries on the nose with lots of herbal complexity. Palate is balanced with lots of intense sweet fruit and tannins. Long finish. Drinkable but getting better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2012 - jawlz wrote: 93 Points
Really lovely, and still quite fresh. A bit of age has integrated everything, but the wine is still quite lively, with dark and red fruits, some earthiness and herbs. Is drinking beautifully now, and should also continue to last for quite some time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2012 - Ilkkaw wrote: 92 Points
Actually I wish I would have waited for another 10 years. Way too early for the wine. I think it might get 3-4 points more in the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2012 - Claus_sverige wrote: 93 Points
The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blueberry, Blackberry, Fig, Raisin, and Vanilla. Mouth was in balance but in a few years I expect more volume)already tried the 1995 and 1988). I decanted the wine but still some sediments. Look forward to the next bottle in a couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2012 - whitmanlholt wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Color is bright red, with no bricking at the rim. There is some minor sediment at the end of the bottle. Nose carries candied fruits and herbs. On the mouth, the wine is smooth and harmonious, although I could do with slightly more fruit. The finish carries a touch of minerals or spice. This improved over time and/or with air. I expected slightly more, and perhaps should have waited or decanted. Overall, 93-94 points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
2001 CdPs (Maude's Liquor Bar, Chicago IL): nose: Nice and savory nose with really good tones of licorice, black cherries, garrigue, raspberries, and kirsch. There is good depth to this as well.
taste: Medium/full bodied with some chewy tannins. The structure is a bit imposing on this bottle right now, but has really good and savory tones of licorice, black cherries, garrigue and raspberries.
overall: This bottle is still very much on the young side. It was pretty open on the nose, but the structure on the palate is a bit much. This still needs some time to fully show what it has.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2012 - JohnSh wrote: 93 Points
Didn't take notes, but really enjoyed this wine last night. Great nose, and similar earthy notes and redfruits with an amazing balance and complexity. Ready now with a good decant, but will last too (A-/A).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2012 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully right now with lots of promise for the future. Blackberries, earth, spices, and more came alive in this bottle. This is a real treasure of a CDP.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
A wonderful bottle of CdP. Dark fruit, earth and a warm finish are all part I this classic, serious wine that represents its region well. Classically styled yet clean. Serious yet fun. Great showing. (95)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - liteagilis wrote: 93 Points
Intoxicating nose. Almost Pinot-like purity on the nose. Red fruits, very fresh. Barn in the back. Medium full, sweet fruit w a lot of acidity for a CdP. Finish is a touch awkward on opening but flushed out nicely after a bit. It is definitely ready but has years ahead of it still. Long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2012 - AtoZ wrote: 90 Points
This was oddly light / burgundian. Nobody thought it tasted as expected. Maybe it needs ten years?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 90 Points
Disappointing in so many ways - and given other reviews, perhaps this is a duff bottle. On opening, the nose was very jammy. That quickly became more prune-like. A slight bricking in the glass. On the mouth, that prune was strong but the balance is smooth, the tannins integrated yet there is little complexity or interest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2012 - dave747400 wrote: 91 Points
Audouzed 3hrs. With Curry. Good aromatics. Slightly dumb on the palate. Dense without being heavy, spicy, fully integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2012 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Euro Themed Lunch - Rhones (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Quite impressive nose and a little bit more spicy than the other Beaucastel that I had before. Dark fruits, plums in the palate. Med finish. Should improve over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2012 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Burgundy Day 3: Dinner at Ma Cuisine (Ma Cuisine, Beaune, Burgundy): Popped and poured, this was very good indeed, but still a far poorer showing from when I remembered it a year ago. That previous bottle had the benefit of at least two hours in a decanter before serving. Still though, this was a very solid wine. It hd a beautiful nose, full of sweet spices and flowers, ripe black cherries and blackberries, and a good bit of earth and smoked meat aromas. A bit on the sweeter, more floral side for a Beaucastel I thought, but there was enough of the Provencal in that bouquet that got people guessing Rhone almost immediately. The palate was rather more primary than I remembered from the previous outing, with powerful, but very pure notes of cassis, black cherries and berries draped with a lovely layer of meat and sweet spices. A deep, powerful wine, yet it carried a certain finesse and elegance, with juicy 2001 acidity and powdery-fine but still firm structure moving into a long, spice-inflected finish. I thought this was rather delicious, especially with our cuts of game meat, but it certainly was nowhere near the last, quite transcendant, bottle. On this showing, the bottles in mycellar will be kept aside for another two to three years at least or, if I was forced to opened them, at least given a few hours of air before serving.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2012 - aquaman wrote: 90 Points
Open for 3-4 hour. Taste of spice and light in the mouth. Not that many people like the taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2012 - yonster24 wrote:
Orangish/light reddish in color. Huge nose of unsmoked cigar, sweet fruit, leather and MAYBE a touch of Brett. Nose was amazing. I could smell this all day. Leather/earth/mushroom on the palate. Sweet cherry and floral as well. Long juicy finish. Tannins integrating, but not at all fully resolved. Just a brilliant wine alll around.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2012 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 88 Points
This bottle showed a lot more age than usual. Quite mature for a 2001...the nose could have easily passed for a mature bordeaux. A bit flat on the palate, unfortunately.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Grand Rhone Tasting (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Lighter red, tawny rim. My god, compared to the Clos des Papes, this smells like Bordeaux! Full of leather and maturing secondary tones. Completely different weight and feel because of the higher acidity. Perhaps a hint of brett? Not at all sweet but some late mocha. Good but not great, average length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2012 - Butty wrote: 94 Points
Showing some signs of maturity in glass - slightly bricking at the edge. On the nose violets, tobacco, savoury notes, raspberries, black fruits, plumbs and cherries. Nice precision on the palate, fruit persists, lots of spice and structure, nice weight - good, classic rhone wine. Ready to drink. Only downside is that it can occasionally can appear a bit stewed and lacking freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2012 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Core of plums and blackberries. Wonderful aromas of rich earth, oak, and ripe fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2012 - scamhi wrote:
opened another, not ready wait on these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2012 - rsbeck wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour, consumed over next two hours. Seems like there's still some tannin to resolve, but this is a lovely classic Beaucastel that has really improved and shed some baby fat over the last few years, revealing more nuance. Could use a little more acid for my taste, but this is a relatively minor quibble. Will probably continue to improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2012 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Pretty much the same as last few notes. I wonder if these will even open up a little more? Day two: even a little better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2012 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
nose of red currant, ripe framboises, a hint of salinity... in the mouth, ripe cherries, minerality, a hint of salinity, nice lenght
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2012 - Rechrom wrote: 95 Points
Dark red with bricking at the rim. Wonderful nose of berry, earth, forest. Cherry, licorice on a full palate with great acid balance. Very soft tannins. Long and clean on the finish. Great bottle, drinking near peak with time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - Jozefs wrote: 94 Points
Ripe black fruit, black olives, licorice, sweet, exotic spices, cherry-like acidity, pure and clean, fresh, but persistent and lingering, in a great place right now, but not tiring in any way. Can be enjoyed now, or kept for a few years more. But there's really no need to wait any longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2012 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Carafé plus de deux heures....Un nez de réglisse noire, avec des épices asiatiques, des mûres.
La bouche est d'une grande élégance pour l'appellation, suave, d'une finesse étonnante, de la race et du style. C'est presque délicat pour le cru et l'appellation. Une finale dense, concentrée, presque sucrée, très fine, savoureuse. Grand vin! Il me rappelle le 1990....95-96 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2012 - MicklethePickle wrote: 87 Points
Looking, smelling and tasting fine right now. Good legs. Nose is a bit reticent but still shows earth, raspberry, tobacco, and garrigue. Sandalwood. Big and rich yet still smooth on the palate. Has much life ahead, just a tad monolithic just now, but shows it has class and breeding. Still a little closed up just now. 4-11-15-7: 87/100,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2012 - Why Yes wrote: 96 Points
Drank again, 1 year later. Consistent with previous note. Really has not moved. Probably built to go for years, but showing so good right now. Why wait.
Note: Both bottles I've had were clean and pure. Good to know when dealing with this house.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2012 - grapist wrote: 92 Points
I now agree with the notes that say not to touch this for several more years. After hours of decanter time, this just didn't open up fully or more unlikely, it just doesn't have a lot of love to give. Mind you, this was good, but I was looking for more from this name and vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2012 - ldorf wrote: 89 Points
Just to early to really tell. This could blow up in the bottle and become a really good CDP from Beucastel, or just not move. First I've drunk of it and I'm leaving the rest in the cellar for a minimum of 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2012 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
I had this wine twice in a short time. The first time it was good, although very evolved with lots of secondary aromas. Garrigue, kirsch, licorice even a bit funky, 90Pts. The second bottle was oxidized. May be this suggests that one should drink up this vintage. The 07 in comparison is young and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2012 - alittle wrote: 91 Points
Weeknight Tasting in Wellesley (Andrew's House): Well, after 5 full bottles and a split for 3 people, we thought it was a good idea to pop one more. Popped and poured, but once this was in the glass, no one wanted to drink it. Very primary, with some heat noted, so we poured it back in the bottle for the following day. On day two, this has not budged. On the nose, raspberry puree, powdered sugar, spice. On the palate, raspberry liqueur and spice. Mild tannin, moderate acidity, and a rather long finish. Very textured in the mouth, with somewhat of a glycerol component. I was catching a bit of heat off the nose and on the palate that is unpleasant. I had read a few favourable notes, but this was not in a good spot for me right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2012 - macker100 wrote: 91 Points
375ml at BWC tasting. Very different wine from the '98, and much more mature. Nose had noticeable funk with dried cherries and plums. Sappy flavors of cherries, tar, minerals with tobacco. Nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
From 375, not decanted. Much more expressive than the ’98, with leather, spice, and mature dried fruit on the nose. Palate was round, coating the mouth, with some sandy tannins on the back end. Lengthy finish of sandalwood, spice, tar, and spice. Plenty of funk and leather throughout. Preferred to the ’98, though this bottle did seem more advanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2012 - cos65 wrote:
fairly intense gamey (some barnyardy) aromas at first; with more caramel and muted berry flavors. from 375 YFS. nice wine ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Starting to slowly mature and reveal secondary characteristics - still has that slightly wooly Beaucastel nose and palate but time in glass lets the wine stretch out a touch. Lots of sweet, red fruit, herbs, garrigue and liquorice. Very good finish although the wine probably just needs a few more years to lose some of the puppy fat that it is still carrying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2012 - Winemusic wrote: 91 Points
Generally expected much more. Tannin which outweighed the fruit. Not sure it will ever balance out.
Some nice red fruit tones, but generally fairly crude and rustic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2012 - linserge wrote:
Rather disappointing, compared to expectations. Smooth, of corse still a bit tannic, but not especially complex nor intriguing .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2012 - bullmrkt wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy ruby with a brown tint, subdued red cherry nose, layered palate of ripe red berries and baking spices, smooth but somewhat light weight, medium long finish. It picked up some weight, density and texture on day 2. Very good but I drank this alongside a 2001 clos des papes which topped this all around, with a much more aromatic nose and more lively and interesting palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2012 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
Medium purple with a mahogany tint. The wine offers a distinctly gamey nose, layering white truffle and leather over blackberries and melted tar. A lingering spicy element intrigues. Burgundian levels of acidity on the palate, which offers sour cherries and pomegranate fruit flavors. Unlike the style one sees in so many other contemporary CDP this one isn't overripe at all, and instead is a wine about balance: balance between the flavorful but acid-dominated fruits, the fine tannins and the minerality that holds it all together. Long finish. A very fine success, really one of my favorite styles for a recent Beaucastel and, in this style, brilliant. Serve it in a setting where you might have considered a high-end red burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2012 - D Brown Likes this wine: 92 Points
Textbook Beaucastel, with impeccable balance and depth, focus and precision. Immediately expressive upon opening, it then closed up after an hour or so. This needs a long decant at this point in its development. This is no where near to being ready to drink now - you could do, but this bottle was consumed alongside a Coudoulet six years its younger ('07), and the similarity was striking for a 10yo wine. Leave it another 10 years, and drink up the Coudoulet in the meantime. 92+++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 88 Points
Although very nice CdP an overall disappointment at this price point
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2011 - deverett wrote: 87 Points
Fruit a little muted but some noticeable brett which I generally don't mind, and sometimes often expect in CdP, but think this was bordering on faulty for my palate. Have had better bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2011 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Carmine red. Garrigue and fresh red fruits in the bouquet. Juicy fruits on the palate, touch of chocolate as well, good acidity and tannin. Soft and elegant , beautiful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2011 - dd wrote:
excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2011 - peterk wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully balanced wine - fruit, acid, tannins are all in perfect harmony.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2011 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Garrigue with a touch of mineral in the nose; medium aromatics, medium body with raspberry-cherry kirsch and lifting acidity; slightly hot finish. This didn't show as well as the others in the flight. 90-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2011 - WetRock wrote:
EWG - 2001: A Taste Odyssey (Conrad Green's Abode): Bright, pure fruited, forward nose without much in the way of secondary notes. Never had that experience from this house. The palate is more complex and classic though. Very focused with crunchy acidity. Nicely balanced and clean with medium tannin. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2011 - yenda wrote: 93 Points
Very nice wine. Completely agree with the most recent comments by others - drinking window for this beauty has opened up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2011 - mnoljo wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color - in a perfect drinking window
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2011 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Tannin and acid provide huge structure to wonderful fruit. Will continue to improve but fun to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2011 - Weston3220 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vertical of Beaucastel [94-08 minus cpl yrs] (Vancouver, BC): Structure is there, Balanced for sure, coming across with that youthful 'baby fat' fruit notes, and ham fat, cranberry/cherry
Some notes I wrote down 'Spicy' 'meaty' 'elegant'
Conc: I know a couple people really picked this one to be there beaucastel WOTN. I think this will be excellent in 5-10 years for sure
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2011 - mrosse Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour huge always changing bouquet...blueberries, beef bouillon, soy, salty black licorice, forest floor...wow! Mouthfeel VG++ with ripe tannins and a complex lasting finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2011 - BeavisCC wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle - jammy fruit on open, but also developing saddle leather and pepper on mid-palate, with long finish. Nicely done.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2011 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Tight.
Red berry, soft pleasant licorice, pepper, a little smoke. Sit on these awhile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 93 Points
Game and Rhone Tasting @ Peggy's (Villa Reynart, Opoeteren): Very, very powerful, rough and tannic. Black and red fruit is clear, creamy, well defined and concentrated. Lots of licorice. Alcohol still somewhat prominent. Beautiful wine of great stature and substance, significant cellaring potential. 18+/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 90 Points
Altaya 10th anniversary cocktail (Mandarin Oriental): from magnum. deep nose of sweet cherries and liquorice. very tight and grippy still. needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
15th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Blind tasted out of 35 wines, this was run of the mill. Obvious CdP spice, red fruit, some pepper and leather notes. Reasonable depth and length but not for it's pedigree. 90pts on day 2.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 89 Points
appears to have fallen into a deep sleep. nose totally shut down, despite being in a decanter for over an hour. all the elements seemed to be there, but just can't smell or taste much of it! will put the case to bottom of pile and revisit in a few years' time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2011 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Very juicy, full bodied wine with cherries, some sweet licorice and herbs and spices. The alcohol is showing a bit, but overall a beautiful wine with enough future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2011 - MotoMannequin wrote: flawed
Ugh. What happened here? Reddish-brown, seemed intensely fruity on the nose, but tasted like cheap cooking sherry. Cork was in good shape and fill seemed normal. Left in a stoppered decanter and returned to the cellar overnight, after which we called time of death and introduced it to the drain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2011 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
Initial funk blew off after about 30 minutes. Nice nose of cherries, leather, etc. Taste is a tad sweet and finish is a bit shorter than I would have expected. Nice wine, I just don't see this as a mid-90's wine, though I admit that my ardor for C du Pape has cooled a bit in the past couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Generous nose of fresh raspberry, fresh herb, sweet soil, garrigue, complex, clean and entrancing. Red licorice and sweet/tart Grenache fruit on the silky and pure palate. Sexy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2011 - ekenneth wrote: 99 Points
Drinking perfectly right now. Dark, leather, forest floor, fig, unami.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2011 - jeff nowak wrote:
13.5% alcohol. decanted (mild sediment), and followed in the glass for 3 hours, but i was totally bored with the wine after 90 minutes. a major disappointment. promising nose during the decant. first sips were after about 30 minutes, and i thought it was going to be a nice pairing with spare ribs; but the wine seemed to rather quickly fall off. almost no stank, and the wine showed very soft, too evolved. looks like i'm going to have to open another bottle soon to see how it compares. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2011 - mstar wrote: 93 Points
A full bodied wine with a nice long finish. Aromas of dried fruit. Popped and poured this one. I'll take more time with the next to compare
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
ORTANIQUE Double Blind Brown Bag Dinner (Ortanique, Miracle Mile, Coral Gablesl): - Purple color with slow forming legs and aromas of black olive, eucalyptus, black currant and cloves. It's balanced and has flavours of black olive, blackberry, black currant, licorice anise and cloves with a full body. Round texture with a long finish - Al's wine reprise. Most of us IDed Rhone, Pablo thought Northern, I and a few others thought it clearly CdP. To my mind much better than the bottle we had 7/7. Complex herbs de Provence notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
ALS wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2011 - condita1@gmail.com wrote:
Aired out nice. Hurricance irene weekend. Really nice nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2011 - calgarywino wrote: 94 Points
Consumed over an 8 hour period. as expected, fairly flat to start and not giving a lot on the nose for the first couple of hours but then came on like gangbusters. Lightly perfumed after 3 hours with hints of earth and cedar box. An incredibly complex wine that has a long life ahead of it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2011 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
Elegant and beautiful on the palate...with depth and complexity on the nose and palate that showcase a wonderful example of what Chateauneuf du Pape can be...glad I have more for the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Shafer, Beaucastel: Still too young. The nose takes some coaxing but has some depth. Clean and just a hint of funk. Very tightly wrapped. I popped and poured this from a 375, but a decant is in order. You can feel how well made this is, and there is so much going on, but it is not obvious. Continue to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2011 - ekenneth wrote: 96 Points
Dark, funky CDP; one of my favorites. It drinks like older mourvedre; smooth, dark, Turkish fig, leather, tobacco, umani, a hint of chocolate, rich (not bitter) coffee notes. It's like a color chart going from brown to black. It's rich and there is some sweetness, but not a lot of what I think of as fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs: Al's wine. I have never acquired a taste for it(the Mourvedre element is greater than most CdP's). I am told you have to wait on Beaucastel. I HAVE THREE OF THIS VINTAGE! I'll wait until I'm 80 I guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2011 - Vinobruin wrote: 91 Points
Drank from 375 - no notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2011 - Dickdoc49 wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful cdp loads of fruit spice box, mushroom, and earth. Perfect compliment to sushi dinner. Much mre evolved, and better, than the 2001 at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/12/2011 - gthelen wrote: 92 Points
Right after opening: it is still young and tight. Balsamic with pepper in the nose.
A 3 hour decant helped, but it is still young and fresh. Great power both in nose (leather, pepper, ash) and mouth. Enjoyable now, but there is probably much more to offer after a few more years of aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2011 - MikeZ wrote:
phew, first bottle was corked after opening the case. I think this needs more time, not as yielding as I would hope. Generally speaking 2000s seem to be in a better place and will wait before further exploring '01s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2011 - cos82 wrote: 90 Points
3rd time from my cellar. Repeat what I said 18 months ago--this wine gets a lot of 94-96s on CT, but I just don't see it. Puprle plum in color. Decent nose of plum, earth and garrique (no brett). Decent balanced palate of plum, charcoal, mineral and hint of licorice. Very slightly tannic. Opened about half hour and poured. Maybe a long decant is the secret. Will try that next time with my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2011 - Paul S wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Pierre Gagnaire (Pierre Gagnaire, Rue Balzac, Paris): Served after an hour in the decanter, this was quite clearly the wine of the night for me in the midst of very stern competition. As good a Beaucastel as I ever had - it just about blew me away. The wine had a killer nose, almost Burgundian in its fligreed, lacy scents. Lots of lovely dark fruit aromas - plums and black cherries - some smoked meat, dried earth, flowers, glowing garrigue scents, like walking through a Provencal garden - wonderful stuff that you could smell from the moment the sommelier brought the decanter out. The palate, though just a tad less developed than the nose, was every bit as lovely. It had soft plush tannins, beautiful acidity, and lovely flavours of dark cherries and blackberries floating across the mouth with interesting little bits of spice and meat that dotted the pure fruit as the wine wound its way into a long finely defined finish where there were little whiffs of smoky mineral. With more time, some crystallined flavours of red dates, maraschinos and sweet spice started emerging.There was just an amazing freshness and purity to it all and a fine sense of structure and balance that bodes well for the wine's future. A glorious wine. I can only hope that the couple of bottles back home in my cellar have been stored as well. The only problem now is how to keep my hands off them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2011 - Rani wrote: 85 Points
In weird place / or off bottle. Fruit compote, soupy, sweet finish, not much structure or complexity. I did not like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2011 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Very nice. P&P. May improve a little but sure good now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2011 - CerveloGuy wrote:
Very dark fruit, sweet and slightly hot on the finish. Needs time in the cellar or air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2011 - AlanM68 wrote: 93 Points
- Ruby color - An initial scent of vinegar in the decanter quickly blew off and was replaced by a fruity (cherry jam) fragrance. On the mouth it started off the same, and as it spent longer in the decanter, a darker fruit emerged and eventually a little liquorice. It has good length - perhaps 60 seconds or more. I only have one more bottle of this left sadly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2011 - mmcdds wrote: 91 Points
Another wonderful Beaucastel. Black cherry, licorice, garrigue and leather. Med bodied with a soft, fine grained tannic finish. Drinking very nicely after about 1 1/2 hour decant. Fresh and youthful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - scamhi wrote:
2 hour decant and ready for prime time. dark fruit and sweet tannins. really wonderful starting NOW
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - Dale M wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. As the recent notes in CT suggest, this is really gaining steam and momentum as of late, and this particular showing was all that I could hope for from this Domaine. About a good as one could for in a CdP, that wave of dark cherry jam and freshly laid asphalt, maybe a touch of truffle here, or a dash of Provencal herbs there, I could almost feel the Minstrel winds blowing through Maple Valley WA last night. The palate was solid as a rock, not so much in a tannic manner, but I just couldn’t find a weakness here. A dense core of red cherry and spices supplemented by a striking floral lift, and no medium plus here Mr. Jennings ;) absolutely seamless delivery here, dare I say almost clean? I am very happy to have three more of these for further contemplation down the road. FYI This bottle was from PC, purchased around 2005, and looks to have a German imports sticker on the back, go figure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 93 Points
Had with Colin. Took at least an hour to open up. Tannins still quite present. Wonderfully lush fruit. One could taste both the grenache and syrah elements. Harder for me to identify other grapes included. Long finish. Not quite as wonderful as the '98, but very, very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2011 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Vin très tannique, massif, encore tout d'un bloc malgré son âge. Beau potentiel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2011 - rherman wrote: 91 Points
Hmmm, starting to wake from it's slumber? This was weightier..more 'alive' than my last bottle. Almost flashy. Long, long, long life ahead. Still primary, juicy and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2011 - Flavito wrote: 92 Points
Young and tannic, but very promising. Rayas was a tad better, though...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2011 - Why Yes wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous, deep core of dark, pure fruit. This wine shocked me in the precision of its fruit--incredibly clean for a Beaucastel.
This wine screams old vine fruit pedigree--intense, clean, strucutred, true. Dark earthy flavors of leather, scortched Earth and black fruits. Incredible structure towards the acid profile. At $75 this is a screaming deal in comparison to its domestic Rhone-blend brethren by outpacing them all.
Beaucastel's reputation for bretty wines generally scares me away, in this case there was absolutely nothing to fear. Further, I generally shy away from Mourvedre dominant wines for their iodine-y, animalistic qualities. Again, not to be found here, I loved the fruit this wine exhibited. Drink this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Pirate à la verticale Clos des Papes
Ce vin m’a impressionné par la belle impression d’unité, de précision qui s’en dégage. Le nez m’a semblé discret, mais la bouche très bien équilibrée, la finale longue et fine. 92-93 pts
J’aurais parié que Beaucastel serait le plus facile à reconnaître des pirates. Bluffé! C’est le seul que je n’ai pas reconnu :-(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2011 - Bumbanian wrote: 94 Points
This was distinctive in its complex and shifting array of herbal, leathery, and fruity smells and the beam of focused, bright, acidic fruit that cut across the palate. Took 45 minutes in the decanter to come into it's own, but drank very nicely over a leisurely valentine's dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and allowed to sit for 90mins before consuming over the following 2 hours. Light in weight and very short finish. We tried this out of 4 different stems trying to find its sweet spot and just never found it. Evidence of some solid components like smoke, bacon fat, meat, just all too muted to really be an outstanding wine - or at least as good as my prior bottles tasted. Will revisit in a few years and hope for the better!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2011 - ticktock wrote: 91 Points
This wine is lovely but is emerging from somewhat of a backwards moment. Great berry flavors with smoke and leather. This wine was consumed over the course of an evening but may have shown more if given the time. Only open for 1 hour before drinking. Looking forward to the next bottle but not for a minimum of three years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2011 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 92 Points
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur: Robijnrood, niet supergeconcentreerd Aroma / bouquet: Prachtig aroma. Eerste associatie is die met een 'open haard, the morning after', gerookte ham, kruidig, Engelse drop, Smaak / Afdronk: Prachtig, enerzijds heerlijk fris met wat kruidig, donker fruit, voldoende vulling maar met boterzachte tannines. Complex en gelaagd. Veel lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige wijn. Nu overheerlijk maar met een grote toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 92/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2011 - chad1616 wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous mellowed state of spice, dark fruit and Mourvedre based ecstasy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2011 - jcasey555 wrote: 96 Points
Some game, licorice. Tremendous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2010 - peetee wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and served with mixture of post Christmas cold meats. Probably not the best combination but the wine was great. More structure than other CDPs I've had great combination of rich red fruits and spiciness. I feel there's a fair way for this to go before it's really in its drinking window - perhaps a couple of years at least.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– popped and poured –
– tasted a single glass non-blind over 15 minutes –
– decanted for 1 hour before the event –
Fine particulate matter present. Nose was sweet, and showing red berries along with a strong wave of rosebush; also had this odd (but strangely not off-putting) hint of fresh lake fish. Medium-full bodied. The palate was very tight, but did show some red berry (raspberry jam) and earth flavors. Tannins were grippy, but not drying; acidity was noticeable; overall, this struck me as well-balanced. Needs time; do not drink now; I believe this has the goods to be superlative with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Minneapolis Does CDP, Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): Dark red color. aerated and 1 hour decant. Loved this nose: gorgeous, perfumed, lavendar, herb de provence, dark fruits. Palate has nice depth, good acidity and well integrated tannins, black fruit, spices, nice finish. I thought this really showed well and has even more potential with additional time. Probably my #2 WOTN, tough call as was neck and neck with the '98 Clos des Pape. 93+pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/23/2010 - Henman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour.Vibrant fruity on the nose.Tons of dark and red fruit/berries on the palate with a very smooth and silky texture.Very delicious and balanced.Surprised by the lack of secondarys that might have emerged if I had been more patient and decanted it longer.Still not regretting popping it this early since its in a good phase right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2010 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2010-10; Châteauneuf-du-Pape (By VD): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of herbs and spices and black fruits. Same on the palate. Ripe fruit juice with a hint of sweetness. Good concentration. The tannin is soft and still offers a mild bite. Great and complex wine. Better and more intriguing than the 1998. Beautiful moment to drink it now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Pop and poured from a 375, cork in good shape bottom of which was stained about 1-2mm. A dark but transparent ruby red, suggesting an elegant wine rather than bombastic and hedonistic ... a good start. And after smelling the nose of dried twigs, tea and slightly pruney I was eagerly anticipating this highly regarded wine ... but only to be disappointed. The fruit was hidden, had a lot of VA and was grainy in texture. It got a little better with air in the glass with more fruit, a hint of spice but relatively charmless and insipid. Off bottle?? 86-87
Day 2 – Much better. Elegant red fruit is in the foreground, the awkward rough texture is gone replaced by a nice silky medium-bodied mid-palette, with minerals, spices, and good acidity on the finish (higher than most CdPs I've had, but I like it that way). In fact rather burgundian. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2010 - Bobc7had wrote: 87 Points
off bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2010 - Rob-Rah wrote: 91 Points
Southern Rhone night: 3 hour decant. Slightly browny colour. Dark. Bouquet needed waking up in the glass. Nice, deep, complex. Palate smooth and delicious. A little less "exciting" than Beaucastel can be though. Very elegant and stylish. Very good, but for the money I expected more character.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2010 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
mushrooms truffles lether sliky smooth long-after-taste velvet balanced tannins elegant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2010 - pc.jams wrote:
The best CDP I have had in a long time. The balance was completely correct. Incredibly sharp, focused and intense fruit backed by a solid acid framed in good tannins. Color, nose and pallet were all incredibly impressive. Not a single fault with this wine. On that note I would mention that I have found CDP far too extracted and overly ripe recently. Some vignerons seem to be driven to make "elixirs" of syrupy fruit backed with high octane alcohol. Beaucastel have continued to make a wine that is balanced and enjoyable. Considering the acid and the tannin I don't expect this wine to loose it's touch anytime soon. Continue to enjoy for many many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
It really has been quite the experience to watch this wine evolve over the last 5 years. This is starting to enter into a window where the secondary characteristics or old leather, fig, and roasted meats come through on the palate. The nose is powerful yet delicate...and the tannin, while present is really starting to integrate more completely into the wine...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2010 - jcoleman wrote: 90 Points
brambley, pruney nose followed by a lovely raisin flavour on the palate. certainly ready now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
A little earth. Seems ready to drink. Not blown away but happy to have enjoyed it...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2010 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Gotta slow my consumption of these. Still too young and tight, but enjoyable just the same. Clean for a Beau. Cherry, licorice, garrigue, a little bacon. Medium bodied, needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2010 - boreddoughboy wrote: 94 Points
very ripe fruit with firm tannins, goes on and on
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2010 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep blueberry and raspberry fruits. Lightly spicey, some violets and tar.
Intense blueberry, plums, boysenberry fruits. Med-Hvy wt, strong but fine tannins, balanced, gorgeous, sweet and spicey. No hint of gaminess. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2010 - keepitreal wrote: 85 Points
Big and plummy, oak, spice, figs, slight soy sauce. Not my favorite CdP that I've had in awhile, but it could just be timing. Seems big and clunky, and a bit overwrought.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2010 - Vinotas wrote:
From Half-Bottle: The waitress popped the cork, sniffed it and frowned. Uh oh... At first, we thought it was slightly, every-so-teasingly slightly corked. But no, it was just funky. Really, really funky. So funky, that I took the decanter it was in, covered the top, and shook it up to make that dirty thing air out. To say I got weird looks from our neighbors is putting it mildly. Still, the funk would come and go, teasing us but then fading away and allowing the big, earthy black fruits to kick in, with leather and meat entertwined within. When the quail dish with foie gras arrived, the fruit perked up and joined us for dinner, but that dirty thing stayed just within reach. As they say, there are only good bottles, and this wasn't one of them. OK but not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2010 - acheng wrote: 85 Points
This is my second time with this wine. Not showing well tonight. VA. Syrupy and hint of molasses. In the mouth, a lot more satisfying with good red fruits and acidity. ?85
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 95 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): We incidentally tasted this almost exactly one year ago at Knightsbridge.
A nice heady perfume nose of feminine silky sweet and pruney fruit. Nice floral play of bright and vivid red rose petals.
A little sappy, almost overly ripe fruit, but it works so well for me.
Camphor, sweet spice - LOVELY spice even. Some cool fresh ground baking spice, violets and even a background ironwork and some gravelly aromas round out the complex nose.
This wine is showing wonderfully right now. The palate is smooth and in perfect harmony. A light funk on the mid palate provides an excellent transition into a big finish showing some nice heat.
You can sense the old vines used to produce this big boy. Really nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2010 - pford Likes this wine: 90 Points
vibrant, big, and unsettled, needs some more time in the bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2010 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Nose of red cherries, licorice, animal, a bit sweet and raisiny... in the mouth, red fruit and slight tannins (92+/100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2010 - cmlee7 wrote:
dried fruits notes - raisins, currant, cherry, blueberries. soft, rounded, almost fatty texture
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Fresh and focused. Very good wine. More fresh fruit than Rhone flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Excellente bouteille mais sans la plénitude de la précédente. Il lui faut un peu plus d'air ou de temps. 92+ pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2010 - Regina wrote: 89 Points
Beautiful clear ruby with penetrating menthol nose. P says aniseed. Brazen armagnac start eclipses the fruit for me. Flavour - marmalade? is that mad? - holds briefly before falling away. Memories of a marc de CNP I had in Arles... Potentially great - I'll hold another bottle for a year or so hoping for a greater richness of fruit, but we'll see...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2010 - pdougm wrote:
This wine was absolutely fabulous with Indian food - held up exceptionally well to the spices.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2010 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Much better than the previous bottle. This is the way Beaucastel should be; Full bodied, good red fruits and spices and a long finish. Might improve a bit the next few years, but is already a great pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2010 - mellison wrote: 93 Points
Great bottle. Had with rack of lamb and it went perfectly. Lively tastes of red cherries, strawberries and currents with a hint of pepper. Opened without decanting, was a little tight to start but quickly opened to express a spicy, light and lively character with plenty of depth. Pared well with the lamb. Should age well but does not require decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2010 - Zweder wrote: 85 Points
A little lactic in the bouquet. Supple red fruits. Some sweetness and a lot of acidity. Lacks elegance and finesse. Is the wine in an awkward stage or is this an off bottle? In any case not like I am used to from Beaucastel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2010 - andtheodor wrote:
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Youthful, a little wound up? Herbs, pepper, spice, unintegrated oak. Kind of bland and charmless, definitely not representative. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2010 - robmatic wrote:
Tight, unrevealing nose. Young still, showing good balance and promise. Not ready to drink yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
À l'ouverture des notes un peu animales et un fruit suave, j'ai eu l'heureuse idée de la déboucher deux heures avant le service.
Des arômes de framboises et autres fruit rouge, un peu atypiques pour le cru. Il montre une belle concentration mais aussi beaucoup de finesse, au point où notre ami tentait de l'identifier évoquait plusieurs vins plutôt fins de l'appellation (Charvin par ex.) Un vin riche et fin a la fois, frais et large, qui se montre à la hauteur de sa belle réputation. Une finale complexe, même en plein air, sur la lavande et la garrigue. Un Châteauneuf profond et un grand Beaucastel. Peut-être celui dont le style se rapproche le plus des 1989 (ma référence absolue) et 1990 du domaine, sans les égaler du moins à ce stade. Il sera peut-être meilleur dans deux ou trois ans mais offre déjà beaucoup. 94-95 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2010 - jbehrendt wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed this with friends and family. Held up to its reputation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2010 - ctwomey Likes this wine:
Wine Pages Dublin Offline (Ely CHQ, Dublin, Ireland): A little closed, probably should have decanted the wine even though it was opened early enough. No sign of any stinkyness here! A solid wine but no blockbuster tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2010 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Beautiful light nose of sweet berries, leather, black pepper, burned earth. A medium ruby color wine. The fruit danced on my tongue with flavors of berries, leather, earth, tobacco, black pepper. The wine is well structured with mature tannins, and yet it is fresh like a new wine with youthful fruit. Amazing! But within two hours after opening, all the fun faded and it was just another nice 10 year old wine. So don't wait too long after opening to drink. I would have given it a couple more points but for the quick fade. (Doris - pretty good. (tasted 2 hrs after open)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2010 - Edclr wrote: 93 Points
Took an hour to open, but once it did, it was classic Beaucastel. beautiful leathery nose, sweetness that lingered for a long time, very nice acidity, great wine. It's got another decade left in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 92 Points
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Frankrijk, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur: Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Eerste indruk caramel, wat lactisch, verder vrij gesloten, gedroogd fruit. Smaak / Afdronk: Zoetige indruk, gematigd zuur, tannines prachtig rijp maar nog wel zeer geprononceerd aanwezig, prettige bitter. Enorme lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Veel potentieel, maar wel geduld hebben. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 92/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2010 - Miceri wrote: 93 Points
Red brownish; very expressive nose of ripe cherries, sherry-like, saddle leather; sweet, mellow, fresh berries, structured, slightly acid; drinking very well right now, but for how long will it last?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/10/2010 - Niagara wrote: 87 Points
Not a trace of age in the color, and flavor profile uninspiring -- give this one a few more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/17/2010 - Ho Bryan wrote:
After almost two months of back-to-back Bordeaux tasting, I bought this bottle to freshen things up with something completely different. No disappointments there! Immediate sensations (both nose and palette) were a strong whiff of Armagnac, and the tea scent mentioned by someone else makes sense also. Lots and lots of depth, and enough spice to make my eyes almost start watering. Long (1 minute plus on this tasting) and powerful finish settles with a slight sweet aftertaste suggestive of sultanas almost reminiscent of a great Sauternes! Incredible! It seems to be both showing some of the smoothness of maturity, but still vigorously young. Will grab half a dozen to lay down and watch over the next 15 years. Tempting to leave a couple for 20-30 frankly. Excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2010 - celtic67 wrote: 94 Points
slightly cloudy dark red color. very unique nose on this sucker... big earth/soil notes initially, then a little funk, tobacco, black cherry, blackberries, meat, herbs. SMOOTH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2010 - Montecalvo wrote: 88 Points
not anywhere near where I thought this wine would be. color is preserved red to dark red, nose is more accessible. not too stinky. in the mouth a disturbing tea-like quality. very soft without the concentration i hoped for. overall a disappointing bottle. is this the future of overripe wines with low acid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2010 - gblacave wrote: 93 Points
My first Beaucastel and a very nice experience - this was drinking incredibly. Very primary with lots of red fruits, figs and tobacco dominating the nose along with a nice dallop of asian spice. Bright and lively throughout showing nice acidity. In the mouth, it was again lively and complex with round flavors of dark fruits, lots of spice -primarily the asian variety- and a touches of tobacco and leather. Delicious and, though admittedly a novice at Beaucastel, I can only see this getting better over the next decade and a half.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/5/2010 - KimBot Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has not been kept optimal, but was still good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2010 - ekenneth wrote: 99 Points
Incredible Beaucastel, drinking very well right now. Who knows with age it could turn into a denser viscous fig and spice-box monster like the 89 or thin like the 96, but right now it's just what I want from this wine.
There's just a little funk on the nose, and after a little while open has the whole bag of tricks; there's that chunky brown fig, tobacco leaf, persian spice, fresh wild thyme, dark cherry-blackberry hybrid fruit; dense and light on the palate at the same time with a deep, nuanced beef broth (almost blood) and saddle leather finish.
...close to perfection.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/28/2010 - Bellissimo wrote: 93 Points
Had at a Rhone tasting don't know how long it was decanted but clearly treated well.
Dark inky color. Nose had the earthy black raspberry as its core with a bit of mint and white pepper underneath that. Taste was intense dark fruits, allspice, white pepper all in an exceptionally balanced packaged.
Honored to have tried it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/26/2010 - linserge wrote:
Ahhh. Absolutely beautiful. Mourvedre funk on the nose, then pure balance and force from start to long finish. One of the best I've ever had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/21/2010 - calnative Likes this wine: 92 Points
Simply gourgeous mix of red fruits paired with great complexity, earth, mineral, and spice, with hints of anise, leather and rock. No sense of brett at all. This is drinking great right now, but I think perhaps it has upside.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/7/2010 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Young; similar to last tastings
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/20/2010 - EGunderson wrote: 90 Points
Two hour double decant, then sat in the bottle for another two hours. Very little on the nose throughout, some sweet fruit on the initial pour in the decanter but that was about it.
While the nose was definitely disappointing, on the palate this was really nice to drink, lots of spice and dark fruits and a lengthy finish.
Knew this would be young when I opened it, and no doubt we jumped the gun a bit. Will save my other bottles for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2010 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Beaucastel vs Vieux Telegraph with Steven Spurrier (Handford Wines, London): Handford Wines, Beaucastel & Vieux Telegraph with Steven Spurriier, London10-Feb-10
Very nice wine, great now (needs 1.5hrs decanting min) and will be a star for the future and for reasonable price.
Ink colour deep,black fruit ans spice. How nice that we have 3 sleeping in our cellar. See you in 5yrs ( Both of us agree on rating and for sure it will be a 95+ in a few years)
SS Additional Notes - Smoky spicy, one of the best beaucastels, closed still and will drink well over 20yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2010 - rherman wrote: 92 Points
could be one for the ages as thjs is still so lush and primary and big. will try to wait another 5 years and will bury my other 9.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2010 - ecnemergut wrote:
Rating witheld. Some raspberry on the nose, but fairly subtle. Fairly thin on the palate with some fruit, but nothing spectacular. Not obviously flawed, this drank like a wine that's too old, which hardly possible given the fact that it is 2001 and was stored perfectly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2010 - Rick-again wrote:
continues to be a top notch beaaucastel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2009 - WST wrote:
Interesting; this was much tighter than the last three bottles I've opened. Giving up little even after two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2009 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
From a .375 tonight and drinking very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2009 - pbaek wrote:
2001 Chateauneuf du Pape single blind tasting (Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York): Dark, dense, almost black color. Very backward, but also very polished fruit. None of those farmyard or animal characters I usually find in Beaucastel. Austere and unforgiving, quite hard to judge. I had it down as a the Janasse Chaupin potentially which says something about what in my mind has been going on at Beaucastel since the mid-90s. In need of time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2009 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 88 Points
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Frankrijk, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur: Robijnrood met oranjebruine rand Aroma / bouquet: Vol en rijp bouquet, duidelijke tertiaire en herst-achtige tonen. Gedroogd fruit, leer, nat herfstbos. Kruidige indrukken als zoethout en laurier, beetje koffie-toffee. Smaak / Afdronk: Vriendelijke, ronde aanzet. Zachte zuren, boterzachte en ronde tannines, mooie lengte. Smaak gaat duidelijk de gerijpte kant op, waarbij de zuren iets metalig worden. Algemeen / potentieel: Ch9dP die wat mij betreft haar ideale plek aan tafel aan het opgeven is voor een plekje bij het haardvuur en een goed gesprek. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 6 = 88/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2009 - WEL3 wrote: 92 Points
Strong, tannic, alcohol at opening, needed exposure for an hour or so. currant, leather with a long finish. It could use some additional aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2009 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Flickinger Wines Customer Appreciation Tasting (The Casino Club, Chicago, Illinois): Deeply colored, with aromas of mint, earth, barnyard, lavender and dark fruit. Terrific balance, with red fruit, lavender and meaty herb tones. Long finish. Showed very well, but give it a couple of years yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2009 - cos82 wrote: 91 Points
2nd time trying this wine from my cellar about a year apart. This wine gets a lot of 94-96s on CT, but I just don't see it. Slightly better than first bottle and a very nice wine, but not to that degree IMHO. Dark cherry red. Plum, earth and a touch of that pleasant Beaucastel barnyard on the nose. Integrated and balanced palate of plum, cherry, earth and charcoal. No tannin and seems ready to drink, but I think a few more years might do wonders for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2009 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Granted, it's young, but it's drinking very well young. Raspberries and bruised strawberry aroma, with a little bit of secondary moist earth, leather and meat. Mostly primary, but not at all closed. Improved after and hour or two of aeration. Not nearly in its prime, but very enjoyable at this early drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2009 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Sour and sweet cherries and other red fruits in the slightly spicy, but fresh smelling nose. No 'Beaucastel funk' here! (Grenache fruit seems to dominate the blend.) On the palate sweet and sour red fruits, slightly dusty, already well integrated tannins, refreshing acidity (a lot of it - good with food), sweet spices, a hint of animal blood and black coffee. Very balanced and rather elegant, almost Burgundy-like wine. Still fairly young, but certainly drinkable now. Will probably develop additional complexity with a bit more age. Plain delicious Beaucastel. Btw, I opened the bottle about 5 hours before tasting; the wine kept evolving positively in the glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2009 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Vinfolio purchase, held 2 years. Decanted 2 hours. Wide open. Translucent red color. Complex aromas -- herbs, white pepper, hot stones. A biting, bracing wine with intensity and length. Chewy and mouth-watering. Acidity is pronounced, but calms down on the long finish. Not particularly tannic. Great for the dining table. Long-lived.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2009 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - Miscellaneous (Heidi's, Minneapolis): An odd showing. Very ripe nose. Atypical, young, and more like 2003 than 2001 in character. This shows unusually ripe and rich dark fruit and baking spice, and comes off as quite over-the-top. Based on my previous experience with this wine (see TNs), this is either in a strange phase of its development, or we had an off bottle. Judgment reserved.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2009 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Another Wednesday at Heidi's: The nose is huge and not particularly enjoyable featuring very ripe red fruit, brown sugar and some notes of nail polish. Way too new world smelling right now for me. In the mouth this delivers sweet red fruit with a nice weight. Bottles of this in my cellar will remain buried for many years if I don't decide to sell them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2009 - Jack wrote: 96 Points
Wow. What a difference a year makes. This bottle was fully ready to drink from the beginning but did improve a little with an hour of air. 2nd day was not quite as good as yesterday but still very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2009 - BeavisCC wrote: 96 Points
Great showing. Fantastic bottle. Still young, but impeccably balanced, fruit forward, gaining mid-palate complexity. A bigtime CdP that will develop for many years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2009 - dea wrote:
This bottle seemed unwilling to open up. Hints of dark black/blue fruit and earth. Super dark color for a CDP. Not nearly as much bret as is usually associated with this wine. Not as complex as I was expecting either. Retry after a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2009 - amred wrote: 95 Points
Part of an 8 wine 2000/2001 ChdP tasting. Ranked 1 or 2. No barnyard, brett or anything other than terrific fruit and garrigue notes. Color fine, no hint brick yet. On the mouth, rich and smooth with fruit, the most complex of all the wines. Along with rich fruit, there was tobacco, grilled meat--traditional ChdP, except for the smoothness and more fruitiness than Beaucastel has for us traditionally. Has plenty of time left, but is drinking very, very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Tremendous - meat, animal and dirt nose. Powerful yet refined blue fruit character. Still a few years away from maturity. This is a great vintage for Beaucastel. (94+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2009 - aof wrote: 94 Points
TN-2000/2001 CdP: Dark, understated, yet showing immense power, complexity, poise and silky density. Very Bordeaux-like characteristics. I suspect the higher Mourvedre content may explain that. Just a tad less dense than the 2000 Pegau, but may have more in reserve than than the Pegau.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2009 - Montecalvo wrote: 93 Points
red to dark red. bought on release. relatively shut down. nose not offering much other than a hint of southern rhone. In the mouth, excellent texture and acid with smooth tannins and a long finish. this wine is clearly a great wine but at this time not approachable. Reminds of of burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Light red with a fair amount of bricking. Chocolate and dark fruit, plums, bluberries. A bit light in the mouth with hints of mineral and sweet. A bit of tannin but...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Elegant light ruby red.
Nose of light spicy bramble berries and exotic raspberries.
A light licorice, fennel note on the nose with a rusty nail play on the back end.
Nice mossy aromas but not really shroomy - more like a fresh forest floor.
The palate is pure and clean like an ocean breeze. Some grip on the finish - exquisitely made as a whole.
Depth and layered fruit and earth. Excellent life and vibrancy. Drinking well now but certainly potential for another decade in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2009 - Niagara wrote: 90 Points
Big wine and smooth, but very dirty/earthy and almost had a slight note of dried seaweed. To some degree all the funkiness obscures the fruit, and the wine does not evolve over the evening. Given reputation and price, cognitive dissonance gets it to 90.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2009 - Barbalax wrote:
I am afraid that I don't like Beaucastel - this icon of Chateauneuf. This wine is just like the other two I have tried (1990+1998). Tons of Brett, stewed fruit, overripe and just not very fresh. Long portlike finish. No rating.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2009 - amred wrote: 93 Points
We loved this wine. It had smoothed out since last bottle, and if anything, there was less "barnyard" than before. Classic ChdP and we think, ready to drink, although it will last years. Had the expected garrigue elements, and flint-like aspect we associate with this wine, but fruit was evident and more forward than we anticipated. It's doing very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2009 - WEL3 wrote: 93 Points
Strong, smoky, and organic smelling with a pervasive peat. Even after two hours of decanting, which helped, it is obvious that this very good wine can use a few more years of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2009 - BradA wrote: 91 Points
On a scorching Summers eve I pulled this from the cellar (thought I grabbed the '98) for dinner at the parents. While not decanted, it was andouzed for 40 minutes--a good move. Lots of grenache, tar and hot earth. Somehow, it seemed reserved and not all in line, perhaps a little disjointed? I do believe this will settle into a glorious bottle, but will refrain from the rest until 2011+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2009 - Kirk Grant wrote: 91 Points
This was outstanding, but not showing as well as I had hoped. In the glass it was a deep plum color with scents of earth, spice box, tobacco, plums, and bloody meat. In the mouth there was good acid, tannin, and fruit balance with a smoked black fruit, granite, and lite cedar note that lingered on a medium length finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2009 - vinomand wrote:
Mono-dimensional and probably still closed down. Decanted for two hours, but never came around. Should have waited much longer to pop this one. Live and learn...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2009 - pabernatchez wrote: 92 Points
Brilliant, transparent red colour, starting to show just a little bit of evolution at the rim. Nose is explosive : tar, beefy component, red fruit jam (but not tooooo jammy), rocks and spices. Texture is very nice, with tanins at a great stage now : just enough grip, but a smooth touch as well. Palate is pretty complex, with red flowers, minerals, tar. Nice length, great acidity (really a must for this type of wine as the heady powerful palate would be just too much without the freshness of the acidity.) Will keep for another 5-10 years easily.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Beaucastel Vertical 81-01 (Gurnee IL, Jordan's house): nose: this nose is screaming right off the bat with all sorts of black fruits, red fruits, bright red cherries, raspberries, kirsch liqueur, raspberries and hints of pepper. Almost new worldish as there is definitely a brighter tones to the fruit on the nose
taste: lovely feel with good tannins. Very rich tones of sweet perfumes, kirsch liqueur, raspberries, red cherries, red fruits, and some hints of pepper. Great depth on the palate with wonderful length
overall: this will need more time. Very youthful, but a tremendous wine already that can get better. Needs to evolve a bit more and let some of the tannins subside a slight bit, but those that have this in their cellars should be very happy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2009 - ctwomey wrote: 86 Points
The least impressive wine of the night. I thought it was very slightly corked. It seemed to blow off during the night. However the wine never reached its potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2009 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Young, just coming around. A very clean and elegant Beaucastel; not much mouvedre funk, no brett. Dark fruit dominates, tertiary aromas just peaking through. A very good future, and I think I've scored this very conservatively.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2009 - yenda wrote: 89 Points
this is very good stuff. Had it decanted for few hours. It has everything what you should expect from beaucastel, still i miss the WOW. Have been drinking few CDPs over the weekend (see previous notes if you care) and this fares the best so far (my wife agrees). Getting ready for Henry Bonneau, so we shall see
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 90 Points
Opened this head to head against an '02 Pegau CDP. I fully expected the Beau to trounce it, but instead the consensus around the table was that it just edged it. Filter decant, let sit 2+ hours. Color very dark garnet, medium to full body. A nice but restrained bouquet of plum sauce, blackberry, garrique, and black pepper. Absolutely zero sign of age and extra dimensions of leather, barnyard, meat, etc. were unfortunately not present. Much of the nose transferred to palate with big ripe blockbuster dark fruit, earth and minerals. At this youthful stage it actually strikes the palate as more of a fruit bomb than old school. At 3.5 hours the bouquet became more open with more earth and pepper, but then the fruit on the palate was becoming oxidized and losing freshness - surprising and not as enjoyable to drink. Very good length (not great), nice mouthfeel, acidity medium and moderately firm tannins were present giving it nice structure and aging potential. Cannot give this under-performing bottle more than a 90, or recommend it when current price range to buy is 65 to 80. It also makes it harder to justify shelling out nearly 90-100 for the '05 and yikes for the '07.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2009 - Giladog wrote: 93 Points
This wine was suggested as a pairing in a cookbook with braised lambshanks. It was a pinpoint pairing suggestion, and the wine itself provided a nice blackberry, white pepper, tobacco juice marinate for those lamb shanks. Bravo, Frank Stitts, for your suggestion in The Southern Table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2009 - cos82 wrote: 90 Points
Poured side by side with a Guigal and a Delas Hermitage at byob dinner. Best of the 3 but not deserving of the CT scores for this wine. I've had Beaucastel many times but, although very good, it always leaves me looking for something more. Dark red with a nice nose of black fruits. More of the same on the palate with some earth and charcoal. Tannin resolved and ready to drink. A very nice wine, but I can't see myself adding recent vintages to my cellar at the escalating prices for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2009 - ekenneth wrote: 96 Points
I had this at a restaurant where they don't seem to store the wines correctly. But I'm not sure this didn't help this from my point of view. This is the classic Beaucastel, with dark Mourvedre-driven animal, leather, tar, tobacco, and fresh herbs. And did I mention the classic Beaucastel funk? What a wonderful stink. This is the best Beaucastel I've had this year. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think back to this dark, spicy, deeply flavored Chateauneuf du Pape from time to time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2009 - fisk15 wrote: 95 Points
Now I get it, wonderful spicy cherry on the nose and palate as well as garrigue. Pop'ed and poured and was open from start to finish. Very elegant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2009 - ken wrote: flawed
I'm assuming that this bottle was corked, as it wasn't great, though after a couple of hours OK.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2008 - Slics wrote: 95 Points
Brick red colour with intense nose of red, compote fruit, coffee and eucalyptus. Beautiful mouthfeel, long finish. Really opened up after an hour or two. Drinking wonderfully now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
Very very good and well matured cdp, one of the best we've had - enjoyed earlier tonight for dinner with good friends Tony & Karen Rose. Great surprise, very smooth and balanced, thick viscous and lovely mouth feel with long lingering aftertaste. Too expensive to be a good QPR. Nose bold and somewhat dark with dark stone fruit, tobacco box and spices including black pepper and allspice. Probably would further benefit from decanting for next few years. Primary flavors consisted of dark stone fruit, leather, salt, terroir and pepper. Highly recommed this wine, really drinking well now and would also recommend starting to drink holdings now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2008 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Had to pop another one since CTs continue to post good experiences. This one from a .375 is much better than the 750 I had a couple of months ago. I can better see where this wine is going. If this bottle is a good indication then it is very early in its evolution. Great fruit with good tannic grip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2008 - jordanj wrote: flawed
Perhaps an off bottle. Started with a musty wet cardboard smell that did blow off. My initial reaction was this bottle was corked. After it blew off it left only a decent CDP behind. After 3 hours a nose of leather, herbs, dirt, mushrooms, and plum sauce. A palate that was arguably harsh with a spicy but tart finish. I love Beaucastel and this only hinted at a good beau. While this wine was drinkable I suspect it was off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2008 - Le Cave de LeRoi wrote: 96 Points
Wow! Dark burgundy-esque ruby color, nearly viscous mouth feel, tremendous legs. Touch of barnyard, mace(?), dark fruit on the nose. Plum, earth, tobacco, tremendous length - at least 30 seconds. Served with sous-vide burgundy truffle/armagnac chicken thighs. Fantastic pairing. Next course was braised (15 hour sous-vide) short ribs served with a (lovely) 2002 Pape Clement (a new-worldy Graves that drinks quite nicely) and the chicken/Beaucastel completly blew them both out of the water - I should have flipped the courses!
This goes in my all-time top ten great wine/food experiences. And Sokolin emailed this for around $90 last week!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2008 - markcvino wrote: 95 Points
Dark purlple in color with mild earth tones on the nose, no real barnyard noted. Eucalyptus noted as the wine opened up. Medium body with
forward fruit, subtle tannins not overpowering at all, with mild pepper on the finish which was very long and pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2008 - amred wrote: 94 Points
Similar to the last time we had it. Good nose with a little barnyard, color still very good, and for us a very typical Beaucastel. Well-balanced with plenty left, but the fruit is coming through and the tannins are not as harsh as several years ago. The typical mix of garrigue, earth, perhaps tobacco, some mineral notes, but good rich fruit and some smoothness. To me, it's an "in-between" Beaucastel. Not as traditional as older vintages, but also not nearly as fruit-forward as 03-05.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2008 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 94 Points
2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Frankrijk, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Kleur:) Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Typerend Ch9dP aroma: rijp rood fruit (kersen / bramen), zoethout, zoet-zachte drop, sigarenkistjes, eiken, uitgesproken aroma met veel complexiteit. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtig en geconcentreerd, behoorlijk 'alcoholisch', prachtige stevigheid maar met boterzachte tannines en zachte zuren, enorme lengte. Smaakindrukken van kruidigheid (laurier, peper, mint). Enorme en aangename lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Beetje vinopedofilie, maar goed. Nu al prachtig, maar dit gaat alleen nog maar mooier worden. Yihaaaaa, nog 23 te gaan. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2008 - gr8r84u wrote:
Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2008 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
No where close to the sweet and rich 2000 that I had last night. This was very earthy and somewhat closed with perky acid showing through. If this one was a good example it needs more time in the bottle. I'm surprised by the high scores on CT recently. This one came from a 55 degree cellar. Next time try a .375.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2008 - hutch wrote: 97 Points
A co-worker's Farewell: Stunning. What really floored me about this wine wasn't all the myriad of flavors, both fruits and earths and meats, that filled and swirled around the palate. It wasn't the long, lingering finish, or the beautiful balance. What floored me about this wine was the pure seamlessness of the way it showed on this particular night. Tried this a little over a year earlier, and it was much more aggressive. To me, Beaucastel is the perfect fall wine. It's not big and rich like many Rhones that are better suited for winter. And there's almost a slight hint of decay in the wine that matches the fall season. That sounds bad, but is really quite good. What a beautiful wine. If you've got some, pop one now, because it is in a very happy place. 96-97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2008 - cct wrote: 97 Points
Man I love this wine. A dark ruby color, with a fine perfuminess, with fruits form blackberry liqueur, to dark plums. Meaty and dens with a tremendous purity of fruit and a piercing minerality. Fresh bloody meat and a great palate presence. This will become something special in time, not that it isn't already. Long and pure. Wonderful stuff. 97 ts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2008 - fisk15 wrote: 91 Points
Need to decant next time as this was not strutting it's stuff w/ a pop and pour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2008 - DuncanSalmon wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful showing for this wine, double decanted and drunk with roast pork. Very elegant but quite big, tannins not as powerful as last winter. This wine has years in front of it, but is beginning to really sing. Still lacks some complexity which will come with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2008 - jhngo wrote:
Big oak nose nice minerality. Powerful drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2008 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
(at Christopher Daniel – Baltimore) Dark garnet. Initially muted nose that developed into a terrific array of Provencal spice, red and black fruit and iodine. A very fresh wine with good ripeness. Persistent – this is really a lovely bottle. I really like ’01 as a southern Rhone vintage, but think they will be even better with a few years of age. (94+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: 94 Points
From a 375 ml bottle. Deep red with no sign of fade. Red cherry, herbs and soy. Fine structure. Black tea on the finish. A little more reserved than last bottle but still outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2008 - BordeauxNut wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Club at Larry's -- August 9, 2008 (Larry's): Very ripe with some heat -- maybe too ripe, but the serving was a bit warm. A bit Amarone-like, even, with some volatility on the nose, dried berry fruit on the palate, and a pleasant bitterness in the finish. Some garrigue brings you back to CdP. Very mouthfilling, with a huge mid-palate -- it's a really big wine that should show better in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2008 - B Paul wrote: 91 Points
Good wine, but probably not worth the $. Drink now or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 92 Points
Perfectly pleasant wine; a little muted on the nose, fairly simple palate at this point. Not sure if I'm just not a huge CdP fan or if this will be richer with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2008 - cellarid wrote:
really, really ripe. still extremely young, but extremely ripe. did i mention it's ripe?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: flawed
Deep red color. Ruby, with no signs of fading. Good weight. Overwhelming scent of old split pea soup. There is a gorgeous nose of sweet red fruit trapped underneath but the peas own this bottle. Great mouth feel. Nice integration. Not as evolved as the 375 ml btl tasted but just as delightful despite the flaw. Fine aftertaste. Pea soup will not yield.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2008 - CAS wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. Deep ruby in the glass. Very expressive nose bursting with aromas of spices, blackcurrant, minerals, red fruits leather and all sorts going on here!! Very smooth on the palate and full of complexity. Many things are going on here - medium tannins followed by spicy dark fruits - blackcurrant, slight jaminess, cinnamon and some sweet stewed red fruits followed by a long finish. An excellent Beaucastel - which is sure to become even better as the years go by.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - DdB wrote: 93 Points
Excellent Beau. Glad to try at this stage but will let the rest sleep at least another year. If you open now, you're in for a treat if you give it a couple hours in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - ncmussell wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured and while this should have probably been decanted we didnt have a chance to at this point in the evening. Wonderful nose of raspberry and earth with an array of other flavors that I cant remember off the top of my head, but needless to say the nose was fantastic. Wonderful balance on the palate but still showing plenty of tannin. This is so much more youthful than the 1998 that I had a couple months ago, and this has a long life ahead of it. I wish I had remembered a little bit more about the specifics of this wine but I do know that it was really good and a great way to cap off a wonderful evening of fantastic wines at Cesare's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2008 - MNP wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle yet from this lot. Typical animalistic Beau...showing good fruit with some nice seconday nuances. Nose brimming with bacon fat. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: 95 Points
From a 375 ml bottle...threw off a lot of fine sediment. Deep red color with slight fading at rim. Began with a strange urine-like aroma that passed to reveal plum, roasted meat, sweet fruit, garrigue, bacon fat and rasberry. Tongue coating with symmetry. Good acidity. Tannins are integrated and yielding. Excellent finish lasting 20+ seconds. Black tea on the finish. Delicious, right down to the last drop. This score might be conservative.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote:
I want to know what wine it is that so many people here are tasting...I've had this bottle 3+ times over the last two years and this is THE benchmark Chateauneuf du Pape for me. While I haven't tasted them all...I've tasted 300+ Chateauneuf du Papes in the past 2 years. Of them ALL (even one's WS scored higher) this was the one to have...this was the ONE to beat. None of them could. It's elegance, power, finesse, beauty, and sex all rolled into one glass of wine. I have only 3 bottles of this wine left...and that's not enough. If any of you have this wine and have not tasted it...I encourage you to open a bottle. If there are those of you who find yourself with extra bottles that you are dissapointed with please contact me. I'll gladly buy them for their orriginal retail price of $55. You can't get a Chateauneuf du Pape today that matches up for this price...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2008 - ecnemergut wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Wonderful raspberry nose with earth and leather. Unfortunately, the palate is dominated by a strong tannic bite. Long finish with some sweet cherries. Quite a bit too young, I think. In a few years, the score of 90 could be quite higher as this babe has everything in the right place! I'd wait at least two years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Février 2008: dégustation verticale du Château Beaucastel (Steaf Frites Saint Paul (avenue Laurier)): Verticale Beaucastel
Nez austère, un peu résineux, animal, avec des épices. La texture est la plus belle du groupe (1997-2001), le vin un peu fermé mais la texture est magique!
Grand vin. 94-95 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2008 - amred wrote: 93 Points
Classic ChdP nose...a little barnyard, but strong fruit. Still young, but frankly, smoother and more accessible than anticipated. We decanted for ~ hour, then back into bottle for a blind tasting. As others have noted, there is balanced acid, tannins are not harsh, and less of the classic garrigue, especially (for me) for a Beaucastel. Very good, and getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2008 - drphil wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple color with fast legs. Light nose, almost juicy floral. Wonderfully smooth, nicely balanced, good acid. Subtle, light cherry, rather understated. Nice long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2008 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
great classical CdP
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2007 - RobK wrote:
Decanted half hour before serving. Still primary with big dark fruit. Enjoyable but there's huge potential here that is waiting to develop. Hands off for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2007 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Deep crimson with wonderful depth of flavour. Tannins velvet fine. The wine has a fresh acitity. Great depth with a clean brisk taste. The finish is quite complex with the ripe fruit flowing thru the long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding Turkey-Day treat. Decanted for 4+ hours, then enjoyed over the following 3 hours. Cellar was filled with fruit aromas when first decanted. Wine was certainly drinkable at that point, but extremely tight with chalky fine tanins. As the decant time wore on the wine integrated and opened considerably, while retaining awesome aromas and rich flavors. Dark cherries and bacon fat are among the more prominent of the many flavors. Glad I still have plenty of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2007 - rmodak wrote: 94 Points
Drank from 375 ml with minimal decant. This is wide open on the noseand mouth, giving loads of black raspberry, incense, iron, leather and forest floor all on a silky frame. As this opens, the dense structure reveals itself more. Very young, but showing very well, there is no crime in trying one of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
room filling nose. young and the future is bright. Wonderful
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2007 - GreatLibations wrote: 97 Points
I decanted this 24 hours prior to tasting. Deep brick purple, almost crimson in color with heavy aromas of molded, wet earth, aged blackfruit, and cinnamon. Dense full body with velvety chewy tannis. Deeply concentrated flavors of cherry, aged plumb, licorice, raspberry, cinnamon, rocks, leather, and musty earth hold my attention like the Kentucky Derby. The finish is long and delicious with a slight steel acidity. This lives up to it's pedigree once again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2007 - WST wrote:
Grand Crew Bellingham visits Southern Rhone: I still can't believe this was an '01 Beaucastel, even after the bag was removed. It had been decanted 5 hours. Completely open for business. Huge , gorgeous nose and palate. Violet, cherry, bacon fat. None of the Mouvedre or Brett notes I've encountered in '80's Beaucastels. This was my worst guess of the night; I thought someone had sneaked a high-end Northern Rhone into our Southern Rhone tasting. The Syrah notes in the wine struck me. This was one of my co-WOTN, regardless of my absurd guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2007 - Miceri wrote:
Really good, spiced, good aftertaste
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2007 - dd wrote:
really great i'm letting the rest sit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2007 - pikemasterflash wrote: 90 Points
Light on the nose. Virtually black color. Cherry but tart, smoke and a little bit too much alcohol. Last bottle was better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - pikemasterflash wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet red. Classic Rhone on the nose, with a subtle hint of cherries. Wine is fruity without the heavy smoke that sometimes dominates a Chateauneuf du Pape. Nothing spectacular but just good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2007 - Siggy wrote:
2007 France Trip - Beaucastel, Ferrand, Vielle Julienne, Grand Veneur (Southern Rhone): High-toned red fruits and tea on the nose. Complex flavors of animal, cherries, earth, and char. Open at first, then started to close down. Reminded me of the 1989 that we tried from magnum at dinner the previous evening. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2007 - CLDWLL wrote: 93 Points
Bright ruby red color. A powdery/cigar smoked nose filled with blackberries, cherries, provencal herbs, pepper and spice. Lovely attack. Full-bodied with good texture but definitely tight, dark/unevolved on the palate. Substantial tannins present on the finish. Fun to try tonight, but I believe this wine will be stellar a few years down the road.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2007 - rikipedia wrote: flawed
Roediger Tasting - Southern Rhone to the Costrieres de Nimes (Stellenbosch): A medium to deep garnet with a wide orange rim. The wine shows some Elastoplast as well as development. It feels leathery and slightly oxidative on the palate whilst the feral elements start to pick up. Lacks fruit and feels touched by Brett.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2007 - flashvictor wrote: 92 Points
Phoenix Vacation; 2/25/2007-3/2/2007 (JW Mariott Desert Ridge): Medium purple leads to a nose of blackberry, tar, and smoked meat. The palate is dominated by the smoked meat & tar. While there is a nice amount of fruit present, the tar flavor overwhelms my tastebuds. The finish is smooth and pleasantly sweet. This is a very good bottle that I think will improve over the next 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2007 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Purchased off the wine list at Sooke Harbour House (alas, no more 1999 left), I thought it might be too young. Nonetheless, after an hour of air in the glass, it was quite open for business. Brilliant purple hue. Nose was never an issue, as there were abundant friendly smells of BBQ, garrigue, pepper, and red meats. The palate was tight at first, but relaxed nicely to exhibit warm soft edges, plenty of granache fruit with dusty tannins, and a surprisingly moderated, harmonious finish. It was flat out enjoyable, and paired terrifically with venision. Great now, with tremendous upside.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2007 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Deep black/purple color. Powdered kirsch, berries, herbs and sea brine on the nose. Very young on the palate, with a tart, crisp and lively mouth feel. The palate is deeply flavored, with a touch of jam and very fine tannins. The take away for me was the young, tart palate, it was pleasant today with roast chicken but suggested that this wine has the stuffing to evolve from it's primary fruit forward postion now to a classic CdP. There is no hurry to drink this wine, I will revisit in a few years to see the progress. Outstanding!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2007 - BailliSacks wrote:
Nice, but young and relatively closed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2007 - davidandrose wrote: flawed
Slightly flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2006 - jonnyoro wrote:
beautiful CDP- but way too young; still very tannic, primary flavors of red and black fruit and dried provencal herbs- obviously much more mouvedre than grenache both in color (darker than most chateauneufs) as well as in structure. i have alot of these but won't open again for a couple of years...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2006 - thijsseg wrote: 92 Points
zeer goed, verrassend zacht en rond
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2006 - Will wrote:
No decanting - not paticularly interesting wine, slightly green tannins, bitter finish. It's well made and quite nice but it just doesn't cut it. On day 2 quite strong brett. A bit metallic. My first bottle so I can't say whether this is representative, but if it is then it's definitely not worth the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2006 - llink wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured with no decanting. Nose of rasberry, kirsch, licorice and a touch of sweatsocks ( brett?). The nose is strong and has a medicinal quality to it. Mouthfilling fruit with comfortable tannins and an easy balanced feel. Finishes a little bitter, and lingers for quite a while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2006 - gorm wrote: 93 Points
Dark inky color. Very intense and heavy nose of dark fruits and freshly crushed grapes with some hints of typical Beaucastel barnyard. Medium-bodied with good balance although it is a bit closed. Great complex and challenging taste. A difficult wine as Beaucastels real force is in the multidimensional taste, which is a bit closed and undeveloped at this stage, and not the concentration and body, which is somewhat lower and lighter than most other top-CNDPs. Rating: 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2006 - ET wrote: 95 Points
The nose on this one is special. I could almost taste red and black raspberry, earth and some sweet spices. It opened nicely after decanting and then the mouth was awesome with lots of fruit and a nice balance right before its nice and long finish. This needs to sit a while longer but I can't wait to open up another bottle. It is really amazing stuff and I want more of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2006 - paulst wrote: 85 Points
A bit tart with no follow through.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2006 - 2p8h wrote: 90 Points
Tasted after inadequate decanting, nevertheless offered an elegent mix of soft fruit and a touch of minerality. Food friendly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Beaucastel Offline (Snow on the Green - London): Now we are talking, quite closed to begin so I put it to one side for 2 hours, when it became great. Sublime kirschy fruit, sweet but not jammy, refined, super balance and tannins alrady smooth, delicous. ~96pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2006 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - 12 Years of Beaucastel (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Jammy red raspberry fruit. Ripe and inky, with tobacco flavors. Huge tannins and acid. This was great, but it didn’t wow me quite as much as the 2000.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2006 - jhngo wrote: 93 Points
Powerful fully bodied wine with long finish. Delcious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2006 - BeavisCC wrote: 95 Points
This is a brooding giant, giving up very little right now, but impeccably concentrated and pure. Big tannins but big in every other respect, this needs another 10-20 years. It seems like it will effortlessly age to 40, and I need to keep my paws off the rest of my bottles for at least another 3-5 years before checking in on another half bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2006 - bsherwin wrote: flawed
NYC CdP Fest at S&W (Smith & Wollensky's): Corked! Damn.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2006 - Tejano wrote: 92 Points
Dark and rich opaque color with a layered nose of dark fruit, earthy hummus, tar, and a subtle but ever present animal texture that did not go away over several hours. A little tight, but showing abundant fruit and a youthful strong character that has a long way to go...but is not there yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2006 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Gambero Rosso + Otto + Ashers place... WOW!: maybe itshiding...or closed .. or what...but this is not blowing me away..where is the animal bau is known for? where is the nose of truffles...where is the mourvede hiding? yes - its young and tight and i wouldnt touch it witha 10 foot pole. needs lots of time. it will be amazing but for now - leave it be (92+++)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2006 - jmp wrote: 92 Points
Nice smooth balance across a range of flavors. Like a long continuous note. Slightly closed down, but enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2006 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
Medium grenadine. Currently rather closed down, this burgundian-styled CDP has a complex, layered nose dominated by floral notes, sweet blackberries, and exotic spices. The palate is long and textured but exhibits substantial tannins and a taut, high-strung personality. Likely to drink well "soon", but best around 2013.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Had a restaurant vigorously decant this for about 2hrs prior to dining, then consumed over 2 1/2 hours. Beautiful coloring, nice grape aromas and flavors. tobacco, crushed dry leaves. Silky smooth mouthfeel and a lingering, flavorful finish. Don't have many CDPs, but glad to have several of these. Very Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2006 - kris.h wrote: 93 Points
I've been holding on to a few bottles of this and could wait no longer to try one. This is excellent now but will obviously get better with age. I decanted this for about 2 hours before drinking. The color is a beautiful dark ruby red with good clarity and concentration. The nose is very complex with hints of blackberry, blueberry, other dark fruits, leather, animal fur, and a touch of barnyard like aromas that I've come to expect from Beaucastel. The palate is very full, rich, and balanced. The finish was tannic and peppery and not as long as I thought it should be. 50 + 5 + 14 + 16 + 8
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2005 - tobinw wrote: 91 Points
Had at Scala in SF with Osco Buco and Risotto dish. Was a wonderful wine, that complimented food nicely. Blackberry, with heavy spice and pepper. Made the Pomme Frites and Aioli really sing...brought out the flavors in both. A great wine pairing brings a smile to your face when the magic works.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
A bright maturing garnet to look at. On the nose, it’s meaty and immediately obviously more animalistic and farmyardy than the previous reds, with lots of lovely black fruit. On the palate it’s full and much deeper than the Sinards, with lots of character. It’s drinking fine now, but I think really needs some time: Thomas Perrin says it will soon close down and should be left until 2011 or later. Very Good Indeed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2005 - TomH wrote:
Half bottle at Madyson in Philly on Oct 25, 2005. Wine was not showing a thing. Wait a few more years before revisiting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2005 - Kirk Grant wrote: 94 Points
Lithe and elegant yet at the same time quite powerful. Flavors of plums, blueberries, and a hint of oak. My first Beaucastel and I think I understand why people love this wine so much...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/27/2005 - Dteng wrote: 95 Points
Splash (double) decanted 6 hours in advance. This is the real deal. Dark, brooding, and massive. Aromas of black fruit, earth, tar and animal soar from the glass. Incredibly rich and full bodied. Very long in the finish and in another league comparing to the previous bottles of the night. Beautiful balance, everything is there. Insanely great potential. Outstanding. Buy more even if you're on a budget.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2005 - Eric wrote: flawed
43 bottles of Château Beaucastel with Bob Parker (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church, VA): Badly corked!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 93 Points
TN: 1989 Palmer, 1989 Montrose, 1990 Chapoutier CDP, 2001 Beaucastel CDP, Core 442 (Gramercy Tavern NYC): Beautiful bright ruby glowing red. What a gorgeous nose. I opened this at my apartment a few hours prior to going to dinner. I smelled and sipped and immediatly recorked as the wine was all there and open for business. Still very primary but clean and layered. The wine was perfectly integrated with hints of oak, cherries, jam, spice, currant berries, and rich mouth coating tannins. Medium in body this is sure to be a wonderful wine in 10 years. I need more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2005 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
Medium-dark garnet colour. Aromas of alcohol that blew off with time, black plums, black cherry, spice, lilacs. Full-bodied, with plums and currant notes. Moderate finish, 25-30s. Way too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2005 - Brunella wrote:
Not usually a Grenache girl but decided to give this a try due to all the hype. I've heard this described as liquid excrement, this is actually quite delicious. Initially there was a good dose of the funk, but it has dissipated and there is little left on the nose or palate. A little out of balance at this point, ie, its rather hot. It smells alot higher of alcohol that the 13.5% states; in fact, I suspect its higher than that. Hot with pepper as well. I'm not getting alot of Grenache. Rather fat in the mouth. I would like to see if this settles down in a few years. Its all revved up right now. I am surprised by the lack of game and the absense of Grenache character. I wouldnt necesarily misplace this for a northern Rhone but the lack of grenache would lead me away from Southern Rhone. Think I will buy a few more at this price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2004 - beachbum wrote: 93 Points
Well, I opened the split to give a try. 1 hour in the decanter. Hmm. This wine is really changing with sucessive vintages, or maybe I am getting to try it earlier because the LCBO is trying to rotate inventory more quickly. Whatever, this is very primary, purple, hard rhone mineral scented, layered and complex offering. It is very clean, without any of the bretty, earthy, horsey, merde tinges or the 89 or 90. It will be great when the acids get drawn into the fruit. A multidimentional palette of cough medicine, sweet black fruit, jammy, then long integrated cherry and oakyness with a very appealing sweet 30+ second finish. Plush. The tannis are not really evident. Wow, I am far more impressed as it sits in the glass. Not sure it is better than 98/99/00, but certainly is worth purchasing and storing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2004 - Double-A Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dried berry, raisin, spice, honey, and milk chocolate nose. Full, assertive and mouth-filling palate with spiced flavours and a long, well-balanced finish.
3.5/5
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2004 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
i know many people can smell this wine, and identify it immediately. however, i'm apparently not one of them. nevertheless, a rich and gorgeous wine with leather, cherries, oodles of fruit that begs to be cellared. when i learned the identity of this, i was stunned at how well it was drinking now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2004 - JohnB wrote: flawed
corked!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2004 - CSteefel wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby red. A reticent nose of kirsch, with none of the characteristic barnyard aromas one associates with Beaucastel (and which showed up in the 200). In the mouth, a good balance of ripe fruit and tannins suggest this wine should age well. Rich and mouth-coating, but perhaps missing just a bit of excitement on the mid palate and in the finish. In my view, distinctly less impressive than the 2000 Beaucastel, and I think the other tasters agreed. Much too young, but rate now at 91 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2004 - Wilfried wrote: 91 Points
2001 Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape rouge, Rhone, France (not blind): Medium to light ruby, brilliant, light rim, very high viscosity. Simple but intense nose after red currant syrup, not your usual Beaucastel or even CdP nose, only slightly alcoholic. Medium to plump body, primary red and black currant fruit, soft persistent tannins, bit of silky acidity, hint of Kirsch. Long finish, soft persistent tannins, very nice aftertaste. Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 12-13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 9 for overall = total score of 91-92.
I would easily take this wine for a very good made non Burgundy Pinot Noir (Gantenbein comes to my mind or may be even from Austria) and I am rather sure that the bouquet will develop fine with some cellaring, same goes for the taste when the primary fruit will go away. What I like especially is the for a CdP (but for Beaucastel usual) rather low alcohol content of 13,5%.
Tasted Aug 2004.
Small ISO standard tasting glass. Did not match very well with my more than simple dinner, so I tasted it solo. Basically openend to make just this TN, will retaste tomorrow from the then one day open bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2004 - Patrick wrote: 94 Points
Top Shelf Tasting at Mark Anthony; clear ruby; herbs, spice and blackberry emerging into mushrooms and forest floor; medium to full bodied and very smooth; long finish; beautifull wine; very subjective 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2004 - caldwell wrote:
Oh, Nelly. This is great. Still lots of baby fat, but spicy and pretty. Is this Mourvedre based? Let the rest sit for a while - this is astoundingly pretty, concentrated juice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Bright disc. Deep purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing explosive aromas of roasted meats, smoke, herbs, blackberries and dry earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and huge ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very impressive. While this wine will likely shut down soon, it is beautiful now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2004 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$60 retail, on sale. This is an impressive effort from Beaucastel, and, IMO, a wine of solid potential. Well-crafted, with a long future ahead of it - based upon its structure and balance. Red/black fruit and some brambly spice; certainly, it's a bit closed now. This was more subdued than a number of '01s I've had, which in general have had great structure coupled with huge fruit. The '01 Beaucastel shows a lot of restraint and is not made in a flashy, over the top style by any means. I look forward to trying this wine again but will probably wait at least 6-8 years - unless I get an itchy trigger finger...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2004 - Blair Curtis wrote: 93 Points
I found the nose interesting, while others found it offputting. Distinctly cherry cough syrup. I don't mind this, and I think it will tone down some with time as the wine integrates. Other tasters thought it was a sign of too obvous alcohol or heat. The palate is big, bold and beautiful. Showing fat and flashy now, it will undoubtedly morph through many other stages as it grows up. When I receive mine, I'm putting it out of sight for awhile (maybe 8 years min).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2004 - CSteefel wrote: 92 Points
I liked this wine quite a bit, apparently more than many of the other tasters. It showed an abundance of sweet ripe fruit that might lead some to question its aging potential, but the stuffing of a classic CdP was there. Perhaps a little disjointed at this stage, with the nose and the impression in the mouth not appearing completely seamless. Still, very good concentration and liveliness on the palate, followed by a medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2004 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
2001 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape
1/10/04 at home. Gorgeous color. Nose fragrant but tight. Wonderful palate, rich, heady, viscous. Amazingly approachable even now, and incredibly enjoyable. Marvelous. 5-12-17-8-92/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2003 - Jason wrote: 92 Points
In the name of science, I opened one to check on the condition of my recently received case. Wow. What a nose. It is massive with leather, candied black cherry, cocao, and cherry laced pipe tobacco. Rich palate of brooding dark fruit, balsamic, and roasted herbs. Great balance. I sense that the palate is a bit closed. Enjoyable now but will be great with some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment